1. Rotate the crank pulley so that the pointer on the timing cover aligns with TDC mark on the pulley. This is the point that you want plug no. 1 to ignite the fuel in cylinder no 1.

 2. On the distributor cap, identify which HT lead goes to no. 1 cylinder. Make a corresponding mark on the distributor body. The rotor will need to point to this mark when the distributor is mounted back into the engine. Remove the distributor cap.

 3. When you place the distributor onto the engine, one important thing needs to happen. The slot in the end of the distributor shaft needs to engage with the end of oil pump shaft. This is not quite as simple as it sounds because as you lower the distributor into the hole, it starts to engage with the cam shaft drive gear which spins the distributor shaft round slightly (by about 20 degrees)

You will have to counteract this spinning effect by putting an opposite amount of rotation on the distributor shaft before lowering. Then as you lower the distributor down, the rotor will rotate and with a bit of fiddling you should be able to fully engage the distributor. You will know when the distributor is engaged with the oil pump because the wider flange on it's body should come to rest on the surface of the timing cover with no gap.

If the oil pump shaft does not engage, the distributor will be raised by about 1/4 inch and you will need to withdraw the distributor again. You then need to rotate the oil pump shaft into approximately the right possition,  (I made a tool for this purpose from a piece of copper water pipe flattened slightly at one end) and re-try.

4. So the distributor should now be fully home with the rotor pointing to the mark you made on the body which corresponds to the HT lead for plug no. 1. Then you need to set up the timing accurately with a timing strobe light.

 Simple really !!