318 torque specs

Changing the torque on these bolts will NOT affect how easily or 'if' you can turn the crank. The fact is, you have something very wrong. Either you have the wrong size bearing shells for your crank size, or something else amiss such as the grinder left you with an incorrect radius at the edges of the throw.

(Maybe I misread)------What do you mean "by hand?" You using a breaker bar? How about rings? Is this a re-ring or bored? MAYBE you didn't clean the ring grooves and the rings are causing the trouble?

Have someone who knows what they are doing measure ("mike") the crank.

Go buy what is known as "plastigauge" and here is how you use it:

http://www.plastigaugeusa.com/how.html

By the way, they are not "pushrods" they are "connecting rods", "con rods", or just "rods".

"Pushrods" are the ones going between the valve lifters and rocker arms.