most all 3 bolt double roller gears have crank and cam sprocket dots on top,for tdc fire like stock hemi, use the molded blob right above t-cover for straight edge line up

w them @12 o'clock and 12 o
clock w the marks @10BTDC #1 compression you are ready to place the rotor under the dist cap w the #1 wire in it. But it's easier to use a steel scale w the crank dot at 12 because the bolt is in the way the other way so set em at 12 and 6 and at 10 btdc on the marks #6 is ready to fire

Doesn't matter which way you go, as long as you know that when cam dot is at top it fires #1, and when cam dot is at 6 oclock it fires #6. Don't mess up the markings at the keyway. If you are going straight up timing, the round dot towards outer teeth is the one you line up, not the dot at the keyway. By the way the keyway is 1/2 way between 12 nd 3 oclock when #1 piston is at top dead center.

Yeah, but you're not the first. The cam is easiest to line dots up when they are together, crank dot at top, cam dot at bottom. They're then next to each other. THAT is when it is set to fire cyl #6. Turn crank one revolution and cam dot will then be straight up, ready to fire cyl #1. Not all v-8's are marked that way, but mopar and chevies are.

The worst that could happen is a distributor that is 180 degrees out. At the chev dealer, the service writers would transfer calls back to my phone from hotheads that bought a target eng from our dealer the week before, and it just backfires trying to start. They would convince me that the factory installed balancer was on tdc on timing cover when it came out of crate, so it must be firing #1. THey were mistaken, I had to explain to them that the factory lined up the dots, threw a paint mark on them and were done. And that meant it was firing #6 in that position.

It makes sense if you think about it for a while. Don't lose no sleep over it, now.....

Yes with dots lined up at 6 (cam) and 12 (crank) the piston is up and just starting the intake stroke with piston going down and intake valve starting to open on number 1 cylinder, valve closing as the piston comes up for the compression stroke, when number 1 fires the cam is at 12 noon and the crank is at 12 noon.
intake,compression,power(fire),exhaust

logan426