I'm in the process of assembling my 1960 235, and just got the hydraulic lifters, push rods, and rocker arms installed. Turned the motor by hand until I had #1 cylinder in position to adjust. Got those two valves set, turned the engine clockwise to set #5. Went into the hose to get away from the sun/heat. When I came back later I looked more closely and was uncertain if I had things lined up correctly, so I turned the crank slightly to watch the push rods move to confirm which cylinder was firing. I didn't see any movement in the push rods, but I discovered that one of the rods on #1 cylinder was bent (I think the intake, one back from the front of the engine). I can pull that rod, and probably straighten it out, but now I'm worried about causing more damage. So my questions are:

1. How much movement should I expect to see in the push rods when I turn the crank?
2. Should I pull the side cover and check that the lifters are really down in the block all the way?
3. How do I tell when #1 is in firing position?

I marked the flywheel per Deve's instructions, but the marks are awfully hard to see. I'm thinking of putting file marks on the harmonic balancer 120 degrees apart once I get things lined up so I can at least know how much I'm turning the crank.

Any advice welcome.

Tim

I am currently digging back in to a 1953 3800 (one ton) with a nine foot bed. I've owned it since 1979, and drove it until 1982 (or so). My wife got me involved in restoring it back in 2002, got the body removed and the frame redone, then things came up. Now I am retired and starting again. If anyone is interested I have photos on Imagur ( https://timwhiteblues.imgur.com/ ). I live way back in the woods in the Ozarks on 40 acres at the end of a 2 1/2 mile private road.

Tim