look on the crank. there will be a guage depending on what your engine has try and line the line on the harmonic balancer up with the zero on the guage, if that doesnt work pull the front right (looking at the front of the vehicle) spark plug out and put a dowl rod in the hole spin the crank over (with a wrench) intil it is at the top and that should be pretty close.
Top Dead Center
0 TDC/ TOP DEAD CENTER
6 degrees BTDC. ( BEFORE TOP DEAD CENTER)
0 degress top dead center
8 degrees before top dead center.
6 degrees before top dead center on the 305 TPI
The TDC is when the number one cylinder is at the top or top dead center of the compression.
yes it does need to be facing towards it
305
305 horsepower
Top dead center (TDC) is when the number 1 piston is at the very top of it's stroke on it's power (firing) stroke. This holds true for ALL internal combustion piston engines. If you remove the driver side valve cover, the second valve from the front is the intake valve on a small block Chevy, including the 305. Slowly rotate the engine by hand. When the intake valve closes, keep turning the engine until the timing mark lines up at zero. When it does, you are at top dead center.
All 305 Chevy small blocks made from 1976 to 1996 are 2 bolt main bearing. You will not find a 4 bolt 305 that was made by the factory. One may exist, but it was not made by GM.