another chain question

[imSUPERjon]

ok, so there are all the questions about timing chains and the rattle and this is not one of those. well, i don't think.

i've been putting together a redtop and i've recently put the head on. using the old camshafts i got a strange ticking noise i determined to be all the grime on them and chunks rubbing the rocker arms. so i switched to newer cams and rocker arms, almost perfect looking. then i set the timing the same way i did with the old cams, just like the fsm says to do.

now, as i rotate the crank clock wise, i get tension on the ex. side, above the cams, and slack where the chain tensioner should be (not installed yet). this is good. i don't believe that i have a valve hitting a piston because i can completely rotate the crank over and over but is it normal for the intake valve springs to push the intake cam ahead some when the lobe is down? because now as i rotate clockwise, the intake camshaft "pops" a little clock wise (making popping noise) giving slack in the chain above the two shafts and a little on the ex. side and putting tension on the tensioner side.

is that normal? again, the tensioner is not installed and i think the pop sound came from the chain on that side when it was suddenly under tension. however, this did not occur with the old shafts. but those things were all jacked up anyway.

sorry so long, i just don't have a video camera to show ya'll what's going on ya know? any help would be appreciated because i've adjusted the chain four or five times now at the crank and the cams and i'm sure its something dumb.