Just rebuilt my engine, can't get it to fire, don't remember how the distributor was in before. I can get the rotor pointed at the #1 spark plug wire, but since the dizzy rotates all the way around I can do that no mater where the distributor is. If the rotation of the distributor doesn't matter I might have a different problem. It does chuff and spit fuel out, and the exhaust manifold gets hot enough to catch fire but it wont run at all.

It is a 1987 2.5 4 cylinder

 

You have to point the rotor to #1 at TDC on the compression stroke. Sounds like your timing is off.

 

not sure on the 2.5 but generally the rotor points to the #1 cylinder on a SBC