Whoa ! Un-Happy Times.Sorry for your difficulty

Looking at and Measuring Mine (both)
I'll do the "California Psychic Prognostication".

"Your homemade TC attachment device initially "Bound" on the Bottom Lip of the Guide Rail that is used by the Tensioner to keep "Slack" out of the TC system.Your further efforts (WITH the STARTER) may have "Deformed" the
"Hanger Wire" sufficient enough to Prevent the "Connection" from passing
back over the Dual Crankshaft Sprockets."

EDIT:
On JunKYarDJIM's RU diagram...#50's bottom edge is where the "Crystal Ball"
says your initial "Bind Up" occurred.
(Of course it may have "Grabbed" some part of the Dual Crankshaft Sprockets)

Hopefully, One of the Professional Techs that visit Tomorrow Morning will
have an answer to your problem.(They may have previous experience
"Correcting" the same sort of difficulty, imposed upon them by another owner.)

However, Your assigned reading material for this evening are FSM procedures
for R+R the Timing Cover.

__________________
'84 300SD sold
124.128