Hi guys. I've torn apart the top end of my engine as a result of a blown head gasket. Thread here. The head is off and cams out, and I took out the rockers and lifters today. I've never been this far into an engine before, so this may explain my question.

Some of the lifters compress fully, some partially, and some not at all. I googled this and found they're supposed to be compressable. And I found they're supposed to not be compressable. Or it depends. The car hasn't run in months, so if they're supposed to drain they would have by now. And I've never owned it when it ran well. I've only heard it run like it had a blown head gasket, so I can't say if it was loud or quiet or anything else.

So...is this normal or do I need to take out a home equity loan and buy a new set of lifters?

 

The lifters on my '07MCS have internal springs. It takes some force, but they will compress. Try soaking them in a solvent to clean them out, then another soaking in motor oil (standing up) to let them fill up again.