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

hard saying by looking at them pictures.....but I am thinking MAYBE lifters are bad? they shouldnt squish in a 1/4 of an inch by a touch of the finger.....they should require alot of downforce to squish them in if the are correctly holding there oil.

normally if I had a lefter that has blead down i will toss it in a bucket of oil and pump it up and down a few times to see if I can bring it back to life...but being that yours are fresh out of the engine I would think they should all still be pumped up.

do you have any pictures of the top side of the lifters?