what is the tone wheel, and how do you think it would have got dented. I'm not protesting your answer I just don't know what it is

 

The tone wheel is the ring around the flex plate (the part you bolt the converter to). The little windows on it are what the crank sensor reads.
It can be damaged removing or installing the trans. Did you havetrouble lining things up?
Did you have to pry anything apart? Maybe it got damaged the same time the crank sensor did?

 

the only thing I had trouble lining up was the torque converter bolts. I had to keep rotating it different ways until I got it to line up. Thanks for the idea, I'm going to check that first thing when I get back from school tomorrow.

 

+1
on using an oscilloscope to watch the CPS signal
to see if it is the correct distance from the tone wheel

a Snap On brand
'Vantage' meter
with the 'Secondary Ignition' module
is the ultimate way to track down a missfire
and hopefully an independent shop near you has one
and a trained technician to use it?

http://www.snapondiagnostics.com/vp