First Engine Build almost done-except rockers

[buschguy]

Hey all,
$ forced me to scrap my stroker plan, so I sold off the crank, rods and skipped the forged pistons, but I saved a few parts for a stocker rebuild with a little extra. Its my first attempt at an engine build. I've got a 97 4.0 with a Hesco loaded cylinderhead, a melling stock cam, crower cam saver lifters, new Mopar stock push rods and Yella Terra 1.6 roller rockers. The machinist milled a few thousands off the block and head to square everyting up nice. The instructions for the YTs seem to be for replacing existing rockers with the lifters pumped up and the valves opening and closing. I squirted oil into the lifters and lubed them before inserting them into their bores. I have been reading the instructions on acheiving zero free-play by tightening the adjusting cap screw on the rollers until you cannot easily turn the push rods with your fingers. With only a little oil in the lifters, I am worried about bottoming the push rod out in the lifter. Does anyone here have a step by step process for dialing these roller rockers in when building from scratch?
thanks

[buschguy]

oops. I meant ACH head. Hesco head would really have blown the budget!

[jbxx]

This is a pretty good write up.
http://www.compcams.com/Products/CC-'Pushrods'-0.aspx
J.B.

[buschguy]

Thanks, I checked that link. If I get a push rod length checker and come up with a value for length, what is the tolerance for an acceptable rod? Do I need to order that exact size, or is a rod within so many hundredths or thousandths acceptable?

[jbxx]

Here's what I did. I bought a pushrod checker, set it all up, forgot to add for preload.
Got my new pushrods, too F!@#$%^&* short. So I went down to the hardware store and got a few different width washers.
I found one that gave me a perfect 1/4-3/4 turn preload with the original rods.
Hardened stainless, .045" worked perfect for me.
Don't know if this is a good idea or not. But the geometry actually improved.
J.B.