stumped!

There is NO need to fuss with this put it in and start the engine

Pull the no 1 plug. Stick your finger in. Bump the engine around, IE screwdriver across the start relay. When you START to feel compression (you may have to go round a couple of times to get the feel) STOP. Now look for the marks and bump the engine until the marks come "up."

DO NOT set the marks on TDC, but rather "where you want" the timing to be. That is, 10, 12, 15 BTDC wherever you want the timing.

Set the distributor in. Bear in mine there is a textbook "right" way to orient the drive gear, but it just doesn't matter. Plus, some distributors do NOT have the rotor aligned with the drive tang "the same way."

If the rotor does not point to your liking, turn the dist. around. If not, you'll have to "walk" the drive gear with a big screwdriver.

Otherwise, "throw" the distributor in and forget it.

Now, rotate the distributor body so that the vacuum can "is in" a good place, clear of obstructions, with plenty of movement.

Figure out which cap tower the rotor is "coming to" as it goes CLOCKwise. Plug the no1 wire into that hole

Before setting the cap on, set the dist. body so that the pickup device is centered IE in the LED / magnet/ points open whatever it has.

Put it together and start it up.

ALSO you can look at the timing marks "on the starter."