Ok, this should not be this hard. I;m trying to follow these instruction from a sbc book and the comp cams sheet. this is for a sbc 350. alright, im rotating, clock wise, counter clock wise, and i can't get any of the numbers anywhere near they shouldbe. This is what i;m doing. finding TDC with piston at top and IE closed. this has the pointer at TDC. i'm really confused on what degree to mark. the wheel goes to 180 then back down, and oes this in both directions. , Is there a simple way to get this done, cause none of my numbers are close to anything.

 

Go to http://www.cranecams.com

It has a procedure and explaination of how the
degree wheel works.

If your numbers are "far" off you may have a
stretched timing chain, or the cam is "walking".

Temporarily bolt the timing cover in place and
install a "cam button" to keep the cam steady.

Use a solid lifter, or dial the edge of the hydraulic
lifter to get the best reading. Be sure NOT to use
any lube on the lobe until after the dial-in has
been complete.

Any sort of assembly lube or debris will throw
off the reading.

The rest will be explained at the link above.
Good luck with the rebuild.