318 LA Rotor position and TDC questions

Keep it simple @JeffreyLee .

When you feel air pressure pushing your finger from the #1 cylinder that's close to TDC.

Run the spark plug wire from #1 cylinder to the distributor cap and connect to the post of the cap the rotor is at. Then go clockwise 8436572.

The slot in the intermediate shaft doesn't matter (to a point until it causes interference with the vacuum can and other things!).