I need to know where the # 1 position is on the distributor cap on 86 305 chevy?

Set cylinder 1 to TDC on compression stroke, remove distributor and reset to stock marks. Generally there are timing marks for this. If you cannot locate the timing marks then note the direction that the rotor under the distributor cap rotates and reinstall it so it's pointing right at the cylinder 1 contact or just barely before when cylinder 1 is at TDC. That may get you close enough to start it. Then you will need a timing light to adjust the timing to the proper spec.

In the future mark the distributor cap and housing position relative to manifold or block prior to removal. Makes re-assembly a breeze.

Set your flywheel to the mark on the timing cover TDC then look at the position of your roter in the distributor cap. It should point to #1 wire on the cap. If you had the distributor out for some reason you might be out of the gear sequence. To correct pull the distibutor again position the gearshaft there is a slot for the oilpump to slide into. over a bit and drop it in to the new possition. Make sure the rotter is linning up with the 1 piston wire. If chevy firing order is 18276543 i think.

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Distributor

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Inspect/Replace

To Remove

• Disconnect the distributor wiring connector and the vacuum advance hose, if the vehicle is so equipped.
• Remove the distributor cap and note the position of the rotor. Mark the position on the distributor housing.
• On some vehicles, it may be necessary to remove the spark plug wires from the cap prior to cap removal.
• Note the position of the vacuum advance, then remove the distributor holddown bolt and clamp.
• Pull the distributor from the engine. Most distributors will need to be twisted as they are pulled out of their bore.
• Once the distributor is removed, install a shop towel in the distributor opening to keep foreign material out of the engine block.
• The entire assembly should be cleaned thoroughly. Make sure all solvent residue is completely removed.

Installing and Timing a Distributor
The following procedure may be followed to install the distributor and time it to the engine, if all reference marks were made during the removal of the distributor:

• Lubricate the O-ring on the distributor shaft.
• Position the rotor so that it is aligned with the mark made on the distributor housing prior to removal.
• Align the distributor housing with the mark made on the engine block during removal.
• Lower the distributor into the engine block, making sure the distributor drive is fully seated.
• Distributors equipped with a helical drive gear will rotate at the distributor is being installed, causing the distributor to move away from the reference marks.
• Pay attention to how much the rotor moves.
• Remove the distributor and move the rotor backward the same amount. This should allow the shaft to rotate while the distributor is being installed and still be aligned with the reference marks.
• Make sure the distributor housing is fully seated against the engine block. Sometimes it may be necessary to wiggle or rock the distributor to seat it fully into the drive gear.
• Distributors with drive lugs must be mated with the drive grooves in the camshaft. Both are offset to eliminate the possibility of installing a distributor 180 degrees out of time.

The distributor must be aligned with the camshaft drive to seat the distributor in the engine block or cylinder head.

• Rotate the distributor a small amount so the timer core teeth and pick-up teeth are aligned.
• Install the distributor holddown clamp and bolt, leaving the bolt slightly loose.
• Install the spark plug wires in the direction of distributor shaft rotation and in the cylinder firing order.
• Connect the distributor wiring connectors. The vacuum advance hose is usually left disconnected until the timing is set with the engine running.

If the engine has been cranked while the distributor is removed, or no marks were made during removal, use this procedure to reinstall the distributor:
To be sure that the number one cylinder is on its compression stroke, observe the rocker arms to see that they are both moving. Then, rotate the crankshaft one revolution until the rocker arms for the companion to cylinder number one are both moving at TDC (top dead center). Align the timing mark and install the distributor with its rotor pointing to the number one spark plug cable in the distributor cap.

• Remove the spark plug from cylinder #1. Install a test plug in the end of the spark plug wire and position the test plug away from you and cylinder #1.

• Place your thumb over the bore for the spark plug and crank the engine until compression is felt.

• Lightly crank the engine while observing the timing marks on the crankshaft pulley. Once the timing marks are aligned, stop cranking.

• Identify the position for the #1 spark plug wire on the distributor cap.

• Determine which way the distributor shaft will rotate when it is lowered onto the camshaft gear. Then position the rotor so that it will be under the #1 terminal on the distributor cap after the distributor gear is meshed with the camshaft gear.

• After the distributor is installed in the engine, turn the distributor housing slightly so the pickup coil is aligned with the reluctor.

• Install the distributor holddown clamp and bolt. Hand tighten the bolt.

• Connect the pickup leads to the wiring harness.

• Install the spark plug wires onto the distributor cap according to the engine's firing order. Check to make sure everything that was disconnected before the distributor was removed, is now connected. Connect a timing light and prepare the engine for an ignition timing check and adjustment.

Hi there:
Check this removal procedure (See Figures 1 through 5)

1. Disconnect the negative battery cable.
2. Unfasten the retaining clips (only remove the coil wire if necessary) and lift the distributor cap straight off. It will be easier to install the distributor if the spark plug wiring is left connected to the cap. If the plug wires must be removed from the cap, mark their positions to aid in installation.
3. Remove the dust cover and mark the position of the rotor relative to the distributor body; then mark the position of the distributor body relative to the engine block.
4. Detach the harness assembly connector.
5. Remove the pinch-bolt and lift the distributor straight out, away from the engine. The rotor and body are marked so that they can be returned to the position from which they were removed. Do not turn or disturb the engine (unless absolutely necessary) after the distributor assembly has been removed.

Exploded view of the distributor assembly-6-cylinder engine






Align the mark on the housing with the mark on the shaft-VG30i and VG30E engines





After the distributor assembly has been installed, the rotor should be in this position-VG30i and VG30E engines




After the distributor assembly has been installed, the rotor should be in this position-KA24E engine



INSTALLATIONTiming Not Disturbed

1. Insert the distributor in the block and align ALL matchmarks made during removal.
2. Engage the distributor driven gear with the distributor drive.
3. Install the distributor clamp and secure it with the pinch-bolt.
4. Install the distributor cap and fasten the harness electrical connector.
5. If necessary, install the spark plug wires and coil wire.
6. Start the engine. Check the timing and adjust it if necessary.

Timing Disturbed

1. It is necessary to place the No. 1 cylinder in the firing position to correctly install the distributor. To locate this position, the ignition timing marks on the crankshaft front pulley can be used.
2. Remove the No. 1 cylinder spark plug. Turn the crankshaft until the piston in the No. 1 cylinder is moving up on the compression stroke. This can be determined by placing your thumb over the spark plug hole and feeling the air being forced out of the cylinder. Stop turning the crankshaft when the timing marks indicate TDC or 0 .
3. Oil the distributor housing lightly where the distributor bears on the cylinder block.
4. Install the distributor so that the rotor, which is mounted on the shaft, points toward the No. 1 spark plug terminal tower position when the cap is installed. Of course, you won't be able to see the direction in which the rotor is pointing if the cap is installed, so lay the cap on the top of the distributor and make a mark on the side of the distributor housing just below the No. 1 spark plug terminal. Make sure that the rotor points toward that mark when you install the distributor.

On the VG30i and VG30E engines, align the mark on the distributor shaft with the protruding mark on the housing.

1. When the distributor shaft has reached the bottom of the hole, gently move the rotor back and forth slightly until the driving lug on the end of the shaft enter the slots cut in the end of the oil pump shaft and the distributor assembly slides down into place.

On the VG30i and VG30E engines, the distributor rotor tip should be in the 11 o'clock position.

1. Fasten the distributor hold-down bolt.
2. Install the spark plug into the No. 1 spark plug hole.
3. Install the distributor cap and engage the harness electrical connector.
4. If necessary, attach the spark plug wires and coil wire.
5. Start the engine. Check the timing and adjust it if necessary.

Hope this helps; also keep in mind that your feedback is important and I`ll appreciate your time and consideration if you leave some testimonial comment about this answer.

Thank you for using FixYa, have a nice day

Removal disconnect the wire harness on the distributor.remove the distributor cap.Bring the engine to top dead center on the number 1 compression stroke. Align timing mark to 0. put a scribe mark on the distributor housing in line with the rotor.Scribe another mark with the rotot inline with the engine.( note the position of distributor housing in relation to the engine) Remove the distributor hold down bolt raise the distributor noting the rotation as you raise the distributor. At this time do not rotate the crankshaft. For installation reverse the process and check timing using the hood specification.

IF YOU HAVE NEW TIMING CHAIN INSTALLED TIMING MARKS 12 OCLOCK POSITION ON CRANKSHAFT SPROCKET AND CAMSHAFT SPROCKET. AND THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP ROTOR POINTING TOWARD 1 FIRING POSITION.STANDING FRONT OR CAR LOOKING AT THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP 1 FIRING POSITION ON CAP SHOULD BETWEEN THE 5 OCLOCK AND 6 OCLOCK POSITION.DO YOU HAVE 350 OLDS ENGINE OR 350 CHEVY ENGINE THERE WILL BE A DIFFERENCE BECAUSE OLDSMOBILE 350 ENGINE 1 FIRING POSITION ON DISTRIBUTOR CAP WOULD BE AT 12 OCLOCK POSITION.ONCE YOU GET ENGINE PISTON AND VALVE TIMING RIGHT YOU HAVE TO USE TIMING LIGHT AND TACHOMETER TO ADJUST THE IGNITION TIMING.

Firing order for small block chevy is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2. The cylinders are numbered 1-3-5-7 on the driver's side of the engine counting front to back. Passenger side is 2-4-6-8, front to back. You will need to get #1 cylinder at top dead center on the compression stroke. To do this, remove the #1 spark plug and remove the coil wire from the distributor cap. You will need a helper for the next step. Place your index finger in the empty spark plug hole, Have your helper bump the starter with the ignition key, When #1 cylinder comes up on the compression stroke, the pressure will push your finger away from the spark plug hole. Don't worry, this doesn't hurt. Turn the key off. Check the timing mark on the harmonic balancer behind the crankshaft pulley. It should be pretty close to lining up with the "0" timing mark on the pointer attached to the engine block. Now pull the distributor cap and see where the rotor cap is pointing. This will be #1 on the distributor cap. The spark plug wire from the #1 plug will occupy that position. The next position on the distributor cap will be for the plug wire coming off the #8 cylinder. The rest of the plug wires will attach to the distributor cap in the above mentioned firing order counting clockwise. If you do not wish to place your finger in the #1 spark plug hole, you can use a piece of paper towel roll up and stuck in the hole just enough to form a seal. When the piston comes up on the compression stroke it will force the paper towel out. Any questions, just let me know.

If you're talking about the distributor cap and rotor. I dont know what size engine you have, but it's pretty much the same. Mark your wires with a piece of tape and write a number on each one. When you remove the wire from the cap, ONE AT A TIME, mark that location on the OLD cap with the same number. (you can remove them and immediately put them on the new cap IN THE SAME LOCATION, but it can get in the way) After all the wires are off, take the two screws out of the base of the cap and lift up on it.

Now...Take the two caps and place them next to each other, and mark the new cap exactly as you did the old cap.

Leave them there for a minute. Go back and take the 2 screws out of the rotor. Place the new one in place and tighten,first making sure you have it in the right position. Look at the bottom. There should be a square prong, and a round prong. They're there to make sure you don't put it on backwards.

Go back and get the cap from where you left it and put it back on in the same position. Put the wires back on starting with the last one you took off and work your way back to number 1.

Don't be afraid to take a picture of it before you start. Just because.

Remove cylinder # 1 spark plug, # 1 is the front one on drives side, turn crankshaft pulley to TDC on compression stroke, you'll feel the comperssion at cylinder #1 spark plug hole, follow cylinder # 1 spark plug wire to distributor cap, mark outer part of distributor where # 1 sits, remove distributor and restabe distributor with rotor at mark you made, then set timing.

The firing order is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2.
The distributor rotates in a clockwise direction. The engine must be on the compression stroke on the #1 cylinder. Line up the timing marks. Remove the cap and the rotor should be pointing to approximately the 5 o'clock position.

Good Luck