I wouldn't think that cranking the rocker would be the equivilant of pumping up the lifter. A lifter is designed to adjust to whatever preload you put on it...as long as you haven't bottemed out the pushrod seat (about .060 travel). When I say bottemed out, I mean at this moment how you've got the rockers adjusted. If you ran it with them bottemed out, but you backed them off, it is HIGHLY unlikely you did any damage. You would have smacked a piston with the valve if that were the case. If the lifters seem "too hard" just shut the engine off, tighten down the rocker a couple of turns and wait about a minute. Can you wobble the rocker? If so, the lifter has leaked down and it is working just fine. Some lifters will leak down quicker than others...that's okay. It's when the engine is running and the oil is being pumped into them is when it really counts. It is possible that a lifter gets stuck, but it just isn't that common.

Give that a try and see what happens. Make sure when you do the test, you are not on any part of the lobe lift as that can seem like you've got a solid lifter because it can cause the oil to be pressed out from the force of the spring and you really are botteming out the seat. Again, this is all common stuff with a hydraulic lifter...I don't think you have anything to worry about.

...but what do they say about opinions?

tj