I just checked base timing on my car so I went through this......
Really the most accurate way is cut an old wire spark plug wire. Cheap from part store. Put the boot from the cut wire on to the spark plug and then shove the wire with an exposed middle lead into the coilpack and put the timing light clamp between the wire of the spark plug and the coil.....
This sounds like a stock ecu? Right?
The only concern is the chain link at the crank gear. Did you happen to drop the chain when taking off the head or something?
Us the teeth marks from the surface of the head, this helps too.
https://www.sr20forum.com/threads/ho...g.81413/page-5
Finally you wouldn't have swapped the intake for the exhaust cams right?