stumped!

i will try all of these things. where should the notch in the distributor gear be pointing at tdc? ive been messing with the gear in different directions.maybe i just need to experiment some more until i find the right place.

With number 1 on TDC compression stroke it should be pointing at the front driver side intake bolt.

What I'm trying to explain to you, if you do that, drop that dizzy in, it won't be firing on #1, as the rotor is clocked differently in the Skip White as opposed to a factory dizzy. It simply won't run.

You need to adjust the drive gear OR move the plug wires to different posts so it will.

Put both distributors side by side and compare the relationship of the rotor to the spade on both, you should see the difference.