Basically what you're saying is you've never properly built an engine. The few engines I've built are in the opposite end. I've scrutinized every detail.
No.
First off, I never said anything, I wrote some things.
Secondly, I never built a race oriented small block where issues such as these would seem to be more crucial. Nice try at an underhanded insult. It didn't slip right by me at all.
I've built a few engines but never anything with the intention of drag racing. I run my stuff on the street for occasional fun or for daily driving. It would seem that measuring preload on a fairly stock engine is a matter of splitting hairs on whether or not it will make a difference. Stock head gaskets were often .020 steel, replacements are often double that but when a surface cleanup head milling and block decking are done, you often end up close to where the deck clearance was originally.
I've built a few big blocks and have gone into greater detail with assembly and adjustments. That wasn't the point here. I'm told that the Mopar lifters had a greater amount of preload than some other brands but I was curious as to how crucial that was since I hadn't seen any adverse effects to date.