more lifter preload questions

[matt cook]

I put my crane 1.7 roller rockers on this AM - all went on fine, no problems, except...

all of the intakes adjusted perfectly, I reached 20ft lbs consistently at 1/2 turn of the torque wrench, but on all of the exhausts, at 20ft lbs, the pushrod was still a little loose, very little, but still spinnable when on the base circle of the cam.

per the instructions, I need longer pushrods, but could this be because the car has not been run in months, and the lifters (flat tappet) are bled down. This car has not been cranked since October.

The car has 113,000 miles on the short block, and most of the lifters are stuck in their bores - so I did not bother with taking them out to pump them up.

Once I get it together, should I just spin it with the starter (w/ no spark plugs so it will spin fast) to get the lifters pumped up, and then re-adjust, or what...