I agree with the idea of changing the oil, and the filter if the engine has one. And don't forget an extra quart of oil for the filter. Then, to ensure that the oiling circuit is full, including the oil filter, take the distributor out and drive the oil pump with an electric drill driving a flat-blade "screwdriver" adapter until you see oil coming up to the rocker arms. That may take a minute or so, but is nothing compared to the time you will spend if you run the engine with dry bearings. Cranking the engine with the starter and without ignition will do the same thing, but it takes a long time, and if you don't open the throttle part way, and leave the choke open, you may flood the engine and complicate your life unnecessarily.
Before you remove the distributor, take off the distributor cap and turn the engine until the rotor points straight to the engine, and mark the engine with that location. When you remove the distributor, notice that the rotor will turn slightly ahead of or behind your engine mark as the distributor disengages from the cam gear. When you put the distributor back in the engine, turn the rotor ahead or behind your engine mark, as appropriate, turn the oil pump shaft until the slot aligns with the distributor tang and the vacuum control points in the same direction it was originally, then slide the distributor into the engine. If the distributor doesn't seat properly, indicated by the rotor not aligning fully with your mark, remove the distributor and turn the oil pump shaft a little for better alignment, then slide the distributor back in. If the rotor points ahead of or behind your mark and the distributor is fully seated, you are off a tooth or more with the distributor. Remove the distibutor and turn the rotor opposite the direction you were off with the mark, then align the oil pump shaft with the distributor shaft and install the distributor again. You will know everything is right when the rotor points to your mark, the distributor is fully seated, and the vacuum control points where it should. Then hook everything up and you should be able to start the engine. You will have to set the ignition timing after all that, but you would have to do that anyway.
This takes a lot of words to describe, but the process is really not that hard- you just have to watch what you do. But then that's easy to say.
Ok, after reading all this, maybe Tiny's idea of cranking the engine with the spark plugs removed (ignition off and a good battery) is a better approach. Then you don't have to be concerned with flooding the engine and getting the distributor correctly installed.
Harvester
