if you are looking at the top end ( the end away from the camshaft ) of a
vanagon hydraulic lifter......
I believe you will see the edge of a small wire clip or bail that holds the
top port of the lifter in the lifter body.
And I don't think a solid lifter has anything like that. being mainly a
single lump of metal with hardened surfaces and ends.

Since making sure the pushrods are properly seated in the middle of the
lifter when you are putting pushrods back in ( like after a head gasket
job ) ........this is a very important step ........is to look down the push
rod tube with a tiny flashlight to eyeball if the push rod is centered right
in the middle of the lifter.  You might even be able to see that it's a
hydraulic lifter with the pushrod  in place.
But I wouldn't remove a lifter ...........sometimes they won't come out all
the way ........
and the push rod tubes interfere anyway I think.
Scott
www.turbovans.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike S" <mikes@FLATSURFACE.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, March 23, 2009 4:42 PM
Subject: Re: Lifter adjustment... How can I tell if they are really
hydraulics?

> At 07:10 PM 3/23/2009, David Beierl wrote...
>>If you take off the rocker and remove the pushrod, you can fish out
>>the lifter with a magnetic pickup tool.
>
> Can this be done without removing the push rod tubes? Even then, is
> there any chance of getting them back in without removing the tubes?