ok, i am totally lost when it comes to timing, i understand what it is and the concept but how to do a couple of thing im unsure of...

ok i think i have my motor at tdc it would be where the 2 timing marks meet right? the one on the timing chain cover and the one on the balancer? i know the #1 piston is close because i had my finger over the spark plug hole and air came out all the way till it got to the mark.

i am about to drop in a new distributer so all i would have to do is make sure the pickup is between the 8-1 and drop it in right?

now how do i use a timing light. i dont see how i can point that light at the mark its right below the power steering pump pully?

does someone have a link to a timing 101 article where it breaks it down for barney style, or can someone please break it down for me, im lost.

 

sounds like you have #1 at TDC set the rotor to point at #1 post on the distributor cap set the oil pump drive shaft to mate with the distributor and drop it in. connect the light per instructions, most likely to #1 and power and ground to the battery. some inductive clamps are directional watch out for that. follow instructons for you car. you'll be able to see the marks one way or another.

 

Make sure, when you install the distributor, that it goes all the way down. Lots of people make this mistake. If its not all the way down (machined surface on distributor body tight to the manifold) then its not hooked up to the oil pump. If it doesn't want to drop all the way down, you may have to stuff a long screw driver down there to turn the oil pump shaft a little to make it line up.