Problem with setting gap on tappets

[PPNorm]

Hi there

I hope someone out there can help me!

I have a 356B 1600S from 1962 which I bought as a non-runner. I rebuilt my engine, re-fitted the heads and am trying to adjust the valves. I have followed the usual steps of finding Top Dead Centre and have tried two methods I found on the internet - firstly trying to set No.1 as the first one, and when this did not go well, trying to set No 4 first of all. The problem I encountered in both methods and both attempts was that there is no gap when at TDC on No 1 cylinder; the other three cylinders are resonably OK.

The push rods are seated OK. The heads are standard and came with the engine; the cam was bought secondhand and I was told it was the same as an SC

Can anyone please tell me how critical it is to align with Top Dead Centre because when I move the pulley mark to just before 180 degrees, I can set the gap for the intake and then if I move the pulley to just after 180 degrees I can set the gap on the exhaust.

Also I have noticed on the net the two different set of instructions give different instructions - one says turn counter-clockwise and the other set of instructions says turn clockwise - which should it be? In desperation I have been set to thinking that if I find the rock point on the valve ie fully closed, the timing mark on the pulley is not at 180 degrees or TDC (depending upon which valve) so, as a last resort, I even re-did it all again going in firing order - valve 1, 4, 3, 2 but still the same problem.

Does anyone have any clues as to what is wrong or what mistakes I may have made?

Thank you in advance for your help.

Norm Peterson

[PPNorm]

OK ignore this. I have sorted it now; thanks to anyone who was thinking about an answer. I had made a simple mistake - I had got the timing wrong.