What may be confusing in the valve timing method used in the A-22 Instruction manual is that in reality you are timing the engine on number 1 cylinder at T.D.C. "exhaust" stroke....I use the valve or cam lobe positions on #4 cylinder when assembling a 4 cylinder engine, then # one cylinder is on T.D.C. compression and IGN/Dist is ready to time.
Actualy, if you time the engine according to the book just remember to turn the crank one full turn then you will be on #1 compression....When timing your camshaft, two things must happen at the very same time, (1) #1 piston will be at the very top of its travel and (2) valves on #1 will just be "crossing" (exh. just closing, Int. just cracking) both lifters will be down....Just think of the pairs of cam lobes on your camshaft as being in a "V" cofiguration and the lifters are setting in the bottom of the V....It works for me.