On a car, mechanics generally call out left and right as referring to the driver's position behind the wheel so that left is always the same side, as on a person. That way a reference to "left front tire" always means the same one, the one on the seated driver's left.
So...your 11A distributor advance plate is on the RIGHT...this picky semantic rule is necessary to keep everyone on the smae page.
This means that DOWN retards and UP advances.
Correct setting should be near center of gradations.
Ford did once publish a method for field-expedient timing of the various '32-41 distributors without machine or fixture:
Look at back of distributor: Note that drive tang in shaft is slightly off center so that it will install against cam in one position. Determine WIDE side.
Slightly retard timing on side from center.
Lay a 6" steel rule against the drive tang on the WIDE side, rotate in normal distributor rotation direction until that wide side is downward and the side of your rule that is against the tang exactly bisects the upper distributor mounting hole on the side that uses 2 bolts.
Wide side down, tang edge of rule in center of hole.
Now advance the timimg using the screw and scale until the points that live on the left driver's side of the car barely open, tighten down the screw and install distributor.
You will probably want an extra person to hold some of the bits involved and keep the rule centered...and to practice a few times til it makes sense.
Determine openin of the points by clamping a clean bit of thin paper in there...when that drops out, points have begun to open.
This page on Mac Van Pelt's wonderful site shows the procedure being performed on a DIFFERENT distributor:
http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/flathead_engines_distr-timing.htm
Obviously you do NOT follow that procedure but use the one above. I have posted this here because the excellent pictures may help clarify my gibberish.
