On this same subject, what I do when I rebuild an engine from scratch is mark the flywheel with a Sharpie EXACTLY where the pistons reach the top of the cylinder at 3/5, 6/1, 2/4 (hope I got that right but you get the idea). This way when its all together, I know what is happening better. I don't have to spin the engine endlessly looking for the ball.
That's a good idea. Wish I had done that.
