Well so far everything posted sure is what could be wrong with your engine timing. We have not seen how your timing this engine so this may help. Time off the number 1 or 4 cylinder hard line. Each cylinder is marked on the intake port runner near the heads. May need to clean off some road grime to see the number but they are there. Cylinder arangment is drivers side from fan to firewall is 2,4,6,8. Passenger side from fan to firewall is 1,3,5,7. On the dampner tab the short probe location is the zero degree timing mark. Not the tall skinny probe location but the tall location is where we install the magnetic probe. Cleaning out that location is important for a good contact. On my timing meters I use three business cards to set the mag probe from the cleaned off dampner wheel and I calen out the machined line in the dampner too. Then its time as needed. About the only issue not mentioned in the above posts is a well worn out injection pump that has a slipping timing parts in it. So if we know how many miles are on the pump we my have some advice. I'm hopeing like others that you injection pump and gear cover was not removed as one piece. Thats how the gear timing gets messed up. Then what happens is you try to advance the pump but it runs out of movement like what you describe.