This is the first engine I've ever fully assembled by myself. Fired up and quietly inside I'm freaking out hearing those lifters ticking... I've been told to run at 2k for 20 minutes check for leaks then take it for a drive and load the engine from 30-65 ten times to help seat the rings. Any other suggestions? How long should new lifters take to stop being noisy? They are quieter than initial startup, but hearing anything out of the "ordinary" makes my stomach cringe. Help out my mind at ease
Just drive it. Modern rings seat quickly and with EFI the oil doesn't get washed down as quickly.
Change the oil after a spin around the block. Drive it some more. Change the oil for the last time. Drive it.
The running at 2k for 20 minutes is an old-school thing. Older engines with cam-in-block and flat tappet lifters get almost all of their oiling from crank splash. During the critical break-in time, idling an engine like that doesn't adequately lube the cam. The 2k for 20 minutes was to make sure the cam and flat lifters had time to wear together properly. You can skip that recommendation entirely.
Plenty of race engines begin their lives at 8000 rpm at WOT on a dyno. Most of my builds I drive normally, but I do a few WOT runs too. No need to baby it.
Is this a toyota engine? (guessing from the MR2-ish looking avatar). Lifters should pump up pretty soon. Like 5 minutes or less. Do they have lash caps or shims? Hydraulic or solid? Possibly just adjusted improperly?
Its a SOHC Mazda F2T with Hydraulic Lifters.
Burnout, stage, and spray it down! 
I start it, idle it, let it get to operating temp, shut it down. Check for leaks, let it cool ALL the way back down.
Start it again, drive it around, low load running up and down RPMs for about 15-20 minutes. Park it. Let it cool all the way back down.
Start it, drive it, beat the piss out of it. Change oil.
Roll hard.
Let it run awhile. All bearings are pressure lubricated. Lifter should pump up shortly after the oil pressure comes up. If not, shut it down and check why. After everything is up to temps, as everyone said, check the fluid levels etc. If everything is good, take it for a drive, 10 miles at the least.
Have fun.
On modern stuff with hydraulic lifters I just drive it.
I've read a pretty interesting theory about pretty much driving the piss out of it as soon as you fire it up. Had some pretty compelling info about how the rings seat quickly on modern stuff and it's important to have them see high cylinder pressures at varying rpm, not a single sustained rpm with no load.
It will probably be fine whatever you do, I always run conventional during break in. Was told a long time ago synthetic wear protectors are so good they can hinder wear needed for break in. Have no idea if it's true but better safe than sorry and it let's me be cheap on oil that won't stay in for long.
Have no idea about your lifters, most of my experience is on sbcs, hemis, LSs, and a few sbf, all hydraulic lifters. I soak them in oil before install and I've never had any ticking for an extended period of time, except on the LT1, when my valve lash was all messed up.
On my F2 i pumped each lifter submerged in oil for a couple minutes. Then filled the holes in the rocker assembly where the lifters go with oil.
Plopped them in.
Ran it the next day. Dead quiet.
Yeah, the F2T is non adjustable... maybe new HLAs?
But good on ya... I love those F2Ts. Simple, torquey, reliable.
Well... he has a big cam too. Big-ish.
Some people shim their HLAs for a cam on the f2. I don't.
It was just rebuilt, pressure tested and a 3 angle valve job with new lifters.
In reply to Swank Force One:
Well there is probably my issue as this head has sat in a box assembled in my garage for a few months...lol
I'll go over it and putt around the neighborhood... hopefully it'll quiet down under load.
I'd just take em out and prime em. Takes 30 minutes start to finish.
And you can check for wear/dead ones while you're at it.
These things take a major beating in these motors. Some of mine were really flat and hammered.
i'll check that out Ben.
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