Lets try it this way, because we can't use the CAM as the reference for the crank. It has to be the other way around.

Line up the crank pulley to the mark on the lower timing cover.

Where is the camshaft mark? If the crank is right on, then the cam should be at the mark at the 11 o clock position.

If it's not, then YES, you've got the belt off a tooth.

Either way, unless something bad has happened to the key cast into the crank sprocket or the back of the harmonic balancer, your ignition timing can't be wrong. The crank pulley, crank, flywheel, crankshaft timing sprocket, all rotate together as one unit.

IF you had, for instance, your flywheel on wrong, you'd be off 45° or 90° and it would never run. The cam belt can be off a tooth, but this affects VALVE TIMING, not ignition timing. It will physically move the distributor rotor a bit out of line with the contacts in the dist cap, but maybe not so much that it wouldn't run.

Good luck with it, hope you get it all straightened out.
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::: Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: 92 244 M47 212K ::: 90 745GL M47 275K ::: 90 745T AW71 213K ::: 90 745T Parts Car ::: 88 245DL SOLD! ::: 84 242DL Project ::: 70 VW Bus ::: 70 VW Pickup Project ::: 71 VW Notchback :::