help motor idols funny

i out a new distributor in my 85 and when o finally got it to fire it runs rough and i have tried to agust the idle by twisting the distributor but it just dosnt seem to get better could any one give me the corect way to set the timing with the distributor

what?

mmmm i guess you COULD do it that way... for the ignition timing anyway... but ummm

i put a newer distributor in my 85 mr2 and from what i learned in my auto shop was to time a motor you have to put the #1 cylinder at top dead center and then line up your distributor rotor to the #1 spark plug wire and it should be in time but when i did this it didnt work i am hopeing that anyone else on this site has also had this problem or knows the correct way to time a 4age motor