Hi Landon,
You mentioned to Alexander Bilan on 12 Feb'97 - 15:09:
 LR> AB> Have you pulled the distributor on this engine?  If its been
 LR> AB> re-inserted a tooth out, that could
 LR> AB> cause you problems under load.
 LR> Due to the way Chevy distributors mesh
 LR> with the oil pump drive shaft it
 LR> is impossible to put it in a tooth off.
 LR> It will either go in right or
 LR> 180 degrees off.
You'll probably hear from others also.. but you are incorrect about
it going in right or 180 out. It is entirely possible to hold the shaft
still and rotate the distributor body a little right or left.. and upon
insertion you *will* be a tooth off.  The chev distributor has a shaft
for driving the oil pump directly.. yes.... but this has nothing to do
with the timing controlled by the geared bearing (attached to the
distributor) and its relationship to the gear it meshes with.
What you are referring to is a *quick and dirty* distributor alignment
based entirely on the assumption that the oil shaft (attached to oil
pump) has not turned from its original position when a distributor is
pulled and then is going to be reinstalled/reinserted *IF* the engine
has not been cranked/turned/rotated from the position the parts were in
when the distributor was pulled.
In actuality the position of the distributor oil pump drive shaft to
the oil pump (ie: meshing of spliced ends) has no relationship to
engine timing except as a *quick* method of getting the disbributor
back in place as mentioned in the scenario above - and still has to be
properly timed with a timing light. Unless (like me) you have perfect
timing sense.... 
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