1963 Ranchero timing problem

My 1963 Ranchero has a 144 stock engine that was supposed to have been "rebuilt". It was running fine but the rear main and trans rear seal were leaking so I pulled the trans and oil pan. While scraping the pan rail I noticed the timing chain had 1.5" of play so I pulled the engine. since I have a lift I just dropped the engine from the bottom, easy. The dist is new and all the main/rod brgs looked good. New timing chain/gears. Making sure the timing dots were aligned.

I put it all back together, repainted it. How easy.
when I went to start it, it did run fairly smooth but then started making some loud metal banging like a stuck valve or collapsed lifter (like a valve or 2 was slamming shut). I shut it off, pulled the valve cover and plugs and did a compression check. Results:. 105,130,140,130,130,120 and I'm not happy so I did it again wet, no change. All the plugs had a bit of oil on the as well as the pistons I could see thru the plug hole. I verified the pistons where coming to TDC in firing order and valves were opening and closing. but a couple were real tight and a couple were real loose. I adjusted those at TDC to zero lash since I believe this engine has Hyd lifters. I put it all back together.

Setting the timing was a chore since the engine would barely idle and would not rev-up. I verified the firing order and number one but still will not run and there isn't a noticeable miss. The timing mark is way retarded and I cannot get it advanced.
I am trying not to have to pull the engine again. Can the lifters be collapsed enough to do that. This is like bam, it won't idle or accelerate. Oh and the carb is getting plenty of gas. the dist does not have mech adv only vacuum (Load-O-Matic dist) from the 1100 Autolite.

I've been looking at this crazy issue for so long my brain is fuzzy. It just doesn't make sense.
Can anyone help.

My 1963 Ranchero has a 144 stock engine that was supposed to have been "rebuilt". It was running fine but the rear main and trans rear seal were leaking so I pulled the trans and oil pan. While scraping the pan rail I noticed the timing chain had 1.5" of play so I pulled the engine. since I have a lift I just dropped the engine from the bottom, easy. The dist is new and all the main/rod brgs looked good. New timing chain/gears. Making sure the timing dots were aligned.

I put it all back together, repainted it. How easy.
when I went to start it, it did run fairly smooth but then started making some loud metal banging like a stuck valve or collapsed lifter (like a valve or 2 was slamming shut). I shut it off, pulled the valve cover and plugs and did a compression check. Results:. 105,130,140,130,130,120 and I'm not happy so I did it again wet, no change. All the plugs had a bit of oil on the as well as the pistons I could see thru the plug hole. I verified the pistons where coming to TDC in firing order and valves were opening and closing. but a couple were real tight and a couple were real loose. I adjusted those at TDC to zero lash since I believe this engine has Hyd lifters. I put it all back together.

Setting the timing was a chore since the engine would barely idle and would not rev-up. I verified the firing order and number one but still will not run and there isn't a noticeable miss. The timing mark is way retarded and I cannot get it advanced.
I am trying not to have to pull the engine again. Can the lifters be collapsed enough to do that. This is like bam, it won't idle or accelerate. Oh and the carb is getting plenty of gas. the dist does not have mech adv only vacuum (Load-O-Matic dist) from the 1100 Autolite.

I've been looking at this crazy issue for so long my brain is fuzzy. It just doesn't make sense.
Can anyone help.

I believe your 63 has solid lifters. If it has adjustable rocker arms then the valves need to reset for the proper lash.
If so its .016". Hydraulic lifters are 1/4-1/2 turn.
You may have to install new rings??

From the shop manual, hydraulic lifters should have a lash of 0.067-0.200" with the lifter compressed. Are you compressing the lifter when you are adjusting the rockers?

Zero lash with lifter compressed is going to bend push rods and eat your cam and lifters. Zero lash uncompressed is barely going to open the valves.

The wet compression test showed no change so I'm assuming it's valves/guides. But that does not explain why all of a sudden it had no acceleration and wouldn't idle.

Good day
AND
W E L C O M E !!!
to the site/forum
Thanks for your confidence in asking for our help. There R some guys on here who are real expirts (not me but I'll give it a try):

as far as running:
"...Making sure the timing dots were aligned."
&
"...The timing mark is way retarded and I cannot get it advanced."
help me to believe you may have not followed protocall 4 getting this aspect back together again.

U have a SCV/LOM matched carb & dizzy?

Hi, you might have hydraulic lifters but..., hydraulic lifter engines had no lash adjustment, and most early engines are solid lifter. Either way I would loosen the rockers. 0.18 lash for solid lifters, hydraulic lifters get tightened to take up the slack, and then one more full turn. I know many guys have their personal way of adjusting the lash. I work on a warmed up engine, making sure the valve is fully closed, and go over and check the setting at least 3 times. I am comfortable setting hydraulic lifters on a running engine.
I don't understand timing mark is retarded, but maybe the distributor is off a tooth. Doesn't the timing mark move when you twist the distributor?
Timing and tight valves could explain why your engine won't run. I can't guess at the banging noise.
Good luck

Solid lifter lash is 0.016", Ford went hydraulic in '63. Not sure if early '63 might have been solid lifters.

X2 on maybe the timing chain being off a tooth.

Where are you setting the initial advance?? 10-12? BTDC.

Can you compress your lifters any? It's not going to run or tune right if your valves aren't fully opening.

wsa111 - I can't get it running so I can't set timing
frozenrabbit - 1963 is suppose to be hyd lifters, book shows zero and 1 turn and half of them I can't push but the rod will spin in my fingers.

Well I got pissed and pulled the engine after adjusting the valves twice (cold) spinning the engine to be sure lifters were kinda pumped up, putting in new plugs, and listening to it spit n sputter and pop like the timing was 180 out. Its not to hard with my lift, I drop it out the bottom. I work by myself so removing the hood is not an option. Pulled the timing cover and behold the timing marks are aligned. Hard to miss when key-ways are pointing towards each other. But I had to be sure. The dist is spinning when the crank rotates and all the rockers move so I know the cam ain't broke. This is so weird since all I did was change the timing chain/gears.
I am going to pull the head and check lifters and cam lobes and go from there. I will do a valve job since its apart and the guides look like their leaking oil. I will update when I get the head back but machine shops around here can take a month, yuk.

Thanks everyone for trying

"...all I did was change the timing chain/gears...."
"...and behold the timing marks are aligned..."
may B degree the cam when goin @ it the nxt time?
good luck, keep in touch!