No real tricks. I would use a paint marker (or whatever you have) to mark the distributor. Mark both where the rotor points to on the body, and mark a place where the shaft housing meets the engine block. Be sure you're at the top of the compression stroke of #1. Remove the vacuum advance line and the bolt holding the distributor to the block and it should pull right out. If it's stubborn work it up and down. If its still stuck and you have the crankcase pan off you can remove the oil pump and drive the distributor up, just use something soft like plastic or wood when you hit it with a hammer.

Fred
52 3600
69 C-10