Advice Needed - Can't Start Rebuilt 273

Keep us posted if the 180 deg. thing works out. When you install the drive gear for the distributor and oil pump into the block it has 18 teeth so it can go in one of 18 different ways and only one way is correct. As long as the valve timing is correct (timing chain and gears) the distributor can be installed any way as long as the firing order on the cap starts where ever the rotor is pointing when #1 cylinder is at top dead center. I static time engines by
bumping the engine over with #1 plug out and my finger covering the plug hole.
When the compression pushes against my finger the cylinder is coming up to tdc. You should be able to bump the starter to line up the timing marks on the balancer and #1 will be at tdc. Pop the distributor cap and start the firing order at the post where the rotor is pointing (1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 clockwise) #1 should fire when it is at tdc and the rest should follow in proper order. You can then set the timing with your timing light to 10 deg. before or what ever spec is.
Hope this helps, toolmanmike