Hey I have a 1988 Ford F-150 and I removed the distributor and did not put it back in the same spot. I tried starting the truck but it misfired, so I don’t know what I can do?
Engine, trans, mileage?
Rotate your engine so that the #1 cylinder is at top dead center on the compression stroke. Install distributor so the rotor is pointing at the #1 ignition wire. That should get you close enough that the engine will start and you can adjust timing properly.
I believe that will have Ford Duraspark II ignition, which can adjust the timing on individual cylinders on the fly. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on setting the ignition timing. (On the AMC Eagles that used the same system we used to get away with just adjusting the timing for maximum vacuum at idle.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp9IFhLlt4c
