you think so? when i took the rockers off they were really tight and it didnt do that before.

 

The rockers aren't too tight, but it is possible for them to not be lined up straight when you tighten them up. That could cause the pushrod to be at a pretty bad angle.

 

i made sure they were all straight on the valve springs when i was tightening them

 

Are the needle bearings in the rocker good? You may have a messed up bearing in the lifter too?

 

how can anything be messed up? i took it apart and put it back together. everything was fine before but now its making that sound

 

It could still be a needle bearing. maybe under just enough pressure to stay together, then when you pulled it apart it came apart. I'm just brainstorming here.

 

how can tell if its a needle bearing? could it be that when my head was pulled off they tightened the rockers down to tight and damaged a bearing?

 

Did you just change the cam or did you pull the heads too? The heads don't come off during a cam swap.

I'd pull off the coil packs and valve covers. Have someone help you turn the crank by hand while you watch / listen to the valvetrain as you turn it over. See if you can isolate where the sound is coming from.

 

i didnt take the heads off for this cam swap. when i put the other cam in it the first time a lifter fell and had to take the driver side head off. i didnt take the head off and put it back on though. i spun the engine over by hand and couldnt hear anything and it spun fine

 

So you have a lifter swimmin in the oil pan? Is this correct? The reason I said rocker is because if he tightened it up too tight then the lifter may have been collapsed and not enough too let the lobe to be barely get by thus grinding.