Here's the Readers Digest condensed update.

I was apparently full of hooey when I said #1 Exhaust preload was .030'-ish. I rigged up a much more stable and accurate mount for the dial indicator and did the process multiple times. The entire engine actually has between .095" and .125" using the same pushrod on all 16 valves. This is a Melling pushrod, and is 8.550" long, according to the Melling catalog.

On one side of the engine, I checked all four pairs of rocker arms on #1 cylinder. The variation was .005" or less.

I don't have a machinist quality straight edge, but I took a piece of aluminum flat bar and laid it across the valve stems... it was apparent that a few were lower than the rest. I slid the bar along the valve stems looking for the gap to change visibly and it did not, telling me that my straight edge was reasonably straight. With a feeler gauge, I measured .008" gap at the lowest valve stem.

Here's what I came up with:

1E - .100"
1I - .120"
3I - .120"
3E - .125"
5E - .110"
5I - .125"
7I - .118"
7E - .100"

2E - .105"
2I - .110"
4I - .115"
4E - .095"
6E - .110"
6I - .100"
8I - .105"
8E - .100"


It appears that I need some shorter pushrods, although if the're all the same length some of the lifters will have too much preload.