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Message: <blockquote data-quote="shovel" data-source="post: 1570990" data-attributes="member: 29855">You can't really tell a ton with the lifters except if one has all the way collapsed then you'll have lash on one or more rockers.   That means you look for the rockers that are on completely closed valves, jiggle them with your hand.  Rotate the crank to put other valves in the fully closed position and jiggle their rockers.   If they rock freely you have lash which could mean a couple things but a completely collapsed lifter is one of those things.  Hydraulic lifters don't really die that often,  it's more common for them to just get sticky or for the check valve to leak and both of those things are caused by someone who thinks engines don't need oil changes.  You'll never see that happen on an engine that's been serviced responsibly.    If you don't have any lash then you can pretty safely assume the lifters are fine.  To inspect or replace the timing chain you have to remove the water pump and timing cover, by the time you do that you might as well already have a new timing assembly to install.  If you ever had plans to install a performance camshaft this would also be the time to do that.    Honestly though a pushrod motor that uses a cam position sensor you'd have a really annoying misfire on steady cruise if your timing assembly was that sloppy so if it cruises smoothly you're probably in the clear.</blockquote>