Assembling heads, am I missing something?

Heads are on the bench. OK, I believe on the RHS head I can install all of the followers except for #1 exhaust and #4 intakes. Then bolt on cam.

On the LHS, there is no diagram for cam position if I were to install it with the #5 intake and #8 exhaust followers removed. I think from the top, should be coming up on 5 exhaust opening.

The FSM suggests installing the cams, timing gear, etc.. then just says "install all of the followers." This is certainly possible - rotate engine, probably until the exhaust is coming up on that cylinder, and then install the followers for it, move on the next one.

What's your experience?

Assuming it was on the car, you rotate the engine over 180 so the lobes are raised to make it easier and use spring compressor to slip the rockers in easier

Yeah, it's no big deal to install the followers on the car so I've decided to do that. In the meantime, read 3-4 threads about followers cracking apart and failing on everyone else's build. Decided to follow the factory procedure exactly, and to pray some more.

I know this thread is a few days old now and you're probably already past this part, but I've done it both ways, I've installed the followers using the special tool per the shop manual and I've also done it by simply placing all the followers where they go then gently placing the cam on top and gradually and evenly tightening the cam tower bolts to spec, and actually I've done it via the latter method most of the time, and prefer that way. Using the special tool is a major PITA!

The freedom tool is actually really nice to use.

My heads are done, short block is done, just need to mate them up. I'm not doing anything now as I just crashed my mountain bike on my way home from work and put the bar end straight into my stomach about 1/2" from my belly button. Major damage. Probably looks worse than that guy's cam and caps in that other thread here... I hit hard enough to bend the coin that I use to cap the bar end under my rubber grip.

I use the tool when I need to, but simply placing the cam on all the followers at the same time is much easier IMO. But holy cow man, that sucks, how the heck did you wreck so bad?

Luck - my foot and pedal struck a shitty little stump someone left about 5" up from the ground on the trail, and that was it, was travelling head first into the ground. I actually must have just brought the bike with me as the bars rotated don't clear the saddle by much, bike hasn't got an enormous top tube. It's been a while since I've done real damage. At least I heal up fairly quickly.

With the stock cam placing it on the followers almost got it in the lower journal, with the much longer duration and lift of the comp cam I had a ways to go. It's no big deal to just bring the cylinder around and quickly compress the springs and retainers, carefully place the follower, move on. I'm hoping doing it the factory way helps me avoid misplacing them somehow, having them jumping out. No guarantees, obviously.