All research points to having rotor contact to point towards #1 cylinder when installing distributor, but I'm having difficulty installing mine after installing my Eldelbrock hi-flow intake. Verified the 350 is at TDC on #1 cylinder with timing marks aligned, but my distributor will only drop in with the rotor contact pointing between cylinders 6 & 8 or 180 at 5 & 7 approximately.

Is this ok this way as long as you start off with plug wire #1, above rotor contact and work clockwise per chevy's firing order ?

Just trying to make my GTA breathe a little better.

Thanks in advance

 

You might have to turn the oil pump drive with a screw driver.

 

Yes...I read that also...How long of a screwdriver do I need ?

 

Pretty long. Just look down the hole and see for yourself. Don't try to hold a short one with your finger tips or you'll be taking the intake off again.

 

You will need at least a 12" long shaft one. I have used a tire iron/factory lug wrench in the past to do it with

 

I am waiting for some idiot to say it does not matter where the position is...

 

First thing you need to do, to be sure this isn't all in vain, is to make sure that it's on the instance of #1 TDC that's #1 firing, not the other instance of #1 TDC that's at the end of the exh stroke and the beginning of the int stroke. Aka, "180 degrees out".

Next, realize that the dist rotates about 60 degrees when dropped in; so start it out w the rotor pointing about 15 degrees to the front of straight to the driver's side. It should end up about 22 degrees to the driver's side of straight ahead when it goes all the way in.

You can drop it in that way, then if it doesn't mesh w the oil pump rod, have your assistant BUMP the starter gently while you GENTLY hold it down, until it lines up.

#1 plug wire will be driver's side front, #8 pass side front.

You'll want to crank the dist body such that when the timing mark is about 10 degrees before where you want the engine to fire (say, you want it to fire15 degrees before TDC, i.e. the mark is that far CCW from the tab, then set the engine to where it's at about 25 degrees BTDC) the teeth of the star wheel in the distributor line up, then tighten the bolt until you can just barely still turn it but it won't drift by itself.