i'm just about ready to pull the head on my motor and i had a few questions for some of you more experienced honda techs.

my questions:

how do i know when piston #1 is at TDC?
should i turn the crank towards the intake or exhaust end?

once the head is removed how can i check for cracks in the block?
are there any specific spots that are more prone to cracking?
can i turn the crank to check to check #1 & #4 for cracks?

can i use degreaser on ALL engine components as long as their cleaned correctly?
if not, want CAN'T i use it on?

once i get the head off, how do i view the rods and crank?

also, i disconnected my spark wires from my distributor (labeled them all first) then layed them aside... then i read your not supposed to... is that just so you dont get them mixed up or will they no longer work?



those are all the questions i have for now, any help is much appreciated.
thanks in advance