[blykins]

Ok, worry about adjuster position first. Get the cup of the pushrod up as close as you can to the rocker without getting it close enough to bind when you turn the engine over through a full cycle.

Once you do that, since your pattern sounds to be somewhat decent (the width of the contact pattern is sometimes more important than where it is on the stem), then I would put the lifter in, adjust your length checker to where it's contacting the rocker arm adjuster, and just barely touching the lifter cup, without adding lifter preload. To make sure you're on the heel of the cam lobe, check the intake rocker when the exhaust valve is just starting to open. Check the exhaust rocker when the intake valve has opened fully and is just starting to close.

Put a ball bearing into the cup of the pushrod length checker, then measure from one end (ball end of the checker) to the end of the ball bearing. Then subtract the diameter of the ball bearing. That will give you a length of the pushrod, based on a bottom of cup measurement.

After that, add .050" for lifter preload, and that will be the length of pushrod that you will need.

Will also need to know the diameter of the ball on the rocker arm adjuster.