AHA! Now I understand. I missed he couldn't find them on top with the timing light.Yeah, the distributor was put in 180 out, and the number 1 cylinder is firing at 6:00 O:clock on the distributor instead of at 1:00 O'clock like it should be. Take out the distributor and flip it 180, then double check the firing order and reset the TDC and then you sould be able to use your timing light on top.

 

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Now we're talking the same language. O.K. I should take it back and have them do it since they put it in backwards anyway, but if I should choose to do it myself, is it difficult? I'm a novice mechanic, so I get a little jumpy about these kinds of things, but now is as good a time as any to give it a try, I guess.

 

I was at a friends house and he is a chevy guy. He was having problems getting his distributor in and firing right. I told him to get me the firing order and the direction of the firing on the distributor. I pulled the distributor. and rotated the engine until the No. 1 cylinder intake valve opened and close. then continued the engine rotation until TDC. I then Spun the rotor and dropped the distributor in place. where ever the rotor pointed was NO. 1 and I wired the distributor cap after that according to the firing order. He says that will never work. He hit the key and woooooom. started right up.

 

My MSD distributor did not have a number '1' on the cap like the Ford units do so I installed it pretty much the way you describe.

To the original poster, if the firing order is correct on the wiring on your distributor and it runs, the timing indicator should show correctly, all other things remaining unchanged. What shape is your balancer in? It has never happened to me, but I thought I've read of the outer part of the balancer spinning when it got old, giving a false reading. Besides, of course, the timing light not being correctly attached to the number 1 wire, is your light adjustable, and if so, set to zero?

Good luck!