thanks, guys. I really appreciate the info. I kinda jumped ahead and took the distibutor off before checking the timing and all, so what do I need to do about that?

Hey 1cobra1, I just want to make sure that when you said "replacing it with a freeze plug"... Is a freeze plug something I need to buy or is that a term. Just to clarify, I bought a brand new edelbrok manifold, specifically for a chevy SB