Perhaps I have found the issue? The Chilton's says to attach the green connector and the Check Engine light will flash. (Er, it's the WHITE connector that makes the MIL flash!) Make sure the idle switch is ON. See Chapter 4 for more information on the Idle switch.
Go to chapter 4. NO mention of the 'idle switch'. There is a mention of the idel contact, and how to check it with a feeler gauge. I haven't done this yet, but am I on the right track?
As far as I know the idle switch is part of the TPS. Just check the timing after the engine has reached operating temperature and you should be good to go. Is this an EA 81 or EA 82 engine?
EA82. I can't see the timing marks...all I ever see is a bolt!
Do this, Bring the number one cylinder up to it's top dead center. What you want to do is feel the plug hole with a finger if you can. When it's coming to top dead center, it will compress, as compared to the other time the piston will rise with no compression. When pressure is coming out of the spark plug hole, it's headed for the top dead center for the firing stroke.
Put a small stick in the hole and carefully rotate the main pulley with a wrench or whatever. The stick will tell you when it's top dead center. Now look at the timing marks. If they are not in sight, you are off a tooth, which is very common. You will have to rotate the distributor by pulling it and lining up top dead center on number one and reseating the distributor by rotating it so it fires on the number one plug wire, when you put it back in.
You can play around all you like, but if you want to figure it out, you will have to do this or something similar.
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