thanks hxtr.
i was hoping for an easy way to find TDC without pulling #1 (like timing marks, or some other "cheat" experienced auto guys have). i think it has to be on the compression stroke too.
it can only go in fourteen ways (14 splines on it), maybe i just keep trying till the code goes away...lol.
i saw a vid where a guy welded a nub on the end of a spark plug and put it in cylinder 1, manually rotated the motor till it hit and marked the harmonic balancer, rotated the other way till it hit and marked it again. the center between the 2 marks was TDC.
and LOM, i've actually owned way more GMs than Fords. they all have their problems. i bought the ford after 3 gms with intake manifold gasket leaks because of dexcool (even though i got gm to pay for one of them).