There has been cases where replacement pickups were wrong polarity
Guys THE DISTRIBUTOR GEAR or placement of the distributor DOES NOT HAVE **** to do with timing.
YOU CAN LITERALLY close your eyes and throw in the distributor gear.........and then throw the distributor in right after it.
Then just bring up the marks no1 ready to fire. This means both valves closed
Turn the dist. so the vacuum can has "some room" to swing, then stab the no1 wire in wherever the rotor points. Set the timing.
This is likely a cam timing issue, or as said above, a rotor phasing issue (wrong pickup polarity) Either that or the OP has a LOT wilder cam in the engine than he thinks