So I was replacing the very crusty distributer cap on my '92 4.9 the other day and broke one of the cheap set screws off in the distributer body...aargh! I had lubed the heck out of it beforehand, but still managed to snap it. In my frustration, I eyeballled the rotor position, and removed the distributer from the block completely so I could put it in a bench vise to remove the broken screw (which failed, btw). When I put the dist back in and fired it up - nothing. My eyeballing and failure to mark the rotor position in relation to the distributer body had officially bit me in the butt. Now she has to be completely re-timed. Any suggestions? Is the #1 TDC mark on the harmonic balancer? I need to invest in a good manual...

 

When I did my new engines timing I lined up the 0 on the balancer
with the little pointer (don't know the name of it)
I put my cap on the dist marked the outside of the dist where #1 plug was
took the cap off brought the mark inside put the rotor on and kept stabbing it
until the rotor lined up with my mark.


Maybe someone else has an easier way.