Hey guys,

I brought my #1 to TDC. I work alone so i just removed the #1 spark plug and felt around in there with a small flat head until I could feel the piston at the top ( timing mark is at 0). Anyway the rotor button on my dizzy is pointing at the 7 o clock position instead of the 530. Is that where it should be? PO rebuilt the engine is it even possible to install the HB improperly?

 

No, the HB is keyed to align with #1 ,TDC when the cam/crank gear timing marks are at the 12 o'clock position.
If the rotor is not pointing at the #1 terminal of the dizzy when the HB is aligned with DTC then it should be pointing at #6, rotating the crank another complete turn should point the rotor at #1. If not either #1, or #6 then timing is off.

 

If the balancer mark lines up with zero on the timing tab with #1 exactly at tdc, that's how it should be.

From that position, it's 'traditional' (for easiest of wire routing and vac canister fit if u a vac adv dist), to install the dist so that the rotor is pointing at #1 cylinder, but is can be installed pointing anywhere. Just so long as the #1 plug wire post on the dist cap lines up with the rotor wherever it points.

Or you could be looking at the other instance of #1 tdc, at the start of the inlet stroke.

 

With the timing mark lined up, piston 1 and 6 (on a V8) are at TDC. Either one could be at TDC on the compression stroke You'll need to remove the distributor cap to see which one has the rotor pointed at the plug wire terminal.

 

Mine harmonic balancer slipped ( inner ring to outer ring), so the markings were all wrong. had to replace the balancer.