Hi was doing the tappets to day on my crossflow and had my ratchet on number eight rocker lost my balance and put my hand down to steady my self and the rocker tilted back away from the valve have I done any damage to the engine as I have just had it reconditioned and worried about starting it up now.Regards Arthur

[Edited on 29/7/11 by Arthur T wareing]

Turn the engine over slowly by hand and see if it makes any bad noises or locks up. I don't really understand what you think you may have done but you probably just compressed the valve spring with the pressure.

Tilted away from the valve, the worst you can expect is a bent pushrod really, its more lightly that you felt give as the rocker moved against the spring on the rocker shaft so felt nasty without any ill effects.

If the valve clearences have altered remove the rocker shaft, pull the suspect rod out and roll on a flat surface, if its got a bend just carefully straighten by hand and put back together.

Regards Mark

it will be fine - it will take more than your body weight to bend anything but remove rocket gear to examine push rod - it sould be straight; compare the syspect rocker against a good one to see if it has bent - most unlikely

I don't quite understand your description either, but in the unlikely event that you bent the pushrod it would be blatantly obvious as you'd have ended up with considerably more valve clearance on that rocker.