Valve lash.. Hot /cold ? How hot is hot?

Kent,
Set the lash 0.006" tighter than what the cam card says. This is an initial setting. It will probably be a little too tight by a couple of thousands, but going tighter [ unless an excessive amount ] causes no harm, whereas going too loose can allow the lifter to run off the lash ramp & cause noise/valvetrain wear.
Get the engine running, thoroughly warmed up & broken in, & then use the procedure I posted in post #11. That will tell you the hot/cold difference for your engine.