So with the engine off, I should be able to collapse the lifters? I'm not sure that I can...When I pulled the lifters for #1, I could not push them down until I disassembled them. Without oil in them I could push the plunger down.

I think that when I work on it today, I will move the lifters from #1 to #3 to make sure my problem moves to #3. If it does then I will know without a doubt that the lifters are causing me grief.

If I can get the lifters to work correctly, then I would put them back in thier proper holes, otherwise I guess I'll have to get new lifters.

Thanks guys, I thought I was going crazy.

Michael