Timing maybe????

Well I have a problem. I just got my car back together (engine rebuild) and I can not get it to start. I have checked pretty much everything. It has fuel. It has spark, but it just cranks and cranks. I have advanced and retarded the timing useing the disturbutor as much as you can. I am totally confused as to what is wrong. I checked to see if I got the timing belt off by a tooth but I think it is in the right place. The fsm is not very help full on this. So when it say the cam gear tdc dot is suppose to be straight up at at tdc, does it mean according to the motor which is slated or is it just suppose to be straight up? I would like to see a running car's cam gear at tdc if anyone has a pic.

Chad

TDC is in relation to the motor, not the motor in the car...and TDC is taken from the first piston, but if you didn't take the gear off the cam, that should not be the problem, so I would line up TDC, and set the distributer at 0 or a bit more degrees (depending on where you are located) and then try to start it...also did you check to make sure that all 4 (or 8) plugs are firing...and make sure they have a good spark...also check the compression, I know you just rebuilt it, but it never hurts to double check...8)

Check you rotor alignment under the dist. cap.....
when I put in my remanufactured engine when cyl 1 was at tdc I had put the dist. in with the rotor 180 degrees the wrong way. When I went to go fire it up....it did nothing but turn over, and over, and over....and never started. I put the #1 cyl at tdc, un-bolted the dist. pulled the cap off, and rotated the rotor 180 degrees....put it all back together, and it fired up first try.