breezer, your point about the cap for the lifter is well taken. Many years ago, I made up a lifter replacement bar of steel for every motor I was likely to work on. I made them the diameter of the different lifter bores for each engine and about 6" long, so it would stick up far enough above the deck that I could get the dial indicator stem on it easily.

cityman, think about how much you're going to have to pay somebody to do this at current shop rates and you might be persuaded to learn to do it yourself.