okay....was almost there with a running engine...and then there was valve trouble.

I have never seen a harmonic balancer with two timing marks in it, but guess what, I have one on my new[used] 2.8. The second mark is thinner than the TDC mark, but it's there. What really sucks is that in setting the valve lash and turning the engine over, my assistant and I mistook the odd mark for the correct one (adequate lighting would probably have helped). So the valves are all out of whack now. Funniest part is that the engine started and ran like that. While taking out the rest of the lash in the rocker studs, with the engine running, the motor stalled and didn't want to restart. I'm not getting a happy feeling from that...

So I guess the question I'm beating around the bush to ask is: Is it possible to bend valves while adjusting the valve lash?

 

No damage done there just back off the last valve you tightened b4 the engine stopped. Start her back up and continue with the rest of your valves.