My engine (305) is so hard to turn over it sounds like the battery is dead, which it isn't. My question is, if the distributor is out by a cog, or even possibly bent, would it make for a hard turning engine?

It turns over very slowly, then after about 5 to 10 seconds, it will fire up. I am getting so fed up with it. An after thought, on a quadrajet carb, which direction of the air/fuel screws (don't know what they are called) makes it richer or leaner? Is it in for lean?

 

Sounds like you could need a new battery, battery cables and/or starter.

 

Brand new battery and I tried switching cables, and the starter worked fine on the engine stand.