I'm with oz - if you prime the system until you get oil running over all 16 rockers, you should be fine on start up - especially if you have a buddy rotate the engine by hand a few times while you're priming. But a good assembly lube on cam, lifters, rockers, pushrods won't hurt a thing.
Here's a few paragraphs I put together for another post on tips for the job you're doing.
Many balancers will go back on quite easily by hand, and then pulling it on with the bolt. Just be absolutely certain you can engage the keyway by hand before tightening with the bolt. If the balancer fit is too tight for that then use the install tool. It's impossible to predict how any particular balancer is gonna fit on a particular engine - you may need the install tool; you may not.
There's a very specific procedure for INSTALLING rocker arms on these cars. They are not adjustable per se. Go to
www.cranecams.com and download the instructions for installing their 1.7 ratio Cobra style roller rockers - that's the proper way to install them. You may have to re-install them once you've cranked it and warmed everything up - that may help quiet them if they're noisy on the first crank up.
Be sure to prime the oil system through the distributor hole. Autozone will loan you a tool for that as well. You'll probably also need fuel line disconnect tools - AutoZone will sell you those for a few bucks.
If the hoses/belts/t'stat haven't been replaced within the last year or so, it's easiest and preferred to simply buy new hoses/clamps/t'stat/belt and put them in. Also makes disassembly much easier -- just cut the hoses off. This includes vacuum hoses. And be sure the orings on the injectors are new and lubed on both ends.
Don't trust your memory - unless you've worked on these engines a lot, use masking tape and a permanent marker to mark every connection (elec, vacuum, coolant, fuel) as you disassemble. It will make reassembly MUCH easier.
Keep everything as clean as you can. Plan on an oil/filter change -- some coolant almost always gets into the pan. Change the oil (use an inexpensive oil) before you prime/crank the car, but leave the old filter in -- it will catch any post assembly debris. AFter the first few heat cycles, change the oil again with the good stuff, and then put a new filter on it.
There is a specific counter-intuitive pattern for tightening the lower intake bolts. Use it (manual). Ignore any counsel from head or manifold companies to the contrary --- ABSOLUTELY use a torque wrench on the lower and upper intake. Take them to torque in at least 3 increments; no more than 18-20 ft-lbs. on the lower; NO MORE than 10 ft-lbs. on the upper.
Go to a hardware store with one of the valve cover, header, lower intake, and upper intake (short ) bolts. Buy bolts of similar length and the same dia/pitch threads as follows - 2 header, 2 valve cover, 2 upper intake (short bolts) and 4 lower intake. Cut the heads off of these and screw them in as studs/temporary dowels. They'll hold gaskets in place and allow you to place the components perfectly without moving the gaskets out of alignment - particularly helpful if you're working alone on headers, upper and lower intake. Once you've 'stuck' the part, put a few of the 'real' bolts in to hold it, then remove the studs, and put the rest of the bolts in. That tip is a real time saver and insures a quality job with gaskets.
Be sure to cover openings so stuff doesn't fall where you can't reach it. Intake/exhaust ports; the front of the oil pan when the front cover is removed; the distributor hole -- all of these are 'magnets' for stuff you don't want in them.
The shop vac is your friend to clean up any gasket scrapings.
Be sure to degree the cam (indexed timing chain, degree wheel, dial indicator required). DO NOT use a dot to dot install - degreeing will not only teach you volumes about how your engine works, it will guarantee correct cam timing removing that as a variable if the engine's not running right when you crank it. Furthermore - you'll need the dial indicator and degree wheel to check p to v clearance. NO ONE CAN TELL YOU IF YOU HAVE ENOUGH CLEARANCE on your engine. You must measure - especially with new heads/cam. Don't guess - measure - know.
If you rotate the engine to where the ignition timing pointer is pointing to tdc and the rotor is pointing to the #1 cylinder (pop the dist. cap) - use a Sharpie marker to mark 1) the dist. housing - align it with a mark on the block, and 2) the point on the housing where the rotor is pointing. When you get ready to put it back together, simply rotate the engine to tdc at the beginning of the power stroke - and insert the distributor so the housing/block marks match, and the rotor is pointing at the mark on the housing. You'll be back to where ever you had the timing before - and the car should start. Then time it with a light. It'll want more advance with the cam - try starting around 14-16 btdc.
Front cover is a chore for most - I had a hard time with mine. You may have to cut the oil pan gasket and replace just the pieces under cover. Use a dab of rtv at any place where you have 3 surfaces coming together in different planes - front cover/pan/block and lower intake/head/block. On paper gaskets use Permatex Hylomar gasket dressing (not rtv); on rubber gaskets (and injector o-rings) just use a little light grease to keep them from binding. On head gaskets and any graphite impregnated gaskets (sometimes lower/upper intake and exhaust) install them dry. On your headers, check the flange for straightness/true with a straight edge. If they're warped, getting them to reseal can be near impossible. While you're working on it, have a machine shop mill the flange to re-true it. It'll seal like a champ.
Most of all, take your time and have fun. Good luck.
