Can I weld up a spare hydraulic lifter to check my geometry with rather than go out and buy a solid lifter? It would save me time and money. I'm going to use calipers to see how tall the lifters are in comparison anyway, but I thought it wouldn't be a big deal. Engine is a LA 360

Thoughts?

Chances are the solid would not be the same height as the hydraulic lifter.

No need to weld. Just pull the cup and remove the spring from the botton and stack some washers or something comparable and solid and replace the cup. The cup should sit just below the snap ring groove. I keep a pair of old modified hydraulics around to check piston to valve clearance, coil bind and to determine the proper length for ordering pushrods.

The cup sits deeper in the body of a solid lifter and requires a longer pushrod.

What 5speed said. I measure preload then stack washers to locate the cup that same distance below the snap ring. I'm not sure if it needs to be that picky but that's how I do it