Hand cranking the timing on the engine, not the distributor…. does it matter which direction it rotates? I’ve been told different things.

it’s a 1986 f150 5.0l, EFI

 

I have done it both ways over about 40 years and never had any trouble but the best way I find is to pull the plugs out and put a socket on the crank and use a ratchet and turn it clock wise from looking at the front of the engine.

 

Turn the engine the normal way it runs, which I think is clockwise on the pulley. That will take any slop out of the timing chain and will also make the advertised firing order be correct.

 

I always turn the crank clockwise