thanks for the help everyone. I'm going to try these ways and see if I can get the noise to go away. If not, then maybe I'll get the solid lifters. I talked to crane about that a few years ago and they said no problem. I had no idea hydro lifters were so picky.

well when you think about it on a mopar they were non adjustable preload was set by design never adjustable untill the newer 318 and 360 magnum engines that use a chevy stile single stud mount.

On the chevys with the single stud mount and interference fit bolt you back off till it ticks and back down till it stops and your adjusted.

I was sitting at a friend of mines and he was on the phone to a friend of his that had a BB chevy that bent all the pushrods on start up.

I said I know what they did they cranked the nut all they way to the bottom and when lifters started to pump up started to spit out the Pushrods. he went over to help and that is exactly what they had done.

A friend of my had a 454 chev built for his Camaro and it would break up at 5000 rpm. he asked me to come to the track and se if we could figure out what it was. would only run 12.16.

Anyway on the second run he was alone and next to cars coming up where street muffled cars as soon as he hit 5000 i heard it valve float.

he comes back and I says I know whats wrong way to much proload or bad springs. he said springs are brand new. so we pull a valve cover and start backing of adjuster nuts and the lifters where popping right up.

Took a bunch out of all the pass and a big storm hit flooded the track and pits so done. we started it with one side pressure relieved and it would easily rev 6000 + next day he set them all running as your supposed to and car would then rev 6800 and always went 11.0's after that.

Guy that built the motor said he cranks extra pre load on for quiet start ips should have told him to adjust after. (me i'd rather have less pressure and ticking on start up than wipe a cam??)

I would suggest the following procedure.

This is the simplest and the most accurate method taught to me 40 years ago. it has never failed me

Hydraulic lifters can be set, hot or cold, pumped up or not using this procedure. It will also work for an initial set up on a solid lifter motor.

For Hydraulics, most manufacturers want .020-.040 preload. If you have a 3-8 x 24 adjuster, 1” divided by 24 TPI = .0416” so 1/2 turn beyond zero lash, will = .020 , 3/4 turn will = .030.

I like to start at the LF corner of the motor. (exhaust) Turn the engine over in the direction of rotation until the intake valve for that cylinder is almost closed. You can now adjust the exhaust valve for that cylinder.

Loosen the adjusting nut until the pushrod spins freely between your finger tips. Sloppy is even better . While spinning the pushrod, slowly tighten the adjusting screw, when you find zero lash you will feel a definite change, IE: resistance to spinning the pushrod. NO NEED TO GO ANY FURTHER, you have found ZERO LASH. You may want to repeat this a few times to get the “feel”. Once zero lash is found, add 1/2 to 3/4 of a turn and lock the adjuster.

Move to the next valve in line (intake). Rotate the motor in the direction of rotation until the exhaust valve for that cylinder just begins to open. Repeat the above adjustment procedure.

Repeat the process for the remaining cylinders.

Summary:

Adjust the exhaust as the Intake is almost closed

Adjust the intake as the exhaust just starts to open

If the noise is still present it is either a bad lifter, rocker, pushrod or elsewhere

Well I actually drove my car yesterday. It still has a slight noise, but for the first 20-30 minutes I drove it, no miss. I cruised around the block a few times, then went out on the main road. It ran great, aside from the carb needing to be tuned. Then at the end of the day I took it out, just cruising 20-30 mph. At part throttle acceleration, it felt like a miss, and it sounded like a miss. Got it home, let it idle, sounded like a slight miss. Revved it up to 5000 rpm, no miss heard or felt. Let it idle, sounded good. Revved it up again, slowly, no miss. Oil pressure at HOT idle was 20-30psi. The oil pressure was higher, at idle, before the miss started. 60 psi, at warm idle. After the miss, 20-30psi. What the hell? It ran GREAT on the main road. I put 2.76 gears in the rear end with a sure-grip, and the car got sideways rolling into the pedal hard in 3rd. Do I just order new lifters? Any suggestions, advice? Thanks.

obviously the noise is enough to be bothersome. If you have adequate preload (.020-.030) then I'd replace the cam/lifters. EDIT With more thought I'd see if I could ID the lifter(s) that are making the noise (press down vertical on the lifter end of each rocker arm while idling with a wooden hammer handle & when you reach the bad one it will get quieter) & replace it with a new lifter then go thru the cam breakin procedure to breakin that lifter or two. You could take apart & clean & reassemble each bad lifter (keep each lifters' innards in order with that lifter) in case a spec of dirt is hanging up the plunger

The lifters are Crane Hyd. roller. They already told me they don't sell them in a pair, only a set. (cranecams isn't the best company I've dealt with). The engine had metal go through it once. It has been COMPLETELY torn down and rebuilt since. I took the lifters apart and cleaned them, as per Cranecams, but they said there was no way to tell if there was any damage. The lifter bores are made to millionths of a inch clearance. If the noise and miss was a constant, I would have an easier time dropping the $700 for new lifters. However, $700 for new lifters and a motor that ran trouble fee, would be a small price to pay.