An '85 Chevy 5.0 would have a clockwise distributor rotation. It would have to be an Olds or Pontiac engine to be counterclockwise.

To verify the distributor is installed properly disconnect power from it and pull #1 plug. Put your thumb over the plug hole and have a friend tap the engine over until you feel compression. Continue to turn the engine over by hand until you are at TDC. Pull the distibutor cap and observe where the rotor is pointing. It should be pointing at the #1 tower on the cap as shown in the diagram below. Make sure the wire on that tower is going to #1 cylinder. Check to make sure all other wires follow in the correct order moving clockwise around the cap. Put the cap back on, the plug back in, connect power to the distributor and the engine should fire.

 

Thats a good point, I also post if it is an sbc, I know a little about Olds. If you are hving to determine #1 cylinder is at tdc by yourself, Put a wadded tissue in the plug hole. When it pops out, stop cranking as it is close enough to then set the distributor.

 

I got it!
The cap was off by a lot
and a couple wires got mixed up

Thanks, that diagram helped

 

Good deal...Glad to hear you got it figured out and it's running like it should.

 

Ok try this take #1 plug out turn it over untill it blows your finger out, then line up marks on balancer an timming tab, pull cap an make sure #1 is where #1 wire is if it is make sure firering order is clock wise . Good luck.