[AtlantaDan]

This page gives a very straightforward explanation on how to do it. (Under "hydraulic lifter camshafts")

 

[AtlantaDan]

Were the heads decked? Block re-surfaced? If so - there goes your stock-pushrod length. Did you use a solid lifter to check clearance between the valves and pistons before you did final assembly? Since you cranked it and melted the cables in the process, I would be concerned that you had a collision between the piston(s) and valve(s) and now something is bent. Were it my car, I'd stick a borescope in each plug hole and look for plug indentations indicating a collision occurred.

 

[AtlantaDan]

I think there might be a little misunderstanding here, just to clear it up, I did set my valves when they were closed, not at max lift. I just noticed that when I was setting preload 2 rockers nuts where hard to turn a 1/4, I should be able to turn up to 3/4 I believe, not sure why the 2 were like that. I thought I would be able to start all the nuts on the rocker studs but I can't, there's always 2 that won't thread on until I crank engine over. With stock stamped rocker's I can put the nuts on all 16. Going to try again. I would hate to have to take the intake and heads off. If I did, do you guys think I could reuse the gaskets? I don't mind buying new ones but, it took a month to get these ones shipped here. Thanks for all input.

If the studs are all the same length, and you can't get the nuts on only two of the rockers until you "crank the engine over", there is something wrong in regards to where the cam lobe is in relation to the rocker. How sure are you that your crank-hub is keyed correctly and that the cam was installed correctly and properly aligned to the crank and TDC-1?

Also, if the heads were decked, you certainly are running the wrong length pushrods. If the heads and the block were decked, you're WAY off. And if the engine would not turn over via the starter, and locked it up to the point that the cables smoked when you tried, but the engine turns fine without rockers installed - there are things that ran into each other that never should have, and did so under some rather significant torque.

Do you live near a Harbor Freight? This thing would be $90 well spent