ok about a week ago i installed an AEM adj cam gear and now my car is operating worse than it did with the stock gear. Now i am pretty sure the belt is a tooth off because i had to advance the gear nearly 10 degrees just to get the thing to start up normally.

Now its amazingly slugish under 3K in all gears, and even above it doesn't have the same quick reaction as it did with the stock gear. Any suggestions? and what kind of damage might i be doing if my timing is this out of whack?

 

tapping your pistons and valves, why not take off belt and fix it ?