It's possible to use different design hydraulic lifters, but only if you're willing to do a LOT of custom machine work. Lifters used in Ford, MOPAR and AMC engines are all the same, and they're very reliable, but they're smaller diameter than stovebolt lifters by about 1/32". The lifter bores in a stovebolt block can be sleeved down to the smaller diameter, and the oil gallery can be redrilled. Custom pushrods with the proper ball end for the lifters would also have to be fabricated. It's a LOT simpler to learn the proper way to do a valve adjustment and run a solid lifter cam.
Jerry
