Old, New guy, with Old Problems

[ChevyTech]

Welcome to the board!

As for the engine timing:

If when you put the new timing chain in, you line up the timing marks on the crank gear and cam gear the same as it was when you took it apart, everything should have been good with the distributor.

If the dots on the gears are pointing at each other the the distributor rotor should point to cylinder #6 plug wire.
If both dots are pointing up then the distributor should point to #1 plug wire.

When you check in the spark plug hole with a screw driver and get the piston at the top, you don't know if it is at the compression stock so the distributor should point at #1, or if it is at the top of the exhaust stoke so the distributor should point at #6.


To get the engine back in time:
Remove the number one spark plug.
Turn the engine until you can feel compression coming out the number one spark plug hole.
Continue to rotate the engine slowly until the timing mark on the front balancer is lined up.
Note: sometimes the outer ring on GM engines slips and makes the timing mark inaccurate.
Mark the position on the distributor housing that lines up with the number one wire on the distributor cap.
Install the distributor with the rotor pointing to the number one wire position when the distributor is fully seated.