Searching for My Dad's 1979 Chevy Suburban

[squaredeal91]

How I find TDC compression is I remove #1 spark plug, stuff a rag in the hole tightly as to make a seal. I even pack it with a screwdriver or something without getting the rag inside too much inside combustion chamber. I bump it over with the starter until I hear the rag pop out, it should be audible if done right. Then move balancer to line up with timing mark.
Sometimes it's difficult to re-stab distributor and get rotor lined up. You can use a large slotted screwdriver if it's long enough to turn oil pump so distributor stabs where you want.

 

[TheHoundsman]

How I find TDC compression is I remove #1 spark plug, stuff a rag in the hole tightly as to make a seal. I even pack it with a screwdriver or something without getting the rag inside too much inside combustion chamber. I bump it over with the starter until I hear the rag pop out, it should be audible if done right. Then move balancer to line up with timing mark.
Sometimes it's difficult to re-stab distributor and get rotor lined up. You can use a large slotted screwdriver if it's long enough to turn oil pump so distributor stabs where you want.

Thanks I will dig into that and start to put a plan together on how to exicute. But grealty appriciate the roadmap.

 

[Grit dog]

Does it die like you turned the key off and run fine the rest of the time (except for the one big backfire)?
If so that suggests an electrical short somewhere on the ignition side that is killing the spark.
Gotta do some real time diagnosis.
When it dies, see if it’s getting spark.
Takes 2 people unless you can pull a wire and pop in a spare spark plug and ground it somewhere visible while cranking.
Could be the actual ignition switch, a wire shorting out (although I feel that would be more intermittent) or anything not replaced with the distributor.