Advice Needed - Can't Start Rebuilt 273

Update Friday afternoon.

Well, I have to quit and go to bed for the midnight shift, but I think I discovered something wrong with my valve adjustment - as some have already suggested. At TDC for #1 cylinder, there is some preload on the exhaust valve. As I understand it, that should NOT be the case, right?

I performed the valve adjustment twice, but maybe the procedure I used is incorrect for a Mopar engine. It is based on "opposite" cylinders so it made sense to me. I first adjusted with the intake manifold off so I could see the cam lobes. I used the procedure where you adjust #1 exhaust valve with #6 exhaust valve at full lift, Adjust #2 exh w/ #3 exh at full lift etc... Don't tell me that is only a Chebby procedure!!!

Like I said, it's been 35 years since I've done this :)