Take a deep breath, exhale, lol. So below is a sun electric corporation tune up card. Looks like 59 gets 5 degrees before top dead center. Looks like the bb is tdc, the hash mark is 5 degrees. You turn the distributor counter clock wise to advance the timing.
Next question, are you confident the flywheel is a 59 flywheel?
Next, do a compression test. Should be consistent between all cylinders.
Now, let’s get you to a timing base line. Mark all the plug wires so you know which wire goes to which cylinder. Trace the number 1 plug wire to the distributor cap and put a vertical chalk line on the body of the distributor directly under the distributor cap tower for no.1 wire. Then pull all the plugs. Makes turning the motor over easier. Look at the bolt that is holding the octane selector plate down. The plate will have a center hash mark and there should be another hash mark on the distributor pad. See the photos of the octane selector plates. Essentially you want the plate to be centered on the pad hash mark. If it’s not, loosen the bolt and line up the center hash marks. Tighten the bolt.
Now, install a remote starter switch onto the solenoid. Put a finger or thumb over the no. 1 spark plug hole and begin to rotate the motor with the remote switch. One little bump at a time until you feel compression out of the no. 1 plug. Now, disconnect the battery and see if you can grab the fan belt and turn the motor clock wise until the bb is pretty close to the pointer. Now, get down with a light and see if you can find the 5 degree advance hash mark on the flywheel. Mark the hash mark on the flywheel with a paint marker or something. Bring the hash mark to the bb. Now, remove your distributor cap. Your rotor should be pointing at your chalk mark. If it’s not, loosen the screw on the octane selector plate/distributor clamp. Not the hold down bolt, the screw on the clamp. Turn the distributor until the rotor lines up with the chalk mark. Tighten the screw, install the cap, plugs and wires. You should be at 5 degrees btdc. Start the motor and check with a timing light.
While you are there, rev the motor a bit and make sure the vacuum advance is working. If the distributor does not move when you give it a quick rev, the diaphragm in the advance may be shot and you have a vacuum leak.
Finally, how cruddy is your distributor? If the distributor is shot, broken advance springs, or non working mechanical advance, this will also create issues with the timing and potentially the over heating. The photo of the distributor is one I rebuilt last year. When I got the point plate off I discovered that one of the springs broke off and jammed the advance weight so it could not move and no advance was occurring.
