No start

I was able to figure out you are expecting to hear the fuel pump running, but you did not say under what conditions. The pump should run for one second when you turn on the ignition switch, then resume running during engine rotation, (cranking or running).

If the fuel pump runs for that first one second, but it does not continue running during cranking, it is almost a certainty you do not have spark either. Both systems turn on when the engine computer sees signal pulses from the crankshaft position sensor and camshaft position sensor. Those are common causes of crank/no start conditions. Check for spark, then we will know which circuit to look at further.

First check for diagnostic fault codes, but be aware codes for the cam and crank sensors often do not set just from cranking the engine. They may only set while a stalled engine is coasting to a stop. In that case, you need a scanner to view live data. Specifically, those two sensors should be listed with a "no" or "present", or some similar indication to show whether their signals are showing up at the engine computer during cranking. The camshaft position sensor is inside the distributor. I do not know the failure history of either of these.

If only one signal is missing, that sensor is the best suspect, but also check the wiring and connector terminals for it. If both signals are missing, the better suspects are the feed and ground wires for them. On most engines they share common ground and feed wires.

I do not think you can mess up the distributor, even if you tried to. The drive has ears on it that will only go one way.

Now you're in an area that is not one of my specialties. My diagnostics are limited to reading the diagnostic fault codes and interpreting sensor data on a scanner. Engine Performance specialists have numerous other things they look at. I would have looked at the timing belt, as you did already, as the best suspect, and ignition timing when it is adjustable. Dead charging systems can also cause engine performance problems.

If you're stuck at this point, consider posting a new question so the other experts will see it and have a chance to reply. I'm going to send a message to two of our other experts who should be able to help.

The only thing I can add is when setting the timing marks, spring-loaded tensioners are always on the back side where the slack develops. Never rotate the crankshaft sprocket backward to line up the timing marks. If you bounce past top dead center, always rotate it forward two revolutions and try again. If you put the slack on the front where the belt is pulling on the camshaft sprocket, the cam sprocket will rotate backward, meaning retarded, when the tensioner is released to take up the slack. That was not always intuitively-obvious when I watched my students struggle with belt timing. It is also possible for the tensioner to be not strong enough to move the cam sprocket. That can leave too much slack, and if the belt runs the water pump, it can lead to a slipping pump pulley and overheating.

Happy to hear you made great progress.

You can measure the fuel pressure, but the noise you described at the throttle body still suggests the cam timing is retarded.