I am in the middle of a cam chain tensioner swap. I have everything apart and am in fighting the inner cam chain tensioner. Not quite as easy as I figured so far, because anything I touch I seem to somehow screw up.
For starters, I forgot to hold the lifters so they all dropped into the cam chest. No big deal, I can set them back in when I put the cams and all back in right?
Second, I marked the inner gears and chain but the paint somehow came off. I know there are marks on the cams to show where they line up and the paint on my outer gear and chain is still good.
So, how bad off am I? How do I ensure I don't screw up my timing and totally screw my engine? Anyone in CT wanna come over and help? haha.

After all this, I am afraid to try and change out my swingarm bushings on my own.

 

Just follow your service manual. I know I'm a smart *** right? You should have one cylinder at tdc on the compression stroke? If you have the rear cylinder on tdc your timing marks on your cam sprockets will line up...that will set your timing. Now the lifters...are your pushrods still in? Can't be right? You can make clips to hold the lifters or get a set magnets that are made for the job. Since your pushrods are out right? You can just pull the lifter blocks and put your cams in then drop your lifters back in same spot they came out of because I'm sure you caught each one as they fell out and marked them accordingly. Get a factory service manual, watch some YouTube videos, ask someone here thst knows more than you and me...let someone else do your swing arm bushings unless you get a manual...your life is riding on it. Good luck

 

I didn't move the crank after I opened it all up, and I have the outer gear marked as well as the chain. So if I was thinking if I line the cams up on the timing marks and then rotate them until my outer mark lines up where they should be I should be ok.

The pushrods are out as are the lifters. They are separated and I know which goes where. I will need to hold them up and replace the stock pushrods because I didn't buy new ones but I know I can put the cams in and do just that (as I suspected in my OP).

As for the part of the manual and videos, I have the manual, I'll have to watch some videos and see what I can find.

 

+1

 

The most important step is getting the inner cam gears aligned properly; this is where most timing errors are made. If the inner gears are aligned properly, the cams are in time. Even if the crank has been rotated, easy enough to install the rear cam and pinion sprockets without the chain and rotate the them until the timing marks are properly aligned with piston(s) at TDC; check out the pictures. Use the bottom picture as a reference; this is the rear cylinder (#1) at TDC and proper alignment of the outer sprockets. As has been suggested, remove the lifter blocks and install the lifters from the top. If you try to reinstall them from below you will probably dislodge an anti rotation pin and have to remove the lifter blocks anyway.

 

Personally I would not use those lifters. They are built for constant load and not a hit. If they dropped from their bores and landed wheel first I would be concerned that a needle flat spotted.
Seriously I would buy new ones.