HI. I have a 93 grand caravan 3.0 liter. I just replaced the engine with another and I had to use my old distributor. I can't get the timing right. I bring #1 cylinder up to TDC on a compression stroke, I've noticed the distributor cap doesn't go straight through, so I put the rotor on the #1 on the underside of the cap. I try to start it, it sounds so close, but it won't run. Any help would be greatly apprecieated. Thanks.

 

To start you must be sure the #1 piston is at the TDC position on the compression stroke.you can do this by turning the engine with a breaker bar and feeling for compression with a finger stuck into the #1 spark plug hole.Once compression is felt align the ignition timing zero mark with the pointer.
Insert the distributor into the engine in exactly the same relationship to the block that it was when it was removed.Make sure the rotor points to the #1 plug wire terminal.
Reinstall the plug wires making sure of the firing order 1-2-3-4-5-6.The #1 cylinder is the first rear cylinder on the passenger side with #3 next and #5 being the last rear cylinder on the drivers side.(this is confusing)2-4-6 is in the front.I'm getting this out of a Haynes manual and without pictures it would be impossible.[:@]

 

I did all that. I've got the chilton manual, the mitchell on demand program, and used the autozone online repair guides. Been over it a couple dozen times. About to pull my hair out. Then today, I was getting ready to pull it all apart to be sure the cam sprockets and crankshaft were all in time. Pulled off the coil wire and the d@mn end was pushed up inside the boot. Put it where it goes and it runs like a champ. Problem was the wire was close enough to get a spark every so often but not on every cylinder. Boy, talk about stupid. Thanks for your help though.