You can pul the number one spark plug out...stick your finger on the hole and rotate the engine. When you feel air coming out you're on the compression stroke. You can then put a screw driver in the spark plug hole and slowly rotate the engine with a breaker bar or ratchet. As the piston comes up or down you can feel it through the screw driver. Once you locate the highest point it will be close to top dead center. Pull the cap and see where the rotor is pointing. Turn the distributor until it lines up with the number 1 wire location on the cap.
You could also use a positive stop made from an old spark plug and a bolt. Find compression stroke. Insert positive stop mark the balancer when engine stops turning ( by hand ) clockwise. Then mark where it stops turning counter clockwise. Make a line in the middle and it'll be close to TDC.
Make sure the firing order is correct. These engines have two different ones... H.O. and non H.O.
You could also use a positive stop made from an old spark plug and a bolt. Find compression stroke. Insert positive stop mark the balancer when engine stops turning ( by hand ) clockwise. Then mark where it stops turning counter clockwise. Make a line in the middle and it'll be close to TDC.
Make sure the firing order is correct. These engines have two different ones... H.O. and non H.O.