I'll start w/ a short back story: I'm not great with this stuff so when it was time for me to get a new motor for my XJ I paid someone to do it, they took it out, took it to get rebuilt, put it back together, then went out of business, so i put it back in and now it's almost time to start it and i'm scared. Here are my questions:
1) if i turn it over and they didn't do the timing can i bend the valves
2) what type of oil should i use (cheaper the better)
3) what kind of driving "breaks-in" the motor

thanks in advance!

 

1) if i turn it over and they didn't do the timing can i bend the valves?

Pull the valve cover, and turn the motor over by hand with a socket on the main pulley bolt. Check your timing while you're in there too.

2) what type of oil should i use (cheaper the better)?

A break in specific oil is best, but at least good brand, but the key is frequent changes on a break in. Change it at 500 miles, then 1000, then 2500, then normally after that. Very important that you change the filter each time as well, there will be small (normal) metal shavings in it from the motor de-burring itself during break in. Keep an eye on your guages. If you don't have them, you should get them. Guages will alert you to a problem far before a dash light will.

3) what kind of driving "breaks-in" the motor?

Keep the RPMs below 3K for the first 500 miles. After this time, I would take it to where you would normally drive. Don't be afraid of the redline, it is there to tell you how fast the motor can go, and it is good for you to take it up in revs after the initial break in phase. Vary the engine speed, during break in, as much as traffic will allow. Try not to let the motor sustain a specific RPM for a prolonged period of time. It's not the end of the world if you do, but that is the best way to make the motor seat.

HTH!!