Can anyone advise me on how to ensure my timing is correct?

I did a head gasket job on my 22r because water and oil were getting into cylinders 3 & 4. I put the engine at TDC before opening and made sure that neither the crankshaft nor the camshaft were rotated throughout the whole job. However, when I put everything back together and tried to start it, it will start but not run well at all. It barely runs and will not idle, sputtering and backfiring.

Should the top sprocket for the timing chain have the hole towards the top or bottom if the engine is at TDC on the compression stroke (piston 1 and 4 at the top)?

I think i messed up the timing chain somehow, but I would appreciate help on how it should look.

 

Sounds like you stabbed the dizzy wrong

 

Hmm, so if i were to guess, that means that I put the timing chain back on wrong.

I think I assumed that, but I am curious if anyone knows what it should look like? There is a mark on the camshaft, and a mark on the top timing chain sprocket. These should direct me to the correct position if anyone knows what those would be. Anyone who has done a timing chain or HG job should be able to help, please?

 

Lol look for iamsuperbleeders motor build or 92toy for his build

 

May be a vacuum leak...I did a head gasket not that long ago, and that was the problem. Spent almost 2 hours messing with the dist. before I found the problem. (got distracted and put a ground wire between plenum and intake manifold.)

 

Also, when you took the head off, you should have seen #1 was up.

 

This is what it looked like.

Piston #1 and #4 were up.

 

I have taken off all of the vacuum lines except the ones going to the distributor. I put a 32/36 weber in.

 

Did you re-use the intake gasket? Torque it down? Might be there...

 

I used a new intake gasket.

 

Did you take the distributer out? May just be off a tooth, when reinserted.