OK, I've read 3 hours of posts on this and have a Q or 2:
I understand that the cylinders are numbered 1-2-3-4 from the passenger side front-back, then 5-6-7-8 from the front of the driver side to the back. Also, I know the firing order is 1-5-4-8-6-3-7-2. To do the seals, I know I'll need to get both cam lobes at each cylinder in their uppermost position, ie, piston at TDC, firing position.

One poster stated that proceeding from cylinder-to-cylinder in the firing order is the best way, but that 2 complete turns would be needed for each of the 6-3-7-2 cylinders. So do I:

- start at #1, balancer mark at 0 degrees, then turn balancer to 90 degrees, go to #5, turn to 180 degrees, do #4, advance to 270degrees, do #8, then (and here's where I'm confused) advance to 0 degrees, turn motor completely over to 0 degrees again, do #6, advance to 90 degrees, turn over to this point, do #3, then to 180 degrees, turn over to this point, do # 7, then go to 270 degrees, turn over once to this point and finish with # 2?

- start at #1 at TDC, lobes up, do it, turn the engine over until lobes are both up at #2, ignoring balancer, do this, then proceed down right bank and down left, each time making sure the lobes are up and each piston is at TDC (eg., a length of wire in spark plug hole)?

Are either of these OK, or is one wrong, and what's the best way?
(and I'm aware that compressed air is the way to go, so I'm going to make up a fitting from a spark plug casing brazed to an air line fitting.)

__________________
1986 560SL
2002 Toyota Camry
1993 Lexus

I use a piece of single strand copper wire (a short piece of house wire works fine) to find TDC one no#1 when the need occours. I dont see why it would not work on all cylinders ,you would need a friend to turn engine by hand while you man the probe...........

William Rogers........

I assume you are trying to adjust the valves after seal replacement? If so, you need to be sure you are at TDC #1 cyl and on the firing stroke as well. If you're not on the firing stroke then all your valves will be loose.
The camshaft turns at half the speed of the crank, so yes, you will need to turn the crank twice to get the cam to turn once. Follow the firing order starting with #1, turn crank 1/4 turn, adj next # in firing order, etc.
Being on TDC exactly is not critical, just mark the balancer's 0 degree mark (dab of white paint works great) and put it on the timing tab and just eyeball the 1/4 turn, no need for precision here.

BTW; seal change and valve adj take place at the same point, so you can do both at the same time. Also, the cam lobes are at their lowest point during this procedure.