Remove spark plugs. Turn the engine over by hand until the #1 plug, (front plug drivers side) is at top dead center on the compression stroke. The rotor will be pointing to the #1 plug location on the distributor cap. Firing order is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2.
The spark plugs on a 283 are wired the same as any other sbc.
.35 of an inch
.033 to .038
That would be .035 in.
.035
AC Delco 44 or R44 (R is for resistor) Autolite #86
If nothing else you can check the stroke. The 283 had a Bore & Stroke of:3.875 in × 3.00 in The 327 had a Bore & Stroke of: 4.000 in × 3.25 in Remove a Spark Plug and check the stroke. There is also a casting number located on the block that can be used to identify the block. Click the link.
Drivers side, first one up front.
283 is a prime number
1, 283 (283 is a prime number).
283 has only 2 factors, 1 and itself. It is a prime number.
The firing order on a 283, 1,8,4,3,6,5,7,2, the driver side is the left side that is were number 1 cylinder is up front on the left side drivers side, number 8 cylinder is on the right side the last cylinder 4 is the 2nd cylinder on the right side, odds on the left evens on the right, number 2 cylinder is on the right side the first cylinder It is the front ( closest to the radiator) on the drivers side. These are usually cast into the runners on the intake manifold.