I have heard of people getting the distributor to fall into place by bumping the key, but have always avoided using this method due to the possibility of damaging the distributor. The possibility of causing damage by doing this is probably slight, but I have never wanted to try it, nor have any of the hardcore Chevy guys I grew up around. They taught me the method I describe above, and that is the way I have always done it. A few minutes of “drop, lift, turn” is worth the peace of mind to me seeing that everything lines up on its own without forcing anything.