I have been reading this and all of the questions and responses. Number one there is no problem with the way you are setting the valves, this is the best way with any camshaft because this gets you on the absolute lowest place on the base circle of the camshaft. When exhaust starts to open set the intake and when the intake starts to close set the exhaust. You use this on any normal v8 90 degree engine. You will need to set lash about .002 loose whan you have a steel block and head combo, if steel block aliminum heads set the valves about .002 to .003 tight and if you have a aliminum block and heads you will have to set about .010 to .012 tight because of growth when the parts warm up. This is for valve adjustment when engine cold. Now as far as losing the lash the FE's have some problems with the cam bearings going bad depending on the spring pressure used. Do you what spring pressure the heads were set up at anyway, to much and can knock the lobes of the camshaft. We break a lot of the cams in with breakin springs then install the springs we are going to run. You might want to check and make sure that solid lifters were installed and not hydralics by accident. Just some thought but sounds like the engine is going to have to come down anyway. When the car stopped on you it may have finally ceased the camshaft. I know we have had these engines spin a camshaft on the dyno for no reason other than you are dealing with a 40 year old block. Good luck, Keith Craft
