Pushrod installation

I know this has been covered before (just read the 'Head install' thread) but..

Just putting top end back on bike. Head all refurbished new rings etc. Put the head on and the pushrods dropped down the tunnels but I didn't check them. Got them into position under the rockers and the head dropped down to a couple of mm off the mating face. I then realised that I had not checked they were seated in the bottom cups (something I'm not sure that I have ever done before when I have had the head off (several times) but memory fades) so I checked which valve was under tension. The left hand inlet was under tension but certainly not enough to lift off it's seat (it wouldn't be unless the bolts were in place but the ead was only 2mm off being 'down'). I wasn't happy so I pulled the head back up and decided to start again. After 5 minutes fiddling I made a wise decision to do the job another day as I was struggling to seat the cup ends and I am going away for a week so can't ride it anyway.

I noticed that every time you move the head at all something fouls either pulling the rods up (potentially back out of the cups). Is it best to tilt the head backwards or forwards when trying to seat them in the cups and how can I hold them down? I seemed to be able to feel the outer rods in position but not the inners so easily. Note I had backed the adjuster off quite a bit.

uGH, ain't no way to check the bottom seating but nip up the head some and see if p-rods still in rockers and they all go up and down w/o Clicking/Ring noise. Heads go down and come off as square as it can. A valve spring will hold head ~1/8" proud until bolts tightened some but should smoothly seat squarely. A few weeks ago I got fooled for a while with a ClinK sound turning engine but was relieved to find it was just a valve stem hanging up in the rocker adjuster hole because I'd not run down the adjusters far enough down at that point yet. I'd re-lifted-fitted head to try re-seating P-rods of course thinking the worst as you are because I'd had them miss their mark before, a few times. Still was not convinced till engine started fine.

Thanks Hoby. Suspect it was ok as it was but started to panic... Will have another go another day

Yes I'm always pensive each and every time - even after some mileage I just never know if I am really competent to work on my cycles as too often in past I found I wasn't.