i have a xh 1 tonne ute with a 4.0l in it same front as a EL i have just put a new motor in it as my rings were stuff motor had done over 300ks i have put the new motor in it started and was missing like hell changed leads cap rotor plugs injectors and have got top dead center on number one and the crank pulley inline with the mark on the crank pulley and have found that it is 180 degress out what would be the best way to rectify this situation start no1 lead on wea no6 goes or pull out the dizy n rotate the dizy 180 degress

"same front as EL" - meaning the sheet metal? maybe you better state whether this is an EL
engine with pulley/distributor installed, or is the "new motor' an ED engine - (from an ED).
"have got top dead centre on number one" - Ok, don't forget that you get TDC twice (on
cyl one), once on the compression stroke and once on the exhaust stroke.
I'd pull ALL the spark plugs, rotate the engine if possible via a socket on the alternator front
bolt (And think HARD here about which way the engine is turning- look at the radiator fan,
think about how it pulls air from the radiator and make sure you're turning the engine the
same way as when it is running), line up the pulley TDC mark w/ the line on the engine,
then loosely rotate the Distributor cap around on the distributor until it drops slightly down
(-it will sit OK on the distributor body but there is only one place where it drops firmly into place),
this position is its normal position (when it is locked down by the two metal clips).
NOW raise the cap carefully, note where the rotor is pointing, & which plug post on top of the
cap the rotor is pointing at - IF all correct then rotor should be pointing at or apparently a bit
just before one of the distributor cap posts - THAT post should be the post that the
No. 1 plug lead would go from up to the No. 1 spark plug.

Also, I believe Ford distributor caps (might have to take off cap to see) have tiny numbers
1 to 6 beside all the distributor cap top posts. Of course, just look at the Intake manifold
passenger sidemost face to see the firing order of the engine cast there, & make sure that
the spark plug leads are (starting from where no. 1 distributor cap post is) going to the
correct spark plugs (considering the firing order of the engine). It helps to maybe rotate the
engine a little (per above) & then look at which direction the rotor moves in, to get
that confirmed in your mind.
To set the timing you can search this forum for information how to do that,using a timing
flashing light preferably, with the engine running.
Yep, difficult to fiddle with the distributor - it can be easier if you undo the two 10mm bolts
holding the ISC [cylindrical thing] on top of the throttle body - [but make sure you put
thing back on correctly ( thing also fits on 'backwards")] and remove that only to access the
distributor body.
Also to undo (and help put back on) the Distributor metal clips, a Loooong shafted flat tip
screwdriver poked down between the engine block & manifold, serves to 'unpop' and help
'pop back on' the 'Backmost clip'.

Last edited by edwgns on Mon Oct 20, 2014 1:01 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Also, be very careful if you take off the distributor cap - the spring loaded carbon button
(that would normally contact the brass strip on top of the rotor) inside the distributor cap
is easy to knock such that it breaks or pops out completely- Care required.
Also, the lead from the ignition coil is nearly impossible to check firmly it's 'on' the coil,
unless you take that thing off (per above) and snake your arm thru the manifold.
Also, if you have undone the bolt that holds the 'arm' that bears down to hold the distributor
body in place, then when you do that bolt back up, don't overtighten it - it justs needs
to be tight enough to firmly stop the distributor rotating - otherwise overtightening can
contribute to early wear of the worm gear on the end of the distributor and the worm
gear on the shaft that turns it. (I've never on these forums seen anyone say what
the correct torque for that bolt is). IF you haven't undone that bolt, I wouldn't touch it -
the distributor should still be correctly set in its position, if the engine was previously
running in whatever car it was in originally.