As on any automobile engine, the rotor turns in a 360 degree circle. When the piston for the number one cylinder is at top dead center on the compression stroke the rotor should point to the number one spark plug tower of the distributor cap.
The gap on the 351 Cleveland changes timing. Adjust the point gap until it is at 28-32 and begin timing then.
rotor will point to #1 at TDC.
1 - 3 - 7 - 2 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 8 The distributor rotor turns COUNTERCLOCKWISE
The rotor lifts it straight up, that is the whole point of having a rotor
rotor should point to cylinder #1
1 - 3 - 7 - 2 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 8 the distributor rotor turns counterclockwise
1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8 Rotor turns counterclockwise.
1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8 Rotor turns counterclockwise.
Iti Lathe
Typically, when setting the timing initially, you would want the rotor to point to the #1 wire on the cap.
With the #1 cylinder on top dead center (TDC) of the compression stroke, the rotor should point to #1 on the distributor cap.
The 351 Cleveland firing order is : 1 - 3 - 7 - 2 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 8 The distributor rotor turns counterclockwise