You're right, I don't completely understand. That will come with letting all the information sit in my head a few days and then actually going through the process. But, I believe I have enough of an understanding to move forward. Here's what I understand and my plan to move forward.
1. I need to find TDC on #1 and verify my damper is correct. After reading the posts here and watching videos on it, I understand how to do that now.
2. I need to undo what I did and start from scratch. This includes degreeing the cam. I've now seen a lot of videos showing how far off the marks can actually be and that does make me suspicious enough to test it.
So, the plan moving forward is to find and verify TDC, then take things apart and see if I was even close. New piston stop and paint marker are on the way, should be here this week. I already have a degree wheel, just need to find it and a spare coat hanger. Now here's where I'm iffy on understanding.
1. Can I degree the cam with the heads on? I'm unsure of this and really don't want to take the heads off.
2. If I install the cam dot to dot (if the marks are right) do I need to stab the distributor in facing #1 or roll it to where both dots are facing 12 o'clock then stab it in facing #1?
3. If the latter in #2 is true, and the dots are off, can I make a new dot on the cam gears, then rotate it to the 12 o'clock position?
This is all very helpful! I do feel like I'm actually wrapping my brain around this. Thanks again for all the input!