Timing chain install question.

As said its always a good idea to degree the cam. it's takes a fair amt of reading to catch on to its idiosynchrasies/how it is done but when you grasp it it'll have been worth it & it is pretty simple (once you get there). With it dot to dot (6/12 o'clock) both #1 and #6 pistons will be at/very very near TDC however only the #6 piston will be at compression/ready to fire because of the cam phasing not neccessarily the piston position so degree the cam if you want to go that far then turn the dampener a bit back CCW till the marks are at 15 BTDC then install the dist & turn the housing till the magnet is dead even with the reluctor tooth and you want the can on the pass side with room to be turned both ways & before that ideally you want to install/clock the intergear ANYWHERE so that with the dist installed the rotor is pointing rearward and slightly to the drivers side which maintains the OE factory firing order & helps prevent future mistakes. As you know the dist can be installed 180 out but when you are at 15 BTDC #6 compression just have the rotor rearward & slightly to drivers side then plug in the #6 plug wire at that rotor location then continue with the plug wire routing 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2. this OE standardization lets the plug wires nestle as neatly as possible with the shortest lengths possible. make a mark on the dampener 2 & 7/32" CW from the OE TDC slit & have your dist man set it to that when it fires (new cam breakin I am assuming) & this is with vac adv capped for the breakin. read "breakin secrets" at www.mototuneusa.com. EDIT To ans your Q when the crank gear dot is at 12 o'clock (assuming a correctly stamped crank gear/correct keyway slot/degreeing required/highly recommended) then yes the piston (actually both #1/#6 pistons) will be at TDC with the crank keyway at ~1:30. MORE EDIT AJ's trick is neat/I love it! as it is much easier to line things up on the bench & you can actually set the dots at 12/12 o'clock (hard to do on the eng cuz the crank snout is in the way) then time the dist to #1 cuz that will make it easier to grasp what you are doing (rotor forward & slightly to pass side). just install both gears/chain on parallel/even so you dont bind the chain