i can get them up about half an inch but then they wont budge. i know the should pull right out so whats my problem?

 

use pliars or a magnet, a strong magnet. they dont always slide right out

 

Sometimes they get mushroomed out at the bottom and won't come out easily. Use pliers if necessary.

 

yeah i got them out, they were definetly mushroom. i found a lifter slide hammer in my tool box. must have been my dads or something cuz i never knew i had it.

 

Sometimes they won't come out through the lifter valley, and you have to pull the cam and force them through into the crankcase.

 

When I tore apart of my 79 351w i had to "push" them out through the case. I tried the plier trick but ended up resorting to a hammer and a center punch. Good thing I wasn't going to reuse them though.

 

Usually built-up oil lacquer makes them stick in the bores. If they were truly mushroomed, you'll have damaged the lifter bores by forcing them out the top. In such cases, you should invert the engine, remove the cam, and push the lifters out the bottom.

 

I had that happen on a BB Chevy once, problem is with a chevy, they wont come out the bottom....

With work and brute force they did come out...

 

JMD, sometimes those are my favorite tools to use.

 

so i got most the lifters out, a few are stuck in there. i was able to pull the cam out because the few that are stuck are lifted high enough. should i punch them out from the top? and then hope they fall into the pan?

btw i havent pulled the engine yet its still in the car