Hi, hoping someone can help.

I've searched the web far and wide and haven't been able to derive an answer, so I'll ask here.
Background:

I'm putting a 4.7 V8 back together after swapping the tone ring on the crank / cam shafts. First time doing anything remotely this involved.

Trying to set the timing - I got the cam chains and lower chain aligned as shown in the FSM - all dots / colored links lined up properly. However, double checking everything it doesn't appear to be correct since the "V8" marks on the cam gears aren't matching at 12 o'clock like they should in the book.

So, I took it back apart to re-do. In doing this, the camshafts seemed bound up and "sprung free" when I took the cam wheel out and released the chains.

I'm wondering if I had an exhaust valve mashed against a TDC piston - since I'm guessing I had the timing lined up improperly.

Questions:

1. Is it possible to bend valves when rotating things through by hand? In looking at the head on the old engine, the exhaust valve definitely protrudes down into piston territory when it's open.

and

2. Is it safe / advisable to "pop out" the rocker arms to close ALL the valves while setting timing? (I don't have a valve spring compressor and would just "pry" the rocker arms out with a screw driver. They actually came out / go back in fairly easily on the old engine - the old engine is garbage from a blown HG and dropped valve BTW.)

Is that even necessary? I'm leaning towards yes since I don't have all of the "Special tools" recommended in the FSM to hold the cams in place, etc.

Thanks in advance to anyone that has some input or advice!

-Matt

 

I have just removed all of the rocker arms to take that out of the equation.

Here are some pics, can anyone can tell me what I'm missing?

Is it possible I have the cam chains switched so the dots aren't lining up?
Lower crank gear, crank is positioned with #1 at TDC:



Main sprocket:



Cam chains with double dots visible through main sprocket:



Cam gears still not at 12 o'clock! What am I missing?

 

deleted

 

Better pics of the cam gears, this time they are aligned properly with the chain dot on the respective L and R dots. Still doesn't line up.

 

Disregard. Had the cam chains lined up wrong on the main sprocket.

We can close the book on this one folks.