amt31,
On the bellhousing immediately above the starter you will see a hole. In this hole you will see a pointer. This pointer is used to set the timing with the BB shaped ball on the flywheel. When the pointer is pointing to the BB on the flywheel and #1 cylinder is at top dead center on its compression stroke the timing is close enough to get the engine running.
I watch the valve rocker arms in order to get the engine TDC and firing. In other words, I remove the valve cover and watch the movement of the rocker arms in order to determine when # 1 is at top dead center and on its compression stroke.I accomplish this by turning the engine over by hand and watching the intake rocker for #1 (the second rocker from the front on the head) until it just closes the valve and then continue turning the engine over with my finger over the plug hole for #1 until I no longer feel air trying to escape from the cylinder. At this point, I remove my finger from the plug hole and keep turning the engine over by hand until the pointer in the hole on the bellhousing aligns with the bb shaped ball on the flywheel. When the ball lines up with the pointer, #1 is at top dead center and in the firing position.
When the ball and the pointer are lined up I remove the distributor cap and look at the points. If the they have just started to break, the timing is close enough to get the engine running. If they have not, you will have to loosen the screw that goes through the clamp on the distributor and rotate the distributor a little bit until the points just break. This screw and clamp are located where the distributor shaft inserts into the block. After the points are adjusted to just break tighten the screw on the distributor clamp so the distributor won't spin out of time when you try to start the engine.
At this point the rotor will be immediately under the terminal in the cap for the #1 cylinder and you can re-check your plug wires. The easiest way to do this is to start at the plug wire for #1 and work your way around the distributor cap in a clockwise direction. The wire after #1 should lead to #5, the wire after #5 should lead to #3, The wire after #3 should lead to #6. the wire after #6 should lead to #2, the wire after #2 should lead to #4 and the wire after #4 should lead to #1 and you will have completed yor clockwise plug wire chasing journey around the distributor cap.
After you get it running final adjustments can be made with a timing light by re-loosening the distributor clamp and rotating the dizzy until the pointer aligns with the bb shaped ball on the flywheel and/or by vacuum gauge by rotating the dizzy until the highest vacuum level shows on the gauge.
I hope this helps. Good luck getting her going.
