Originally Posted by
the_frozen_one
To check the timing, line the crank pulley notch up with the 0 on the cover and see if the triangle on the cam pulley points to the mark on the head
Yes this to check camshaft timing rather than spark timing:
Remove the top cambelt cover, then align the notch in crank pulley as mentioned above with 0 on the lower cover and make sure the triangle on the camshaft pulley (located on the inside of the pulley in one of the circles) aligns with a small hole on the head.
Seriously consider a rolling road though, it will save you money in the long run and it isn't as expensive as you think. In the SW it's usually £35 for a session, from here you can then replace or optimise as required, it could be something simple like the fueling needs to be adjusted. When you replaces the potentiometer was it brand new and was it setup on a gas analyser?