This is a great quesation. As one who as had problems with hydraulics my next engine is going to have solids. There is a tech tip for noisy hydraulics at Inliners that is credited to me even though it was Tom Langdon's idea, he gave me credit because I'm the one who tried it. The fix worked for the most part but there are still times I get off the highway after towing steep hills in Vt. and I think I hear lifters clacking. I spent too much time replacing colapsed lifters, listening with hoses, dropping the oil pan to look for suction side pump leaks and sealing conections, and grinding flats on the offensive lifter. Yes, I would prefer to use hydraulics, but just wonder if the trouble is worth it.
Yes, you do need to put in a solid cam to use solid lifters. The ramp of a hydraulic cam is steeper than that of a solid, and though some people used solid lifters with hydraulic cam for racing it will shorten the life of your cam and valve train(so I'm told).
