(quoted from post at 13:29:55 08/18/16) Thanks for the help!
I've been re-looking at the timing, and when the piston is near the top of #1 cylinder, 8 degrees or so shows in the timing window. The thing that seems strange to me is that at this point--with 8
degrees showing and piston near top of #1--sometimes the rotor is pointed at 2 o'clock on the distributor and sometimes the rotor is pointed at 8 o'clock. Is this normal?
Jeff
Jeff,
When #1 is at TDC it must be on the compression stroke
(intake, compression, power, exhaust). If #1 is at the top of the cylinder (not just near the top) but your rotor is not pointing to #1 pole on the dist cap, then #1 is ready for its exhaust stroke, not it's power stroke.
I'd forget about your timing degrees for the moment and just "static time" the engine.
Here's how I've done it.
If your valve cover is off you can tell when #1 piston is coming up on its compression stroke, when you see the intake valve closing: i.e., the rocker arm is releasing the INTAKE valve spring, letting it come up.
At that point I stand a tall slim screwdriver up in the plug hole, using a string or something to keep the screwdriver vertical so that it doesn't bind at the plug hole. this way you can see exactly when the piston reaches Top Dead Center and exactly when the piston begins to descend. But if your valve cover is on, use your finger or a compression guage to plug up #1 spark plug hole. When the piston is coming up on the compression stroke, you will hear or feel air trying to escape past your finger or see action on the compression guage -- then the screwdriver method.
Next, after confirming that your rotor is pointing at #1 on the dist cap, and your point gap is properly set, loosen the dist clamp bolt, and turn the dist a little CLOCKWISE to position the point block on the dist cam flat spot, just to the right of the nearest high point where it will be ready to climb to that high point as the rotor approaches.
With the cap off of course, turn the key on and rotate the distributor slightly COUNTERCLOCKWISE
(because the rotor runs CLOCKWISE) just until you see the points begin to open and spark. Tighten the dist clamp bolt and quickly turn the key off.
Now you know that #1 piston is getting a spark for it's downward power stroke and if all else is right (wires 1243 Clockwise on the cap) then it will start.
You can fine time it later.