Trying to do a timing chain and lifters on my ranger, and I'm not sure whether or not the rocker arms and push rods need to be in to set the engine to top dead center.
Also, should I replace the rocker arms, push rods, and lifters before or after the timing chain?

 

How bad is the tick? I'd do the top end first. I did the timing chain and gears when I had to reseal my front cover, had about 140,000 miles at the time. Noticed nothing as it really wasnt making much noise and didnt feel that worn. Should have just taken the kit back to carquest. How many kms on yours?

 

Well when I bought the truck, the old owner somehow got engine sludge through the whole top end, and I think he had someone take it apart for him to try and fix it, and 3 of 12 push rods weren't even connected to the rocker arms (Simply sitting against the lifter, getting beat around while the engine ran), I'm guessing because he took them out, and didn't know he had to rotate the engine to install the other push half of the push rods.
So needless to say, it made more than a tick. 138,000 km's on the truck.

 

I was thinking the top end first, because to find TDC on the compression stroke, both valves need to be closed on the #1 piston. However, the only way to know the difference between exhaust and compression strokes, is to have the exhaust valve open on the exhaust stroke because there would be no compression therefore needing rocker arms and push rods to open the valve. Am I thinking about this all wrong? :s

 

Not sure, never been that deep into my power plant. Were the lifters collapsed? With hydraulic lifters (assuming the engine is timed correctly), I'm not sure that finding TDC matters. These rockers are non- adjustable, aren't they? Why couldnt you just install the new lifters, push rods (making sure everything is seated), and then torque the rocker bolts down to spec. Wouldnt the worst that would happen be that the valves would open depending on engine position? I'm pretty sure the balancer has a TDC mark on it, may take some of the guess work out.