Jeff: The procedure to remove the valve springs on an assembled engine is to bring the piston up to TDC, then pressurize the cylinder. You'll need compressed air and an adapter for the sparkplug holes. This will hold the valves closed while you compress the spring and remove the retainers and springs. Install the bounce springs and retainers, then release the pressure.
About the lifters, you know there's a gross valve lift on the cam card. So don't worry about bleed-down. Instead, measure head-to-retainer distance with the valve closed, then turn the crank and check piston-to-valve clearance. Using the degree wheel and knowing where max valve lift occurs, measure head-to-retainer distance and check it against what you measured when the valve was closed. If it's less than the published maximum valve opening, that's the result of bleed down. Factor it in when checking piston-to-valve clearance. Nothing to it.
Reverse the procedure to install the springs, assuming you don't have to pull the heads and pistons to have the valve reliefs cut. Sure beats assembling your engine just to find out the valves and pistons colide.
Good luck.