i tore down my 4.0L because of a slapping in the motor. thought it was a bent valve or pushrod but am now think maybe its a bad lifter...only problem is im not sure how to tell if a lifter is bad

 

Look for a lifter(or a few) that has excessive valve lash or any slop in the valve train. Your looking for lifters that aren't "pumped up". If your sure its a lifter, just go get a new set of a lifters with a new cam. Never mix old with new

 

ok well what happened was i sucked water in the motor in the creek and when we flushed it out and got it running it started a ticking...thought it was a bent valve but they look fine thinking now that maybe the water put enough pressure on it to collapse a lifter and make slack in the pushrod

 

You can use new lifters on an old cam as long as you follow NEW cam break in procedures, but meanwhile dont mix up the lifters they have to go back to the lobe they came off of, In case you didnt know

 

ya im not gonna put in a new cam...everythings in order so it goes back in the same place and i think it will be fine cause the old lifters arent worn bad at all and the cam looks great