[splashlog]

The Atomic Four has a firing order of 1 2 4 3, and the crankshaft is designed so that pistons #1 and #4 go up and down together (and so do pistons #2 and #3, but 180 degrees out... when pistons #1 and #4 are at the top together, pistons #2 and #3 are at the bottom together). The reason to know this is that when piston #1 is at the top its firing stroke... firing #1 cylinder, piston # 4 is at the top of its exhaust stroke and just starting to do down on its intake stroke... with the exhaust valve just closing and the intake valve just opening, AND YOU CAN SEE PART OF THE INTAKE VALVE FOR #4 CYLINDER TO DETERMINE WHEN IT IS JUST STARTING TO OPEN BY LOOKING STRAIGHT DOWN #4 SPARK PLUG HOLE (IT'S THE ONLY VALVE YOU CAN SEE LOOKING STRAIGHT DOWN).

So, remove the spark plug for #4 cylinder (it's easier if you remove all the spark plugs) and turn the engine by hand in the direction of rotation (counterclockwise facing the flywheel) while looking straight down the #4 spark plug hole with a flashlight (if you can't look straight down the plug hole use a little piece of wood such as a popsicle stick to feel the valve going up and down). As the engine turns you will see the intake valve in #4 cylinder rising and falling. Carefully turn the engine over and stop just as you see the #4 intake valve just starting to open. That will mean #1 cylinder is now at the firing position, so remove the distributor and install it so both the rotor and the wide protrusion in the side of the distributor points plate (which fits into a slot in the distributor cap to align it) both point at 9 o'clock (looking down on the top of the distributor facing the flywheel). Once the distributor is in leave the distributor clamp loose, and install the cap, spark plugs, and spark plug wires, making sure the plug wire for #1 cylinder goes in the 9 o'clock postion, #2 plug wire goes in the 12 o'clock position, #4 plug wire goes in the 3 o'clock position, and #3 plug wire goes in the 6 o'clock position. Once the engine starts turn the distributor slightly back and forth so it runs the fastest. When everything is back in place time the engine at full speed as per the section on timing above.