Is there any sure fire way to know if my engine is firing on #1 cylinder or #6 now that I have my timing chain cover on and can't see my marks. The #1 piston is at the top in both situations and I can see it through the plug hole or do I just have to put my balancer at TDC and hope its firing #1?

 

Just make sure that the #1 cylinder is at TDC compression stroke. Then check to make sure the dist. rotor is pointing to the #1 plug terminal on your dist. cap.

That should put you in the ballpark for startup.

 

Pull the number one spark plug and use the starter to bump the engine over slowly. When air comes out your at tdc 1 compression. Then just drop the distriputor in with the rotor pointing at the number 1 terminal.

 

Are the valvecovers off?

TDC on the exhaust stroke will show the #1 cylinder's exhaust valve just closing and the intake valve starting to open.

TDC on the compression stroke will have both valves fully closed.

 

Also, after you have found TDC on the compression, Back it off to wherever BTDC you want to set initial timing.

For example, if you want to start off with initial timing as 6* BTDC, spin the engine back. (Make sure the last "spin" you make is clockwise to take up the slack in the timing chain).

Then just drop in the dist, making sure that the contact is closed for cylinder 1 (the rotor is pointed directly at the contact).

This will get your initial timing set to within 2-3* right off the bat. This can be the difference between a motor that fires right up, and a motor that takes forever fiddling with the timing to get it to run ok to break in the cam.