ClassicCar

Pull #1 spark plug, crank engine till #1 comes up on compression, look at the front of the bell housing on the same side as the distributor. There's a hole with a pointer in it and line it up with the timing mark in the flywheel. It's a bb pressed into the face of the flywheel. When you're on #1 compression stroke and the pointer lines up with the bb it's at 5 deg. before TDC. These Chevies were sold with two engines, the std transmission models had a 216 CID engine and the Powerglide models had a 235 CID engine, but 60 years later who knows? It's easy to tell the difference between the two , the side cover on the right side of the engine goes all the way to the top od the cylinder head, the spark plugs go thru it. The 235 engine side cover only goes to the top of the cylinder block. If it's still got the original engine the engine number will start with three letters and the first will be a J or K, I forget which is 52. The engine number will be stamped on a machined pad to the rear of the distributor. Good luck.