Fresh engine, wiped cam? Tick? (new pics added)

Man?? How do you get that intake off of there? It's cemented on! It's a aluminum intake too, so I have to try to be careful!

I did sneak one lifter out of the head for the #8 cylinder. It looked real good, but as far as any "squish" what so ever, there seems to be none. It don't move at all, real tight. someone mentioned about that there should be some squish.

"they should be hard to push but you should feel a slight squishy feeling to it ....like a high strength spring almost......if you find one that does not give you any squishy feeling,you may have found a bad lifter (either that or a lifter that is just pumped up really good)"