Triumph Repair: ignition timing, spark plug wires, triumph spitfire 1500

Question
Hello,
  i have a 1979 triumph spitfire 1500.  i am putting a new electronic ignition in the car but in order to do so i need to have the rotor point to the #1 spark plug terminal when the engine is at TDC.  when my engine is at TDC the rotor points to the #2 spark plug terminal which is actually the terminal the rotor comes to before #1
since the firing order is 1,3,4,2.  I've tried rearranging the spark plug wires so that when the rotor is at the #2 position it leads to #1 spark plug and continued the same pattern all the way around the distributor.  I've also tried rotating the distributor housing back one position for the same useless results...nothing.  however,  when
the rotor is pointing to the #2 terminal and the engine is TDC and i put the plug wires on as if the rotor were pointing to the #1 terminal(2,1,3,4 from the rotor) i can at least get the engine to sputter poorly but nothing close to starting.  the ignition kit is a Kent cams xr700 and i installed it on a Lucas electronic ignition style distributor.  any suggestion would help me greatly.

thanks

Answer
Travis,

The simplest thing I can think of is to put a band of masking tape around the distributor body just below the distributor cap.  Mark on the tape where the 4 spark plug leads are, ie: draw a line "straight down" from each plug lead and mark it on the tape.

Now set the engine at TDC.  Align the distributor so the rotor points to the closest mark on the tape.  That's now #1.  Install the plug wires on the cap using your new #1.

That should get you going.


Cheers,

Jim