Help! I may be bending my valves!

[RallyEclipse98]

I set out to do a timing belt swap on a 420a as well as its head gasket. After getting the hg done, I set all the alignment marks on the cam sprockets and crankshaft. I put the tensioner on and everything was fine. I put a bolt through the crankshaft to turn the engine over by hand a few times. Everything stayed aligned. Then, when I was taking the bolt out of the crankshaft I turned everything to the retarded side. After that it seemed by timing marks on the sprockets were 1/2 a tooth off. Could this happen or am I just extremely paranoid? I thought it would be okay even though the the sprocket marks were a little tiny bit off (visual check) because I heard it wouldn't bend the valves if it was a tooth off (even though it appears to be 1/2 a tooth).

I started the engine and the idle was choppy but then evened out and from inside the car, everything sounded fine. I ran around to the front of the car and it sounds like extreme lifter tick. Very noticeable. Will it even out eventually? I had to take out the lifters, etc. to have the head resurfaced.. Help! I don't know if I should let the engine run or what. In case it matters, the engine had been sitting for 6 months prior to today. Thank you for reading.

I think I'll just sit at my computer reading answers that come in. I'm at a loss as what to do.

 

[JosephMiranda]

The sound might be your lifters and they may take a little time to oil up. Youd know if you bent the valves because the piston would smack them and it would be obvious something was very wrong

 

[RallyEclipse98]

I used assembly lube on my lifters when I re-installed them so I thought they would be oiled up fine. Hopefully that's the problem. Should I start the engine again and... wait for it to clear up? After a lot of searching, I have found it could possibly be a cracked camshaft, loud lifters, or timing off. I'm still confused.

 

[GalantTuner10]

Assembly lube is too thick for lifters. Did you clean them in diesel fuel or brake clean by pumping the lifters until no dirty oil comes out, then for assembly you pump them up in oil and then bleed them so they can depress. That way you get noise on start up but it goes away pretty quickly.

If you bent any valve you would know and have many more issues accompanying it

 

[RallyEclipse98]

Thanks for the replies. I must have been off a tooth. I re-timed the motor and it started up like a champ!

Now, I did use assembly lube on my lifters before I dropped them in. I did not bleed them. Do you believe there will be any future problems?

 

[fenixnr]

There can be, lifters that aren't properly bled before install can cause valves to stick open and so forth, ask me how I know. Get a compression tester out and make sure everything is ok.

 

[RallyEclipse98]

Thanks for the advice. I just got the car so I should do a compression check anyway.