ford guys PLEASE HELP ME!!!

[alex1954chevy]

im working with a 1973 ford 302 engine.i already got the engine running but i had a bit of a chatter coming from improperly adjusted rocker arms. i did a search and found that all i had to do was set each cylinder to TDC and tight down the rocker arms to 25FTLBS. sounded easy enough. so i did. i tryed to fire up my engine and the motor turned over about half a turn and i heard a lound metal sound and my carb backfired real bad. i pulled the valve covers off and found i broke a rocker arm and bent all my pushrods. WHAT DID I DO WRONG??? do you think i damaged my lifters?? they are hydraulic, so is my cam. i even bent a few rocker arm studs.
:(:(

[Bettlejuice]

Are your rockers pedestal mount or stud mount? There isn't any adjustment with pedestal mounters, just have the cam on the base circle and torque 'em down. Pretty different for adjustable stud mounted though.

I had a couple rockers come loose on me and jackhammer the shit outta the rockers. Bent the pushrods, and ate the lifters for those cylinders. I hate saying this, but when it happened to me, the lifters and cam went to the destroyed car parts shelf in my living room.

Are the heads milled down, or the block decked? That would shorten the needed pushrod length with the pedestal rockers (its good to check the valve to rocker contact point even with adjustable rockers).

[alex1954chevy]

the motor is stock expect for for bolt ons and the cam swap. my motor wasnt running when this happened so i doubt i really damaged my cam or lifters. my rocker arm just has a nut and a pivot thing between the nut and the rocker arm. everyone i asked told be there were not adjustable, from how i discribed it

[Algon]

im working with a 1973 ford 302 engine.i already got the engine running but i had a bit of a chatter coming from improperly adjusted rocker arms. i did a search and found that all i had to do was set each cylinder to TDC and tight down the rocker arms to 25FTLBS. sounded easy enough. so i did. i tryed to fire up my engine and the motor turned over about half a turn and i heard a lound metal sound and my carb backfired real bad. i pulled the valve covers off and found i broke a rocker arm and bent all my pushrods. WHAT DID I DO WRONG??? do you think i damaged my lifters?? they are hydraulic, so is my cam. i even bent a few rocker arm studs.
:(:(

With a hydraulic you set to 17- 23 ft-lbs

On TDC of #1... set I-1 E-1 I-4 E-3 I-8 E-7

rotate 180 from TDC clockwise.... set I-3 E-2 I-7E-6

rotate 270 clockwise..... set I-2 E-4 I-5 E-5 I-6 E-8

There is a measured amount of play you should set depending on your valvetrain parts but I could not find it. I'm thinking it around .010 between the rocker and the valve tip within the 17-23Lbs torque on the rocker.

On a worn engine it makes a big difference to tune in this amount.