First post here and have a question about this old ford V8.  It's a reverse rotation 221 Ford Eaton Interceptor in a Chris Craft that I rebuilt several years ago and it hasn't run right since!  Well, actually, it has been parked for almost the whole time due to in-laws health issues (it's their boat) and I just hauled it home to figure out what's wrong.  

Basically, it runs like it has a real bad vacuum leak: won't idle for squat, stalls when you try to accelerate, and the vacuum reading is down at like 8.  I finally found a reprint of the owners manual and it says this engine came with either mechanical OR hydraulic lifters.  I know I put hydraulic lifters in it when I rebuilt it (and stupid me/Bellow Seal Valves, didn't verify what was in the thing) but according to the engine ID number I now know it should have had mechanical lifters.  Would the wrong lifters have a big effect like I am experiencing?  

Background: Engine rebuilt because a couple piston got burned due to (I suspect) being run on old gas.  Replaced several pistons, rings, rod and main bearings, timing chain and gears,and had the heads reworked.

Yes you can run hydraulic lifters on a solid lifter cam if you adjust the clearance to the specs for the solid style lifter. It takes a little bit of feel so you don't depress the plunger in the lifter. I would suggest you backoff all the rocker arms so there is some clearance, run the engine for about a minute to allow the oil pressure to pump the lifter internals to full extension. Adjust the clearance with the engine not running by turning the engine over in the direction of running rotation either with a bar and socket on the crank or kicking the starter momentarily. Adjust the intakes as its companion exhaust just starts to open and do the exhaust as the intake closes.

If the boat engines were like the other fords the 221 oil valley to feed the lifters often is restricted because its drilled from both ends and its off center.  no big deal on solid lifters because more than enough oil gets through.  Also up in the valve train where the oil comes out put a plug in there an drill a hole in the plug starting at .080 that will put pressure back into the low end where you need it and stop the over oiling in the heads.

The early fords just didn't convert directly from solid to hydraulic in a drop in fashion you really need to tweak the engines oil flow.

Its my guess without actually seeing the problem first hand that you don't have enough pressure in the lifters to set the valve train properly limiting your lift.

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