ok thanks

 

Here's how I do it.

Bump your engine over until your rotor is at #1(mark your manifold with a marker beforehand). Look at the harmonic balancer and see that you are also TDC. I, just like your Dad, will hold my finger on top of the #1 spark plug hole. While you are doing all this, bump the motor over(make sure the ign is off)from the solenoid. If your finger is tight in the hole, you will feel the compression stroke coming. When it reaches TDC it will blow your finger off. Then take a flashlight and look into the cylinder and you should be able to see the top of the piston. If you can't get a light in there then stick a screw driver in the spark plug hole and you should feel the piston. DO NOT stick the screw driver or leave it in the hole and crank the engine. You can fine tune the stroke with a big socket and breaker bar on your crank. So, rotor at #1, #1 piston up, and harmonic balancer on TDC. Now you can pull the distributor. When you reinstall the distributor, you may have to insert it with the rotor just ahead of your mark because it will follow the cam gear down until it sit's on your mark when the dist housing is flush on your block. If you don't understand that you'll see what I mean when you do put it in. Good luck. It's easier than it sounds. If the car runs like crap you may be one tooth off. No big deal. You will know when you have to push the dist over to one side way too far when timing it. Just bump it over one tooth or go through the finger/compression method again.

 

thanks everyone for all your help, i finally got it to TDC and then my dad got home and double checked me.