Did ya try installing the rocker arms on by the manual???

 

The very first thing you do when you get your heads back from the machinest is check to make sure all the valve tip heights are equal, within IMO .010. This is very important, if they are all over the place then take them back. It is not practicle to determine a different push rod length for every valve. Next thing, check the install height for all the valve springs, make sure you can get it on every valve. Now you can put 2 valves in the head with light weight checking springs. Set some feeler gauges on the blocks deck to mock the head gaskets compressed thickness and set the head on with a few bolts and just snug it up. Now put a lifter in, adjustable push rod, some sort of marking compound on the valve tip and then the rocker assembly. Make sure the cam lobe is on the base circle and adjust the push rod up till there is no clearance. If the engine is on the stand you can eyeball it, you want to adjust the push rod till the contact is a little high of center. Then turn the crank over slowly always watching that the lifters plunger is not collapsing. After turning it over take the rocker off and look at the pattern, it should start in high of center, pass center and go low of center. The object is to adjust the push rod untill the pattern is centered as close to the center of the valve's tip as you can get it. Once you get it, run it through again and measure what will be the springs compressed height at full lift and check for rocker clearance, everywhere on it. Also check the retainer to valve guide clearance, you want to make sure there is enough clearance for the stem seal in there as well. You should be checking piston to valve clearance as well. Then take the push rod out, measure it and ADD to that figure, for a hydro cam the amount of preload. I always use .030, and that will be your new length. Now you can take the cam card with the spring requirements and a few springs back to the machinest with the full compressed height figure you found and get them tested so there are no suprises there. Once you get all of that done and the new length push rods in hand, the way I adjust an adjustable valve train is to set up a dial indicator on a magnetic stand, put the probe on the rocker's tip and go through the firing order setting each valve at zero lash then dialing in the .030 preload I figured into the length.
There are other ways of doing it, the 50% rule and so on but you need a full roller to do that and IMO it is not necessary to cloud the issue at hand here.

 

Kevin, my truck is stored about 40 miles from my home so i am a little slow on progress. But I finally made it out there tonight. I pulled both valve covers and found one pushrod out of the rocker. When I tried to set it back in the lifter, it dropped in farther than normal and upon shining a light down there, it looks like the lifter came apart. So it looks like the next step is pulling the intake off and hopefully finding the pieces and then replacing a lifter. I'm hoping to go back out there sunday to do this. I am thinking that head may have issues. I may pull these heads off sunday and replace them with another set i have.

 

The lifter coming apart was likely due to improperly adjusted rockers not the heads.The push rod was hammering on the lifter cup/plunger.The retainer on a hydraulic lifter cup is a thin wire clip that won't take much abuse.If stock studs,then they are non-adjustable(bottle neck) and should be set as described by 82F100460.Hopefully you'll find the lifter parts in the valley(plunger,cup,spring ,retainer,and a thin spacer)If you can't find all the parts then it's probable that any "lost" parts are in the pan or on their way down there.You best get them out.Don't turn the engine over as you may cause more damage.You could make the valve train adjustable by changing studs adding guideplates and the measuring for correct push rod length.Also if you cam has more than ~"525 lift you should check for valve guide to retainer clearance.Do a search,all the info is in these threads.

 

I actually listed the part numbers( that I used in a conversion to adjustable valvetrain including cam specs)for someone not too long ago.Just remember to measure +++ and check clearances+++ before you try to crank over the engine.It can become costly if not done right.

 

Sorry to hear about all your damage. I agree, probably happened due to those pushrods bouncing around on them.

You probably don't want to hear this...but if it were my motor, I'd yank that dude out and drop the pan. Of course I have the place and stuff to do it fairly easy...so that's easy for me to say!

I wish you luck....let us know what you find when you get that intake off

 

I hope they weren't loose because he wiped a few lobes off the cam because thats kinda what it sounds like could have happened, I know that story a lot better than I would like to...

 

I still haven't made it back out there, work has been crazy. We have settled now though. This up coming weekend I am headed out to the truck and will be there as long as it takes to get this thing run up decent!