If you're having that much trouble turning it over, especially with the plugs out, it's not the compression thats making it tight. Using a rope seal for the rear main seal can cause this, having the bolt that holds the oil pump in place over tightened can cause it, bent crankshaft, improper bearing and piston toerances...
If it turns over with a breaker bar with about 50Ft/lbs or less, you should be fine.
As for setting the lash on solid lifters, did you have the tips of the rockers surfaced? If not, and you use a wide feeler gage, you're not going to be taking into account the divit on the tip of the rocker, and you will actually be running too loose. In my opinion, this is a major reason why people complain about solid lifters being too noisy. It's been my experience that surfacing the tips can reduce noise by around 80%...
Small block and 235/261 crank snouts are the same diameter. Having the end of the crank drilled and tapped is a good idea, so you don't have to hammer the damper back on. Its especially helpful when doing it "in car".
take a piece of steel, drill two holes to match the damper holes, weld a nut to the center, and use your breaker bar and proper socket...
