rossmon1

Well here's the main reasons to turn the motor by the crank and why it is the best practice, although there are always exceptions and there are always people who do it wrong and don't get burned.
1. The crank is considered to be the most accurate component to indicate timing. There is always some amount of slack in a cam timing chain and tensioners are made to take up that slack from the rotational perspective of the crank. So to check your valve timing and generally set up your marks for any timing relating work you move and set the crank as the heart of the motor and want to make sure that everything else follows that and checks out.
2. Don't underestimate the force of the valve springs and the friction of the various reciprocating parts in the motor. Dont turn all this stuff with the weakest link, a lite weight cam gear even though the plugs have been removed.
3. In many engines the cam tensioner may be partially oil pressure driven and then u run the risk of slipping the timing even with a chain. I haven't really examined our motor but don't really have to. Just use the best practice.
4. The most important reason which effects everything else I have written is of course "Murphys Law"

I completely agree with what others have said about being properly shown how to do work like this and learning how to use the feeler guage and the importance of always double checking your work by spinning the motor 360 and rechecking each valve.

SaV

Thank you, everyone. All your responses were well appreciated and put to use. I have since re-adjusted the valves and my car is running smoothly and the ticking has went away. I was too conservative when it came to the amount of drag that I felt on the feeler gauge. Thankfully everything came out all right .