[mud.man.rj]

You don't really need top dead center if it already runs, but if it doesn't or hasn't run yet you will kind of have to for the correct plug wire location, but could pull a v. cover if needed and watch the intake valve open and close then put a long screwdriver in the left/drivers side #1 piston hole and slowly turn the engine over with a bar, not the starter and when the piston pushs the srewdriver to the top just before it starts to go back down is top dead center. So turn the engine back slightly and will be around 10 degrees before top dead center, wher it actually would be correct timing on most small blocks and would at least start for you to use the vacumn gauge to time it. Sound good.