Ok guru's, got me a little problem with the ever-so famed opti- dist.
Whilst changing the cap and rotor on my vented style distributor, I had noticed a small amount of oil on the inside near the module and on the sensor wheel. I did a small lateral test of the bearing, and felt that it could use replacing.
Now, this is where everything goes sour! after removing the hub from the shaft, i had noticed that there is NO index for the hub to be aligned to. When reinstalling the hub, there is from what i calculate, up to 360 different settings for that hub. Knowing that there truly is only one, there is no indication as to where the proper one is located. On the rear of the dist(cam side) there is casted numbers indicating cylinder one and six top center, but no indicators on the inside to mark where the disk should point. To make things even harder on me, i have not been able to dig up ANY information as to the assembly process. I know that it is a critical(assuming) setting as to the timing of the reference point for cylinder number one fire. I have tried many close approximate settings with different outcomes. Detonation if too advanced, and poor performance too retarded. I have made a pointer, and set a mark on the damper to indicate TDC. Using a Snap-On brick, I have tried to set (as close as possible) the timing to correspond to what the reading on the scanner indicates. With the constant fluctuations of the computer adjusting timing, it is rater difficult to get a setting that the car 'likes'.

My question is, what is the proper way to set the indexing of the hub to the spindle to get the timing set correct.

I would hope that the answer doesn't come in the form of having to replace the unit. It would be a shame to have to spend undue amounts just to replace a $6 bearing. The cap and rotor replacement is bad enough!!

Thanx all.

p.s. love the site!!