Cost of lifter replacement

That is a ridiculously high price to replace lifters on a 4 or 6 cylinder engine. On the Mitsubishi 4 cylinder motor, the only thing that is needed to do is remove the valve cover and remove the rocker rod. (2 rods which hold the rocker assembly.) Next is remove the lifters from the bottoms of the rockers and pop in the new ones. Be sure to soak the new lifters in oil for 24-48hrs prior to install so they are pre-filled before install. Replace the rocker assembly and torque down to specs. replace valve cover and then start the vehicle. Check that there is no loud tapping noise and do not race the engine until the lifters have pumped up with engine oil. You should replace oil and filter for this engine work as well.

I take it you have determined which lifter it is? The task is relatively easy if the lifter in question is not heavily worn by the camshaft. Remove the centre manifold and various pipes etc. You will have to drain the coolant system.
Remove the centre or valley gasket/shield to expose the lifters and push rods. Re determine which lifter it is and turn the engine until that valve is closed, releasing most of the load on that push rod. Remove that rocker cover and loosen the nut/bolt in the centre of the rocker arm until you can release the push rod. Now here is where it gets tricky because as a matter of design the lifter rotates during operation to even the wear on the face of the lifter and cam. You can get a tool from a parts house or online that has 2 small jaws that you expand into the face of the lifter under the top groove and you can pull the offending lifter out. Its quite possible that after high mileage there is a burr on the lower end of the lifter face and you should not apply more than moderate force to extract the lifter. If you do you risk pulling the burr through the block bore and effectively reaming it oversize, this is not good and could affect the fit of the replacement.
I regret to say that if its tight to extract, the only solution is a block strip in which case get a kit of camshaft and lifters and replace all parts. If the lifter has failed due to sludge, which is a common problem on v8's, then its likely they could all soon be in trouble. It is possible on some lifter designs to disassemble the lifter, clean all the parts and replace it in the block but you have to weigh up the time taken to do the job plus parts as to whether its better to take the whole engine out for rebuild. If mileage is high, lots of short runs, cool conditions leading to low oil temp and sludge then consider a rebuild before bothering with one lifter.
Good luck.

Typically one does not replace all the lifters except during major engine overhaul and when Camshaft and Camshaft bearing is being replaced as well. It is much more common that noisy valve train is misdiagnosed and is really a sign of other problems. Noisy valves and upper end can be a sign of lowered oil pressure. As engines age and main bearing wears, oil pressure will naturally decline with time. However if excessive wear occurs, or if dirt / foreign object has clogged vital oil gallery supply, wear can accumulate much more rapidly.
In short...less oil pressure means more wear...more wear means less oil pressure...
I would first get an idea of the overall condition of the engine. A dirty engine/lifters can first be treated by draining one quart of oil and replace with a quart of transmission fluid and run it for a day or two. The detergents can loosen and clean oil gallerys and lifters. Then drain, change filter, and fill with 10W-40 (4.5 quarts). Otherwise main bearing/oil pump renew or engine overhaul might be in order.

You would need to check with a local shop for both parts and labor costs.
A car is always easier to sell if it is in good running condition. Otherwise the buyer is suspect of other problems.

Probably a combination of parts. Lifters and or rocker arms. Could be dirty lifters also. If your ready to change oil, what I do is get the engine to operating temperature. Pour a half quart of transmission fluid in and let it run 15 to 20 minutes. It's high detergent and helps clean out the lifters. If the lifters are tapping from dirt, this will stop the tapping or at least quiet it down some.

If it needs lifters and valves, I would suspect the rest of the engine is in the same shape. My guess is you would be looking at a couple thousand dollars to rebuild the engine.

Hydraulic Lifters REMOVAL & INSTALLATION 4.8L Engines

1. Remove the rocker cover.
2. Remove the engine side cover.
3. Back off the rocker arm adjusting nuts and remove the pushrods. Keep them in order for installation.
4. Reaching through the side cover opening, lift out the hydraulic lifters. If your are going to re-use the lifters, remove them one at a time and mark each one for installation. They must be re-installed in the same locations. If a lifter is stuck, it can be removed with a grasping-type lifter tool, available form most auto parts stores.
   
5. Inspect each lifter thoroughly. If any of them shows any signs of wear, heat bluing or damage, replace the whole set. To install:
   
6. Install and coat each lifter with engine oil supplement.
7. Install the remaining components by reversing the removal procedure.
8. Once installation is complete, adjust the valves as described in the valve lash procedure. Fig. 1: Stuck lifters must be freed using a slide hammer type lifter removal tool
   

4.3L, 5.0L, 5.7L And 7.4L Engines

1. Remove the cylinder head cover.
2. Remove the intake manifold.
3. Back off the rocker arm adjusting nuts and remove the pushrods. Keep them in order for installation.
4. Remove the lifter retainer bolts, retainer and restrictor.
5. Remove the lifters. If your are going to re-use the lifters, remove them one at a time and mark each one for installation. They must be re-installed in the same locations. If a lifter is stuck, it can be removed with a grasping-type lifter tool, available from most auto parts stores.
6. Inspect each lifter thoroughly. If any of them shows any signs of wear, heat bluing or damage, replace the whole set.
7. Coat each lifter with engine oil supplement prior to installation. Tighten the retainer bolts to 12 ft. lbs. (16 Nm). Adjust the valves as described in the valve lash procedure.

6.2L And 6.5L Diesel Engines Fig. 2: Diesel engine valve lifter

1. Remove the cylinder head cover.
2. Remove the rocker arm shaft, rocker arms and pushrods. Keep all parts in order and properly identified for installation.
3. Remove the clamps and lifter guide plates.
4. Remove the lifters by reaching through the access holes in the cylinder head with a magnetic lifter tool. If you are going to re-use the lifters, remove them one at a time and mark each one for installation. They must be re-installed in the same locations. If a lifter is stuck, it can be removed with a grasping-type lifter tool, available form most auto parts stores. To install:
   
5. Inspect each lifter thoroughly. If any of them shows any signs of wear, heat bluing or damage, replace the whole set. NOTE: Some engines will have both standard and 0.010 in. (.0039mm) oversize lifters. The oversized lifters will have "10'' etched into the side. The block will be stamped "OS'' on the cast pad next to the lifter bore. and on the top rail of the crankcase above the lifter bore. WARNING
   New lifters must be primed before installation. Damage to the lifters and engine will result if new lifters are installed dry!
   
6. Prime new lifters by immersing them in clean kerosene, engine oil or diesel fuel and working the lifter plunger while the unit is submerged.
7. Prior to installation, coat the lifter roller with engine oil supplement. Re-used lifters must be installed in their original positions!
8. Install the lifters.
9. Install the guide plates and clamps. Tighten the clamp bolts to 18 ft. lbs. (26 Nm).
10. After all the clamps are installed, turn the crankshaft by hand, 2 full turns (720°) to ensure free movement of the lifters in the guide plates. If the crankshaft won't turn, one or more lifters may be jamming in the guide plates.
11. The remainder of assembly the reverse of disassembly.

Please don't forget to rate!!!!

2.2L Engine When installing new lifters, a pre-lube should always be applied to the lifter body. It is also a good idea to prime hydraulic lifters by submerging them in clean engine oil and depressing the plunger using an old pushrod. This allows the internal components of the hydraulic lifter to coat with oil before initial operation in the engine. All lifters should be replaced when a new camshaft is installed.
If any valve train components (lifters, pushrods, rocker arms) are to be reused, they must be tagged or arranged during removal to assure installation in their original locations.

1. Remove the rocker arm cover.
   
2. Remove the cylinder head assembly from the engine.
   
3. Remove the bolts retaining the lifter anti-rotation brackets, then remove the brackets.
   
4. Remove the hydraulic roller lifters from the bores.
   
5. Inspect the lifter and lifter bore for wear and scuffing. Examine the roller for freedom of movement and/or flat spots on the roller surface.
   

Remove the bolts retaining the lifter anti-rotation brackets ...



... then remove the anti-rotation brackets



The lifters are located in bores in the engine block



Use a lifter removal tool to remove the lifters from the bore

To install:
If installing a new lifter, coat the lifter body with a suitable camshaft pre-lube

1. Install each hydraulic lifter to its bore being careful to align the flat sides (top) of the lifters with the flat sides of the anti-rotation brackets. When properly installed the flat sides of each lifter are aligned parallel to the anti-rotation bracket. The roller at the bottom of the lifter is parallel to the camshaft lobe.
   

Make sure to properly align and install each lifter as improper installation of the lifters or brackets could result in engine damage.

1. Install the anti-rotation bracket retaining bolts and tighten to 97 inch lbs. (11 Nm).
   
2. Install the cylinder head.
   
3. Install the rocker arm cover.
   

Removing the hydraulic roller lifter from the 2.2L engine

Yes you will need the following:

Cam
Lifters
Assembly lube
Water pump gasket
Intake gasket
Timing cover gasket

Lifter removal tool
Puller for harmonic balancer
Cam installation tool/removal tool


I also would recommend replacing the timing chain and timing gears since you are going to have to take the timing chain off anyhow.

You will also need the associated tools to do the job, plenty off rachets, box wrenches and such.

If you are doing mechanical lifters you will also a feeler gauge to measure the valve clearance and make adjustments.

I cant think of anything else off the top of my head.

If you are doing a cam with more lift then I would recommend replacing your valve springs as well, it is easy and it will assure you do not incur valve float. You will have to take the rockers off when you install the new lifters because you have to remove the pushrods. I also recommend you replace the pushrods while you are at it, they are cheap. You will need a valve spring compressor and new valve springs and locks, they are pretty cheap.

Yes, you've overtightened the lifters causing the valves to not close completely. If you did not prime the new lifters before you installed them and tightened them with the engine off they are most likely collapsed. back off all of the rockers to just snug and make sure the engine is running when you readjust them. Usually you need to let new lifters sit in a can of oil for a while to fill up. I've used a syringe to fill lifters prior to installation. Did you replace the push-rods also? If so were they the same length as the originals?