long story short, replacing vc gasket, put it all back together, didnt have much patience with the plastic time belt cover.
on my start up it began as a nice cranking sound, then some a weird clonking, and then my engine wouldnt even turn over, just the starter

my time belt didnt snap, but it did get a gash in it and needs to be replaced.
im going to start the engine without the cover and just see if i can still crank the motor.

... if my starter goes but the engine doesnt crank does that mean i siezed my engine? any advice? and yes i feel like an idiot.

 

If the belt didnt jump teeth you should be fine. It probably just added to much load for the starter. Should be fine once you remove the cover. Mine was lost or stolen when my engine was built and has beem that way for years. Better with, but ok without the cover.

 

took the plastic cover out and then tried to see if it willl start. nope. the only damage i seen is to the time belt. it looks like its about to split into two thin belts. i looked in the VC again and nothing looks damged. the time belt is spinning on start up but the engine doesnt sound like its sparking the cylinders. i also get a HISS when i stop trying to turn the motor. im completely lost now...

If my belt did jump teeth would that cause interference?

 

Joe , if the timing belt did jump you will end up with a cylinder head full of bent valves. Check to see if you left a vacuum hose off if you are hearing a hissing noise or it could just be you secondary air injection pump running at start up. I would check the timing marks to make sure they are lined up correctly. Is it possible that the battery ran low while working on the car?

As far as leaving your timing covers off it would be fine for looking while working on the car, but not a good idea for daily use. They are there for a reason to keep dirt & debris out of the timing belt , rollers & tensioner , especially if the lower engine cover is missing!

 

I'd be wary of cranking an engine with a visibly damaged belt. Safer course would be to replace the belt first. Index the cam and see if the crank mark lines up, and you'll know if you jumped. Replace the belt and supporting parts, reassemble, and try again.

 

yeah i understand about the belt, i just want it to start once really quick to verify i didnt ruin the internals. im going to see if i flooded the cylinders today, going to take out the spark plugs and blow air in there to see.

if that doesnt work ill do a valid cylinder compression tests. dont have the tools but my college said they might be willing to help.

the time belt kit & water pump i already have. Do I have to remove the whole engine to get to the time belt?

@DEVIL: for the index cam and check timing, im not sure how to go about that, is there any links your aware of to show me how to check the timing?

I will update with a post full of pics to get a better understanding.

 

Joe , try this out for a simple way of checking the cam timing.

First have the upper timing cover removed. Clean the outer edge of the camshaft gear & look at the front edge of the cam pulley. There you should be a line/mark on the gear. Next locate the line/mark on the top part of the valve cover gasket.
Remove # 1 spark plug & insert a long screwdriver into hole until it contacts the top of the piston.
Then turn the engine over by hand from the crankshaft pulley (DO NOT USE CAMSHAFT PULLEY BOLT). As the screwdriver rises to top dead center watch the camshaft marks , they should line up as the screwdriver ends it's travel upwards.

 

Thanks alot guys, really do appreciate this. Been a rough week.

Right now im trying to see if my college will be willing to take the car in, they got lifts and stuff that would make this job much easier.

Im going to index the cams as soon as possible. Heres a couple pictures to show you all whats going on. As you can see where the time cover was placed incorrectly it somehow dug into the middle of the belt and its almost split into two. not sure how plastic can cause this but im not surprised.

I wanted to check the cylinders, my spark plugs were coated in oil which worries me, looks like the head gasket is leaking. inside the cylinders looks awful from what i see, black residue all around.

my top VC looks good though. I see no signs of damage, and that was the only piece i ever opened up. workin on the time belt change then see what dreadful thing awaits.

 

I kept the battery off for most the repair, it also did die as i was trying to start it up and discovering that i ruined my time belt.

 

Looking at the belt i don't see jumping time is an issue. I would still recommend replacing it.