Watch the last pair of valves, not the front. The last valve at the rear is the exhaust. Turn the engine clockwise (looking at it from the front) until the #6 exhaust opens fully and starts to close. Then watch the next valve toward the front (#6 intake). When it begins to open, the #1 cylinder is at top dead center on the compression stroke. Time the distributor to fire the #1 plug at that point, and you should be timed close enough to start.
Jerry
