Nope. The cam gear marks are not TDC. They are only to align the cam and crank.
TDC must be established by using a piston at TDC.
tlowe . . . I beg to differ. Degree Wheels and Offset Keys aside (on a blueprinted engine) when the factory assembled these engines they did it 'straight-up' off the timing marks (based on design intention of the crank key-way placement):
Every time the key-way on the crank points at 12 O'clock the #1 and #6 crank throws are both at TDC. By drawing a line through the center of the Crank and Camshaft we can spot the timing the marks and determine whether #6 or #1 is firing. In the photo above the timing mark on the cam-gear is 180 degrees away from the mark on the crank-gear - meaning cylinder #6 has both valves closed and is one gear tooth away from compression stroke TDC . . .
As we all know the assembly instructions call for these marks to align with this centering line running through the crank and the cam when the marks are directly adjacent to each other.
But I get your point that the key-way placement in the cam and crank and the gears may not be perfect for one's blue-printed build . . .
