There is one very simple and basic way to make sure your timing is on the right stroke, the right cylinder, and pretty much the right place all at once. This is a quick and dirty way to do it so I don't want to take away from those that told you the more correct way.
Remove three of the four spark plugs so you will only get compression on one cylinder. remove that spark plug wire and hold the end near the engine block so you can get a spark that you can see. With only one cylinder with a spark plug it is extremely easy to tell when the cylinder is coming up on the compression stroke. Just turn the engine by the prop in the normal direction until you feel the compression. You won't feel the compression on the strokes of the other three cylinders without the plugs installed. go slowly until you hear the impulse coupling snap and see if you got a spark on that wire. You can also tell by feel when you are pretty close to TDC this way. Obviously if you are getting compression and no spark there is something screwy with your timing. Try the other three plug wires and see which is firing. You can also pretty well tell if the timing is near correct by putting a pen in the plug hole of any cylinder without a plug and turning the engine. Hold the pen against the cylinder and you can pretty much feel where TDC is. Your impulse coupling should fire there. This is not as accurate as a timing buzz box, but I start this way and am usually not more than two or three degrees off when I put the buzz box on. Brian Kraut Engineering Alternatives, Inc. www.engalt.com
