Can bent valves create a slack on your timing chain when trying to set the timing on a bmw e36 318i m42 engine+

You must use a special tool which bolts onto the cylinder head. It is designed to hold the camshafts in the proper position. It goes over the flats on the camshafts to hold the camshafts in the correct position. This tool can be rented. Look on EBay or check with your local Snap On Tools, Mac Tools, or Matco Tools dealers to rent one. See the link below for photos of properly aligned timing marks for your engine.

1994 BMW M42 timing chain alignment marks Google Search

No you don't always bend valves typically with 4 or 6 cylinder engines are equiped with free floating engines that when the chains or belts break it allows the engine from creating greater damage to other parts of your engine

bent push rods could have been caused when the chain broke and not from the chain been replaced wrong or the timing out.

if the engine was running when the chain broke the cam would have stopped leaving all the valves in the same positon as the mometum of the fly wheel continued to turn the pistons in the cylendars could hav come up and hitting the valves and bending the push rods. and or damaging the cylendar head.

recommend removing the head and have it checked for damage, as well as replacing the bent push rods, and cylendar gaskit. once the head is checked and the valves are seated well. then replace and follow instructions in the set up for the pistons and cam prior to replacing the chain and setting the timing.

I hope this was helpful.

2.7L V6 engine? OK. is the chain broken or the tensioner not taking up
the slack? chain ok, just replace the tensioner, right side of engine, below
front of cylinder head. if it is the chain that broken, take it to a repair shop,
this will be and expensive fix, bent valves.
GOOD LUCK, RDJRP.

the m42 oil pump is located inside the timing chain cover and is an integral part of the casing so it is neccessary to remove the water pump + viscous fan etc to expose the pump front cover then remove 4 machine screws to examine the pump rotors underneath.

Need more info such as engine size.

It definately sounds as though you've got your cam gear set 180 degrees off.When your timing is at top dead center your crankshaft will be at TDC on the guage, the cam gear will have both of the lobes at 10:00 and 2:00 away from the surface of the valve they serve on the number one cylinder. This can only be see if the valve cover is removed, which at this point I'm sure it is. Thank you, Dana

Remove the cam cover, remove the spark plugs, turn the engine to number 1 TDC, put a pencil in spark plug hole number one and twist the crank back and forth and make doubly sure you are at TDC. Now loosen the four bolts at the front of each cam sprocket, check TDC again with the pencil and rocking the crank, now take the pencil and lay it across the flats at the back of each cam. Twist the cams very carefully so that the pencil sits flat on each cam square. Snug up the sprocket bolts and use the pencil to check TDC again! Now check the cams again. Repeat the procedure until you have the cams flat and the engine at TDC.

could be the oil pump. Had the same problem w/ E 30. Installed a pressure gauge and check performance at different speeds. Pressure was consistently low against specs. Change the pump . . problem gone.