distributor install

I just swapped out the engine in my 95 tacoma (2RZ, 2.4l 4cyl) and everything has gone great so far until I relised that I need to put my old distributor in, the problem... I dont know how to find weather I am at top dead center or 180' off how can I tell if im at the top of the compression stroke or the top of the exhaust stroke? and also how do I make sure that im putting the distributor in at the right point? my shop manual is crap and doesnt explain how to find these two things at all. if anyone can help or send me to a link that will it would be awesome! thanks in advance for any help.

 

I don't know about the 2rz but when i needed to do this on other 4cyl trucks i would pull the #1 Plug and put my finger over the hole. When turning the crank with a wrench I could tell when it was on compression stroke. This I used with the #1 position on the distributor to tell where my crank was and could align the dizzy appropriately.

Hope this helped.

Good Luck.

 

Brilliant, thanks hard. I dont know why I didnt think of that myself, of course there will be a pressure build up on the compression stroke... now all I have to do is get the distributor aligned properly. Any hints anyone has would be awesome!

 

The compression stroke should tell you where the engine is then point the dizzy towards the #1 point when you are at TDC. After you get it in and correct you need a timing light to set the spark advance. There is no getting around a timing light if that is how your timing is set. If you cant get it timed correctly you could be one tooth off on the distributor, pull it out and move it one tooth one way or the other until you get it timed.

Good Luck.