Simple way to put it together for start up is to have the engine at 30 degrees BTDC on the compression stroke. Then install the distributor so that the rotor is pointed towards the tower in the cap that is going to be your #1 wire. Any wire can be #1 so you just pick it depending on how you want to route the plug wires. Bolt it all together with the rotor pointed at the #1 tower with the damper at 30 degrees BTDC. That will put the rotor in the correct location for normal operation. The timing should be close to correct when you do it that way but you always need to double check with a timing light once it fires.