Sorry to bother everyone again, but I am stumped and need to ask once again for advice.

Quick background:
Bought an 84 Montero with a seized block, rebuilt the bottom half but left the top end alone. Had it idling (barely) with the stock carburetor, but could not touch the gas or it would stall.

Decided to replace the carburetor with a new Weber to delete all vacuum hoses, replaced mechanical fuel pump with electrical while I was at it.

Alright, here is the problem. I made sure all the sprockets were correct when I installed the timing chain, I followed the manual and lined up the dimple on the distributor with the timing mark and installed it when cylinder 1 (closest to the radiator) was at top dead center.

The rotor points to the "1" on the cap, and everything looks correct. I started it and it chugged for about 5 seconds and stalled (same as the old stock carburetor).

If you hold the throttle all the way open it backfires badly out the carburetor, I advanced the rotor one tooth and would not even get a chug and the backfires were worse. I retarded the timing one tooth and it backfires (out the carb only) just as bad as advancing too far, there doesn't seem to be any difference when adjusting just by rotating the distributor for normal adjustment.

I have spark for sure (pulled the plugs and grounded them), have fuel (backfired so bad it light the gas in the carburetor), everything points to timing being way off.

Excuse my ignorance (first time engine rebuild) is it possible to have the camshaft 180 off? Or possible the distributor? Would it run even for 5 - 15 seconds if either were 180 degrees off?

Or is this more of an ignition electrical problem? Just remembered I had it hooked up to a battery charger and heard a loud pop near the firewall when I turned it to "jump start", could that have been a fuseable link blowing? And if so would that cause it to have these symptoms?

Thank you very much for your time,
Ryan