so I know eeeeeeverything and I don't need no instruction manual and of course I had to screw something up...

at some point while changing out the timing chain tensioner and chain guides the timing slipped a notch or two. I rotated the engine 360 before putting it back together and nothing binds up, was able to start it but it dies immediately. I've got it all back apart and the manual is telling me to line up the bright marks on the chain with the marks on the cam and crankshaft... well guess what... ain't no marks on my chain. It also said if there were no marks to count the links and mark it at each halfway point and use that to line up the cam and crankshaft. Tried it (61 links btw) but if I go by that the timing jumped by waaaaay more than a notch or two and that just doesn't mesh. So the question is what do I do from here?