Rebuilding 350 Tbi Need Help!!

Ok I am in the process of rebuilding my 350 TBI. I took off the TBI and rebuilt it already. Next I took off all the sensors and drained the antifreeze to take off the intake manifold. Now I am in the process of replacing the cylinder heads with rebuilt ones. The passenger side I need to take off about 5 more bolts under the exhaust manifold, I have a lot of trouble because I unbolted the exhaust manifold bolts that bolt to the heads and they can not get far enough away to get to the rest of the cylinder head bolts. I was thinking about taking the entire exhaust manifold off but the spring loaded bolts that bolt to the y pipe are all striped. This is agrivating me because I sold my other car and now I'm stuck with a half rebuilt 88 k5 blazer.
Any solutions?

Also, I took out the distributor, however, I turned the crank until what I thought was TDC, but I am not absolutely sure that it is at TDC of the #1 cylinder. I did not replace the other heads yet, and I know that you need to set each cylinder at TDC when you replace the heads. I know about the trick of putting the screwdriver into the sparkplug hole, but how do I know when it is at TDC??
I need to know how to set the #1 cylinder to TDC. I noticed the slit in the vibration dampener. I tried setting it to the bracket that looks like this

/\/\/\----

I am not sure I NEED HELP!!!

Thank you

Ok I am in the process of rebuilding my 350 TBI. I took off the TBI and rebuilt it already. Next I took off all the sensors and drained the antifreeze to take off the intake manifold. Now I am in the process of replacing the cylinder heads with rebuilt ones. The passenger side I need to take off about 5 more bolts under the exhaust manifold, I have a lot of trouble because I unbolted the exhaust manifold bolts that bolt to the heads and they can not get far enough away to get to the rest of the cylinder head bolts. I was thinking about taking the entire exhaust manifold off but the spring loaded bolts that bolt to the y pipe are all striped. This is agrivating me because I sold my other car and now I'm stuck with a half rebuilt 88 k5 blazer.
Any solutions?

Also, I took out the distributor, however, I turned the crank until what I thought was TDC, but I am not absolutely sure that it is at TDC of the #1 cylinder. I did not replace the other heads yet, and I know that you need to set each cylinder at TDC when you replace the heads. I know about the trick of putting the screwdriver into the sparkplug hole, but how do I know when it is at TDC??
I need to know how to set the #1 cylinder to TDC. I noticed the slit in the vibration dampener. I tried setting it to the bracket that looks like this

/\/\/\----

I am not sure I NEED HELP!!!

Thank you


At this point in the repair, you really dont need to worry about where TDC is...get both heads installed and torqued down, then install your push rods and rocker arms (dont tighten down the rockers yet)
Since the hash mark is at the timing tab, you are either at #1 or #6 TDC...with a ratchet and socket on the crank bolt spin the engine over and watch the #1 intake and exhaust lifters....combustion process is intake (piston downstroke), compression (piston upstroke) TDC, ignition (piston downstroke), exhaust (piston upstroke)..so when the intake lifter goes back down in its bore, watch the crankshaft hash mark..when it lines up with the timing tab you are at # 1 TDC
At this point you can adjust the valves per the service manual (you will have to put the engine at #6 TDC to adjust the rest) then just spin the crankshaft over one more time to bring the crank to #1 TDC and install the intake manifold and dist. ( Iperfer to do this with the intake off so I can watch the lifters)
Good luck.

i would cut off the old manifold bolts

Ok I Have Both Of The Heads Off, I Dont Want To Put Those Old Exhaust Manifold Bolts Back On, Do They Sell Them At Like Autozone, Auto Advance, Or Pep Boys??

I Am Pretty Sure I Am At Tdc Of Cylinder #6. Considering The Piston Is All The Way Up.

I Will Keep U Up Dated!

Thank You Both I Appreciate All The Help

good idea or bad idea??

Buy a cylinder compression tester and plug into the #1cylinder spark plug hole, turn the crank over one complete time for a test and find out the highest PSI. then i crank it over again until i reach that certain PSI which will be the TDC of cylinder #1?

GOOD IDEA??
BAD IDEA??
WHY??