Not for Nuthin' But Close!

[Billy Nees]

So, is anyone up for a little bit of an engine-theory discussion this morning? Or at least maybe some brain farting?
I have new cams and chain and tensioners for the Cavalier and have spent more on this thing since I started it than I spent on the UTI4U1K Pontiac! OUCH! Who said that FWDs make cheap racecars?
I started dis-assembling the car to install the cams and, as I tend to do, went about checking timing marks and lining things up and came to find out that the exhaust cam was retarded one tooth on the gear! The intake cam is where it should be.
Could this be why the car didn't respond to the header? What should I expect from this thing now? I'm not going to put the exhaust cam back where it should be and take it to the track which is what I should do. Any comments, suggestions, phone # of a good therapist?