from setting the timing & getting a piston up against the stop to tighten the dampener bolt I probably turned the crank 2 turns max total. The cam was gooped with Hughes' lube that smelled like rear axle sure grip additive then when I was priming it I noticed that the lobe I could see appeared to be wet with oil/the paste wiped off so it hit me that they all must be like that now. will this be an issue? should I pull the intake or fire it up? thank you for your time.

I wouldn't worry about 25 revolutions by hand, let alone two or three
you did lube both the cam lobes and the bottoms of the lifters, hopefully
I would prime it with a drill motor and pull all the spark plugs out in the car and use the starter to spin it over 10 to 20 revolutions, if your worried about the cam lobes being dry

I don't think you should have any issues, fire it up!

I have "been there" many times and used to think the cam stuff had to best to use. Right?
I like you hated to see it run off. So at first I started using white lithium grease a idea I am sure I read from a magazine somewhere. Did I bet 8-10 or more back in the day with no failures.

Then I started using black moly paste and have built many more engines and swear by the stuff for use on cams.

Good to have white lithium or moly paste on both ends of the pushrod too.

Neither of the above will ever run off, not even years later.
Good luck with your fire up!

I also have just dumped a can of STP oil treatment(sometimes it was called motor honey)right over the whole dry cam and lifters before putting on the manifold with no trouble.

Cab, Yes I lubed the lobes/lifter bottoms only. Challenger, I used the foul smelling paste that Dave Hughes sent. Well, If I have to pull the intake to rectify my seperate bolt torque issue I will take advantage of the opportunity to regoop em otherwise I will follow you guys' advice & let it be. this has been the motor from Hell. it started when I redrilled the heads/decks cooling holes to get "superior" cooling to solve a problem that was not there to begin with! now 3 (yes three) head gasket changes later (plus a wiped lobe) I am ready to fire it again. I drilled/tapped the holes & plugged em with alum pipe plugs but I leveled em with JB weld so I am probably looking at a 4th attempt (I'm embarassed to admit). I will post the outcome (& pics). I shoulda used cold steel.

One thing to keep in mind is that you don't want that goopy cam lube on the side of the lifters. Only oil and make sure they spin easily in the lifter bore.

Agreed, I made sure the lube on the lifter bottom did not get close to the perimeter where it could contaminate the oil on the sides & I did Hughes' "thunk" test & also per Daves direction spun the cam by hand to confirm the lifters rotated extensively which they did

Anyone remember back in the day when the accepted smart guy practice was to dump a can of GM EOS on the cam before installing the intake?

Of course, apples to oranges. Your lifter is going to scrape off most of the goop on the first revolution no matter what. You just need a thin film to go between lobe and lifter. In the words of one of my favorite songs "You gotta keep'em separated" I know, that isn't my generation's music but I love the rawness. Guess I'm just a punk rock brain in a Beatles body!

R