Grinding, " diesel " noise under valve covers

Could having to much timing cause dead vavle seats? It looks not a clattering valve sound... not a ticking. Sounds like metal rubbing and it's Loud. In all fairness, I have the old Direct Connection repop steel VCs on. Read here they amp noise...shafts were new, as well as everything else when I built her, 12 years ago. Ran points till last year. Switched cars, and gained elect ig