Whats this mean. How could be be a tooth off when you adjust it by hand? It its one over can you just turn the cap over more?

 

It can't really be a tooth off. It got its name from when people would have #1 at TDC and when they slid the distributor back in it the rotor would not line up with the terminal on the cap. So, they would pull it and re-slide it in meshing just one more "tooth" forward or back.

 

off a tooth is what people say that don't know any better or understand it. like you said just adjust the distributor, or even move the wires over a post. actually doesn't matter which post #1 is as long as you have firing order correct and know which is #1 to time off of.

just to show how common the tooth off idea is

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=257625

 

A tooth off can be a big deal with a large cap vacuum advance HEI distributor.

 

With my coil in cap HEI, I installed it correctly, but when timing it, I had to turn the distributor all the way till the vacuum advance hit the intake manifold. Pulled the distributor 2x, and reinstalled it, correctly. Same thing. Finally pulled it, moved it a tooth, and its all good. sits the way it should, and runs good. It is kinda possible.