That's how I do it, but potentially the rotor could be some number of degrees away from the number one terminal on the distributor cap, enough to keep the engine from starting. You can be certain you're on the power stroke by pulling the #1 spark plug, putting your finger over the plug hole and then have a friend help by bumping the starter till you feel the piston pushing air out the hole. Once you feel that air pressure, simply crank the engine in direction of rotation till the timing marks are aligned as described above. If you're getting something running that has been torn down make sure the plug wires are installed correctly, double check the firing order. I suggest this because popping back thru the carb is a symptom of incorrect timing. Let us know if you get it fired up.
