Oh, I've done it now....

[Stacy Faught <slfaught@domain.elided>]

Well, first off I'll make a short intro since I've new to the list:
I've always wanted a spider (years and years...), but lived in a harsh
climate that would destroy a daily-driver spider.  Now, I'm in southern cal, 
and can afford a second car, ect. ect....so I picked up a 1987 spider quad
from a local alfa mechanic as a restoration project.  It has a gizzilion miles 
(odometer stopped working at 139k, and that was quite some time ago), but the 
body is nice and straight, no rust, and has been very well maintained.  
My ambition is to return it to a showroom-like condition...not a show car per say,
but a really good-looking evening and weekend driver.  

At any rate, here's the problem.  After tearing off the cam cover to check the 
valve timing (slightly louder than normal tapping...figured I'd check it out--good 
way to familiarize myself with the engine head before I actually NEED to do 
something with it), I found that there is no static pointer to line up the crank pulley
with TDC, and thereby see if the cams are properly timed.  So...off I go to the store 
to get a dial indicator and a tool that will screw into the spark plug thread.  The tool 
has what looks to be a brass plunger that rests on the piston head (this is important...)
I couldn't figure a way to hand-crank the engine (turning the fan had little effect--the belt
just slid on the pulley), so I was pushing the car in 5th gear to rotate the crank.  
I'm sure some of you can guess at what happened next....a strange squeeking sound came
from the head....I decided to stop and return the crank to TDC and see what the issue was...
then the dial indicator just flat-out stopped responding...
After I unscrewed the dial indicator (which thankfully came out properly--no thread stripping), I realized what
my mistake was---I rotated the crank TOO FAR, and the intake valve impinged on the brass 
plunger in the tool, bending it slightly (and making a nifty gouge in it).  When I returned the 
piston to TDC, the piston pushed the brass plunger at an angle and hopelessly destroyed the tool.
Needless to say, THIS WAS A VERY DUMB THING TO DO!....The intake cam is 
damaged---probably not useable anymore.  The cam collar screws (that is--the threaded posts
that are part of the head) are bent slightly (just the foward intake-side), and the cam collar hole
is now out-of-round.  
Can this head be fixed (ie--Sperry)?  Could I have also damaged the piston and/or connecting rod,
crank, ect?
Right now, I'm thinking that I can drive the head over to Sperry and have it reconditioned--
and ported/polished while I'm at it.  A new intake cam will be necessary also.  But do I need to 
find a new head?  I don't think I could have damaged the piston, or crank/connecting rod 
assembly (I can't imagine I exerted more force than they normally see..)...looking into the 
spark plug hole, the piston looks like it still has the proper shape---just a small scratch in the
carbon deposits....
Sorry for the long post....,no need for flames either--I already know how extremely dumb I was!
Just looking for some advice on if the head is salvageable or if I should bite the bullet and 
find a new/used one, and if I could have damaged anything else.
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