Norm, it looks like GuamMini revived the thread and he is asking a question about his dizzy drive gear.

GuamMini, someone working on your engine before put the dizzy drive gear in the wrong position.  I am not dismissing your question but the method of repositioning the drive gear is in virtually every service manual.  Once you move the drive gear you WILL need to reset the ignition timing so also read up on setting the ignition timing.

why was this year old thread revived?

I see one new post added, but no question asked.

Figure out why you have no spark - could be a loose connection somewhere that cut the spark when you tried to rev and now has completely separated. Check everything from battery connections and engine block ground all the way to and through the dizzy. I once had similar trouble that turned out to be the tiny ground wire inside the dizzy from the points to the dizzy body.

Now I have no spark.  Tried two different distributors and two different coils, two different caps, two different set of plug wires ALL ARE NEW!  .  No change.  Not making the car show tomorrow I guess.  What I need to know is what are the valves supposed to be doing when number 1 cylinder is at TDC on the compression stroke.  I has assumed that number 1 cylinder was on the compression stroke and both rockers show slack.  Number 4 cylinder exhaust is just starting to lift.  Does this sound correct?  I do have a dial gauge but it won't fit into the plug hole.

I am guessing that is 75 PSi oil pressure...

If you got it started the timing must be somewhere right but what would concern me more is your figure of 75PSI for the compression? that's not right, it's way too low..............
I'm an idiot................your talking about oil pressure arn't you!!!

How are you setting timing without timing marks? Using a timing light with advance activated may just complicate matters. Static time it (engine off). Clamp the dizzy loosely until you get it running so you can hand-turn it, then shift dizzy slowly to get a good idle on a warmed up engine. "Close" timing will be OK to get it running, so long as you don't load (drive) the engine.

Use a plastic rod as a feeler in No. 1 spark plug hole to feel when the piston is at TDC. Turn the engine forward until you think it IS at TDC and make a temporary mark. Then turn the engine past TDC and come at it backwards again judging when you think it is at TDC and make another temporary mark. Real TDC is somewhere between your two best guesses. Don't worry about winding the engine backwards a wee bit - you are only "timing" the crank and there's no play between crank and piston to worry about. A different story when you add in timing chain, cam and dizzy drive - when setting a dizzy to TDC or before, you need to wind the engine forward to take up any slack.

Of course if you have a proper dial indicator and probe it would be more accurate than a plastic rod.

OK, got it started but it will not stay running.  Not enough gas.  Now on to the carbs.

I was going to try a timing light with advance.  I was also going to try to advance it 5-8 degrees. Dogscarf.

I cannot comment about the distributor drive position but have some general observations.

It would have been ideal for you to make a front pointer and corresponding TDC mark on the front pulley when you were putting the engine back together and had to find TDC to set the cam.  Hindsight is 20:20.

As I mentioned, I cannot comment about the dizzy drive position.  However, if the position was per the factory spec, the rotor at #1 TDC would be pointing towards the 1 to 2 o'clock position (not 8 to 9).  Don't lose sleep on that though.  
If you have found by the bolt position what you believe to be TDC and #4 valves are rocking, you have got #1 at TDC on its firing stroke (#1's rocker arms will be loose so they can be wiggled by hand).

With the engine at #1 TDC on the firing stroke, put the rotor on the dizzy shaft and offer up the distributor cap.  Look at where the rotor is pointing on the cap.  That cap position will be for the #1 plug wire (#1 being the water pump end of the engine).  Continue fitting plug wires COUNTERCLOCKWISE around the cap with the firing order you mentioned .

For the initial start, you want the static timing to be about 5 to 8 BTDC.  That will be a bit difficult to determine without timing marks of some type but I'm sure you will be able to improvise.

Fellow Minioids,  It has been 20 years since I rebuilt a Mini engine.  Therefore, I'm double checking the timing.  So, fully rebuilt 1275 Cooper S engine. New light flywheel and no markings for TDC, but there is  a bolt at TDC.   Distributor drive installed at 20 to 2 position. Compression stroke cylinder number 1, valves closed.  Cylinder number 4 valves rocking.  Distributor rotor pointing at 8 or 9 o' clock spark at number 1 cylinder.  Firing order 1.3.4.2.  I cranked it over w/o plugs and got 75psi.  Should be ready to go eh?

Dogscarf.