You have a hydraulic camshaft. Solid lifters will work if that's what you got, a valve spring change would be needed to optimize, but since this is a short term motor, don't worry about it, just keep your foot out of the accelerator. If you lashed the rocker arms like a hydraulic cam, that would indeed explain the bent push rods, and the bent push rods explain the noise that returned real fast.
Good luck Mark!
Sounds as though you're getting a handle on this situation. Good stuff.
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