HondaCivicForum.com - Engine will not start after tune-up. Timing issue?

Hi, I'm a new guy in need of help.
I am helping my roomate do a tune-up and he has a 2000 Honda Civic DX with the 1.6 liter engine. We got new spark plugs, new wires, and a new distributor cap. Long story short, we installed everything and tried to start the car, but the engine did not start properly. There was hesitation and it made a horrible noise. It did this everytime we tried to start it ( a few times) . We then checked the spark plugs and they were coated black. I was not sure if the wires were correctly wired into the distributor cap so we looked up the correct firing order and the position of the wires to the cap. We then used the stock cap, stock wires, and the new plugs. We checked the ignition system by starting the car with the wires and plugs out of the engine. The spark plugs work fine. In the engine, the car cranks, but there is no response from the engine. It does not even try to start as if there is no combustion in the cylinders. Here is what I narrowed it down to: The wires and spark plugs are fine. The air and gas seem to be working. From searches I have done, I hear that incorrect timing can be involved. Could the timing been offset by the starting attempts with the incorrect firing order? If so, do I have to adjust the timing belt by taking off the cylinder head cover? Any experience or tips with this? Thanks a lot in advance.