Do you have a timing light? Inductively coupled is better so you don't have
to mess around with high voltage. Get a piece of chalk and mark the 20°
timing mark on your pulley - get under there with a 13/16" box wrench and
turn the crank till you can see it and put the mark right on 20°. (if you
find 2 marks labeled 20, mark both of them.)
After getting everything installed, with the clamp bolt for the distributor
just loose enough that you can turn the distributor, start the engine and
turn the distributor to fastest idle. Then shine your timing light down
on the pulley behind the fan (NOT through the fan blades!) The chalk mark
should be pretty close to the long "nose-shaped" pointer on the timing cover.
Adjust it to whatever spec you use- I usually use 20° btdc but I have backed
the Yellow Peril off to 18° because of excessive pinking under load.
When you get it where you want it, tighten the clamping bolt and you are in
time (just!).
The above assumes that the pulley is correctly installed, likewise the
distributor is close enough that the engine will start. A good place to
begin on this is to point the rotor to where it points at #1 and make sure
that both valves are all the way closed at TDC on #1. Usually as you approach
correct timing the engine will speed up considerably. If it will start but
not idle, you can put something under the linkage to hold the throttle somewhat
open until you get it closer (and then it will be much too fast.)
--
George Downs Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!