Problem with my 94 Celica - ST

[Lemons]

Well, without trying to annoy anybody heh, let me get right to it. I bought a 1994 Toyota Celica w/163,xxx miles on it for $1200 (was that a good buy or was it not worth it?...) last year in August and got it going in September after getting the plate and registration and all that going. I love this car. A couple weeks after the radiator had started leaking so I bought a new one and put it in. (I don't know too much about cars at all really but managed to figure it out without too many problems).

Time passed and everything was going fine, then I started hearing this crazy loud grinding sound coming from my front driver's side tire. After about a week I started messing with it (my disc was getting the shit grinded out of it) and thought well maybe the brake pads needed to be replaced but they were fairly thick, almost new. After reading through some sites online and removing the tire, caliper, disc and messing with it a little bit I came to the conclusion that it was the bearing....lol I think. I also noticed the cv joint was cracked (the little rubber boot thing I guess heh). Now I live by myself with my two little bros so I don't really have too much extra cash to spend, so lol, naturally I went to the junkyard to try to get this stuff. I read that the bearing is inside the knuckle or whatever so I didn't think I'd be able to get it out myself. I also don't have a ball joint separator tool so getting it off was pretty much a nightmare lol. But I got it off with the cv axle too and brought it home, I'm sure I looked funny on the bus ride home. Everything worked out fine except the cv axle was just a little too short to fit into mine, (about an inch too short, mind you I took all this off of a 92 celi I think it was but everything looked pretty much the same) so I ended up having to buy a new cv axle which worked out fine. Got everything connected about as properly as I could and it worked great! until...

I started getting back going to work, everyday things etc..Except now the car doesn't want to turn on. About a week before I got on working the bearing thing my celica was running pretty rough, I have a 5-speed btw. I would turn it on and it would feel kinda rough just sitting there with it on (is this called idling? heh dumb question). It felt like it wanted to shut off, and while I would be driving it, it would do the same, I went to autozone and replaced the spark plugs/spark plug wires too but still nothing. It got to the point where I would get to a red light and put it into 1st gear and it would not want to go and it would pick up speed maaaadd slow, people driving behind me would have to go around me (lol seriously lame). I heard this small sound coming from the engine, but it would only start until the car's been on for like 10 mins., popped the hood, looked around, and noticed the pulley? that holds the timing belts together, the main one (biggest one I guess) was spinning all wobbly while I would run the car. It was making a tack tack tack sound while I would run it. Also dunno if this helps but I looked through, and read a whole lotta stuff and I think the pulley/timing belt thing that's spinning really wobbly is the one the crankshaft is connected to???I think though, not sure, just compared pictures, looks to be the one, either way, before the car had stopped running I thought maybe it was loose, when I went to tighten that big nut that holds it together it was already really tight, couldn't turn it anymore, Dunno if this would have anything to do with it. Few days ago, I was coming back from work and the car shut off on me while I was driving, not too far from my house. I tried getting it back on, wouldn't turn on, pushed it to the nearest parking lot and after waiting a little while and a few tries it turned on but really weak. Got it back to my house, since then though it has not turned back on. So I guess my question is hmmm?...lol. When I try cranking it, it kicks over, however, my neighbor came and did some weird "test" with the spark plug wire and some metal and the shell of the car and asked me to try turning it on. After I did he told me he doesn't believe I have power. Told me it may be I need a new coil or something that's in my distributor, basically that I may need a new distributor. Or a sensor or who knows heh. So, what do you all think? I'll say it again, I love this car, she's my baby lol. I want to try to fix her and get her running nice and prolly but some more into her, but not sure what now. If it is just the distributor, cool, I'll get it going but then I'm worried about the pulley and it doing that weird wobbly thing, hoping its not the crankshaft and if it is, would that mean pretty much I need a new ride?? Heh, *phew*, so lost.

(Sorry for any inconvenience or if this post is too long! Heh just kinda thought the more details I'd add the easier it would be to maybe help me, I understand if this post may be annoying or something. Thanks to all who read and give it consideration!)

[Pineapple]

That pulley has a rubber core. The rubber could be broken. Replace that first, the whole pulley. Try to move the pulley with you hand. If you can move it and the center doesn't really move, you need a new one. Car will run funny because your power steering and alternator depends on the pulley.

[Lemons]

Checked out what you told me Pineapple, and its alright. Still nothing. Dunno, still can't get the sucker to start. Heh, I really am fresh out of ideas. Anybody with any ideas? Help....lol.