We put everything back together car will run but real rough and hard starting. Would this just be bent valves or possibly worse? Trying to figure out my next plan of action

Tensioner bolt snapped while running ??? never heard of that before.  Yes most likely you have bent valves. Amazing it runs.  Do a compression test or pop a valve cover and see if the valves are staying compressed.  The section of the block where the tensioner mounts is replaceable. 

That’s what my mechanic said too. Maybe someone changed it out with a cheap kit . It happened at idle when I was warming it up, I’m thinking a valve job myself because if there was piston damage I don’t think it would have started up and ran

Most likely they stripped the bolt or just over tightened it and walked away... Some people should never touch a wrench. Pistons should be fine, new head gaskets, new valves and seals and you should be good to go. Oh yea you'll have to give your mechanic a pail full of $ as well... 

The aftermarket kits come with a replacement bolt, that should not be trusted, I’ve seen those shear off before. You can tell by looking at it m, the head and shank won’t be the same form and color as OEM.

 

Bent valves, usually a majority or bunch of intake valves.

 

You can also get two used heads and swap them out. That would be cheaper than a valve job.

Someone over torqued it or the sleeve seized. Seen it several times. 

 

Bent intake valves. 

 

GD

going to probably pull the heads sometime this week to see if there is any piston damage and if everything looks good go buy the heads I found to swap them out

Valves are crazy cheap. I think we get intake valves for $6 each. Lap them in, adjust lash, and run it. 

 

There will not be piston damage.

 

GD

Edited October 16, 20178 yr by GeneralDisorder

Well did a compression test on the cylinders the only one showing no compression was cylinder 3. Just going to replace that cylinder head and see what happens