I should eventually take pictures of this and do a write up. I guess I'll do that when I swap my head out this winter.
HEre we go...without the pictures:
1) Remove #1 spark plug. I advise maybe removing all of them, it'll make it easier to turn the crank, but you'll be looking through the #1 spark plug hole.
2) Slowly rotate the engine using a socket (I don't like the bump the start technique) until you see the intake valve start to open. You'll probably need a flash light. The intake valve is the one to the right in the combustion chamber if you are standing on the drivers side of the car looking through #1 spark plug hole.
3) When you see the intake valve start to close continue to rotate the engine in normal rotation direction (clockwise IIRC) until you start to see the top of the piston.
Two ways to determine TDC from here:
1) Watch the piston for when it appears to stop moving. keep rotating the engine until the pistion appears to be moving back down. Keep track of how many turns of the crank you have made between when the piston appeared to stop moving and when it appear to start moving again. Divide that number by 2 and rotate counterCW by that number. That should get you close to TDC.
2) The other method is using a pencil/pen that is retractable (or even better, one of those magnetic pickups that is collapsable). When the piston is almost to the top. Put the pen in through the spark plug hole. The piston should be far enough up that it won't fall in. Be sure to use a long pen/pencil. continue to rotate the engine until you see the end of the pen stop moving down on the outside of the spark plug. At that point you are at TDC.
Now...to lining up your dizzy (this is how I do it. I'm not concerned if the #1 wire is in the so called "correct" position. So long as #1 fires when it is supposed to..>I'm happy.):
1) pop the dizzy back in. Use your magnetic pickup stick and attach it to the dizzy casing where the rotor is pointing.
2) Put your cap on and see which spark plug wire hole line up or lines up close to the magnet. pick on of the holes (preferably one that gives you more room to rotate the dizzy) and designate that one to be #1 wire. rotate that hole to be line up with the magnet. Now #1 wire should be set for TDC. rotate CCW back just a little ways to be before TDC. Don't rotate too much, just a hair. Just enough to get the car running so you can set it with a timing light.
3) Now put your plugs back in, and run your wires starting with #1. going CW on the cap, it should be 1-5-3-6-2-4 for the firing order, and just put your wires run in that order.
If I missed anything, please let me know.
