Can somebody tell me the correct way to install one. I have watched my buddy install one, I would like to know the correct way? ty

This is a little tutorial on distributor installation, mostly for newbies, but some of you experienced guys may find some useful info here too. Put the distributor cap on the distributor. Make a mark on the housing that lines up with #1, (Scratch mark or Sharpie, on a regular HEI, it will be the 2nd sparkplug wire terminal clockwise from the square part that sticks out)), pull the cap back off, line up the rotor with the new mark on your housing. Now look at the other end of the distributor, pick a groove between two teeth, and mark the housing there. Now, rotate the shaft counterclockwise (from the top) till the bottom of that groove is lined up with your mark on the bottom of the housing. You could make secondary mark on the distributor at the top again in case it gets disturbed in the process of dropping it in. Make sure your motor is not only on TDC, but put the timing mark on whatever you want your initial timing to be, let's say 12° for instance. (if you happen to have your timing cover off, dot to dot is TDC for #6, TDC for #1 is when both dots are at 12 o'clock and then you can advance it from there to what you want your initial timing at) So, now the motor is sitting with the timing mark at 12° BTDC, and your distributor shaft is about a 1/16th of a turn before that, so it will rotate into position as it drops down and engages with the cam. Once it goes down till it's sitting on top of the oil pump shaft, there will be about a 3/8" gap between the mounting flange and the intake surface. If all your marks are pretty close to lined up, push down slightly on the distributor, (not hard, don't force it), and have somebody bump the key till it drops all the way. If you want to check yourself, or make sure it will fire the first time, bump the balancer on back around to 12° BTDC on #1 again and make sure your rotor still lines up with your #1 cylinder mark. If it doesn't pull it out and repeat. When your marks line up like they should, go ahead and turn the distributor housing to line up your #1 mark with the rotor, install the distributor clamp and snug it down, put the cap on and connect the wires, because it WILL fire the first time, and be within 2° or 3° of your target initial timing.

Some of the GM V6 engines have an odd fire system ...Most v6's fire 120 degrees apart but GM had if i remember right 112 128 and a 108 132( I am not sure on the numbers) but they were NOT 120 apart.. those engines must be timed by the book number one pointing the right direction and number one on the compression stroke..or It will run like crap 3 cylinders will be right on and 3 way off ...turning the distributor will move to have the other 3 right on and the first 3 off/...