'71 440 Magnum...testing my patience

[wagonman]

Well here is my 2 cents. The Video is not correct with indexing the shaft. Dave69 illustration is the way I have done it all the time. Like been said you can put it anywhere you want but why not do per the FSM? IIRC you can time the dist when its in by hooking a 12v test lite to the negative side of the coil and turn the dist till the points open and the lite goes out. That should get you close to fire it up. Did you check compression with a known good gauge? Wish I was there to help.

 

[Daves69]

Lol, that video reminded me of one of my relics...…..

 

[miller]

Popcorn in one hand, beer in the other.
Why, I don't know, but guess over the years things have changed up.

I was always taught, rotor pointing 'about' towards #1 cylinder. Any rate, as mentioned, #1 on the cap can be put anywhere you want! As long as everything else is right. Vacuum canister? Should be located where the distributor housing can be rotated some, so initial timing can be dialed in.
Points? Adjust the gap first, then with distributor installed, timing mark set where you want it on the dampner, rotate the distributor housing until the points are just about to open. That's the instant it sparks.

On with the program...
Guess I'm getting cranky in my old age. (Sorry, cranky!)

 

[Daves69]

Lol, Nothin' wrong with beer!

But when the didn't mix for me once, I couldn't stand it for the longest time. Ahh....them good old days!



So OP, when all else fails, there's the FSM……