440roadrunner

So far as I know, Chrysler never used any factory "degree bushings" that is strictly an aftermarket thing.

I believe the single bolt/ 3 bolt cam setup is simply earlier/ later model

My old 70 book pictures a 383 timing chain as being a fiber gear with single bolt, but my recollection on my 6-pack engine is that it was 3 bolt. That's been a long time ago, and I could be wrong.

My old book shows the single bolt cam (7/16 thread) to be 35 ft lbs

The 3 bolt cam (3 x 3/8) at 40 ft lb

Commando

I found a lot of the confusion with the gears has to do with the instructions. Just in case someone missed the info before, when both marks are closest to each other and when they both are at the 12 o'clock position you'll find that the marks on the cover and the dampener show TDC. So when they point to each other the 6th plug fires, and when they are both at 12 the 1st plug fires, that is of course with a V8.

440roadrunner

That is exactly correct, and it took me a few years to figure that out. I'd installed cams earlier in B engines, and of course the way they go together you can put the distributor in before you turn the engine over, and I guess I thought I was nuts when it would not start

A few years later, working in auto parts, I lost a small be with a Mopar mechanic, and we happened to have a "Chivvy" short block on a stand, still sitting "on the marks" A quick look at the cam, and "well ah'll bee" there it was, sitting on no6

However, I've always prided myself on being able to get the distributor in and static time it, other than that "small issue."

440roadrunner

You using breakerless igniton? Mopar?
Here's basically what I do. Get the engine up on no1 ready to fire, TDC. Several ways to do this, depending.
With marks on tdc, and if valve covers are off, look to see if both no1 valves are closed
If you've primed the oil system, and lost track of which stroke you are on, just stick a finger in no1, bump the engine up to TDC, and whichever stroke blows your finger out is the correct stroke, then rotate to TDC mark, or as below, about 8-10 BTDC
I always take the cap no1 Tower and scribe a nice heavy mark on the top rim of the distributor body right in the (visual) center of the tower. Put the drive gear in, and put the distributor in so that the rotor points to the no1 tower (your new mark), and the vacuum is about right. At some point, after you know you are on the firing stroke, rotate the crank to say, 10 degrees
Now, because of the B engine CCW distributor rotation, "advance" is CW.
I just take the cap off, and rotate the distributor nearly one whole reluctor tab "retarded" (CCW). Take a spare plug, and hook to the COIL wire directly, and lay it on ground where you can see it. Turn on the ignition, and just rotate the distributor CW until you get a spark. If you try this a few times, you can get it pretty close, and as you get better at it, you can slow down the distributor movement and stop pretty accurately at the right point. Also, I would think another way of "detecting" firing would be to hook a cheap neon test lamp--like you use on house power-- to the neg. side of the coil, to ground.
You can do this same trick with points. If it's kinda dark, you can see the points "flash" and sometimes hear the points arc