The lifters may have lost their oil and stopping the valves opening
the place that skimmed the head put a degreaser in it to get rid of all the oil. While we were assembling it my mate ws oiling everything up and he did comment that when fully tightened some of the valves were sticking out of the head, he lubed it up a bit more and turned the cam and they got a bit better so it may be a lubrication problem
hmmmmmmmmmm im just thinking... did you put the little black square things back on before the followers!
yes
my mate got to go to a funeral later so were going to try to start it tonight, I'll report back then
Duncan