Help me understand my timing please

OK, piston stop. Get, buy make one

Remove the no1 plug, and make sure the piston is "down a ways." Unhook the battery for safety. Install the device. You may have to play with the length of the device some. It is IMPORTANT that you "jam nut" the plunger so that it does not move.

Gently wrench the engine around until it stops on the device. You are NOT trying to "find" TDC, merely stopping the piston somewhere as it comes "up."

When the engine stops, make an accurate mark under TDC on the tab onto the balancer

Now repeat, going CCW

You will now have TWO marks on the balancer you've made, and true TDC will be 1/2 way between, and if the original is accurate, that is where it will be.

Now is a great time to go further and degree your balancer, or measure it for timing tape. Use a narrow, flexible tape to carefully measure around the balancer to obtain an accurate circumference

Now you can either order the proper size timing tape, or figure how many "degrees per inch" and mark off the balancer the appropriate distance.

I usually figure 40* and carefully mark that off, rechecking carefully. USE the tape, not dividers for this first step

Now, you can use dividers to cut the 40* mark in half, for 20, again for 10, etc. Then scribe, and file, the marks into the balancer.

If you are interested in checking vacuum advance, you should degree out to about 55*