[Hostile_1LE]

Update:

Johnson RMA'd the set of lifters pictured above, no questions asked. New set looks the same but rolls more smoothly. I'll chalk it up to "sitting on a shelf for too long" or something like that.

Still need to put the balancer back on, radiator and all hoses, fill with coolant, intake/throttle and airbox.

Pretty sure I set the valvetrain and timing up right. Spun the motor over by hand, 3-4 times, with everything together and no obvious binding.