[Driver Ed]

I suppose one could characterize my "major mistake" as following a written procedure without fully understanding the ramifications of steps that were missing. OK, but moving forward, I want to understand in detail both what went wrong and to learn enough to evaluate further advice. Why would my proposed plan make things worse, exactly? Do you really think that I could have bent a valve by simply moving the crankshaft with a wrench? What exactly is the potential risk of rotating the engine backwards?

I do hope I don't seem belligerent -- it's just that I've recently been led astray by following "expert advice" and want to more fully understand what I'm being told so that perhaps I'll not only better understand the job ahead, but be able to avoid future potential pitfalls. I can only think that more specificity will help the next person who might come across this as well and maybe help them avoid the problems I've encountered. Thanks for any explanations.