Jim, you should always soak the lifters in oil for several hours before
installing them.  Also you can prime them (pump them up) before putting
them in by submerging them in oil and then using a push rod to
vigorously pump on them until they pump up.  I am sure your bad running
is due to lifters not being pumped up or adjusted properly.  When you
adjust your lifters and they are soft you have to be careful that you
aren't adjusting the screws in too far.  You should be able to feel
where a spongy lifter starts to compress.  I would set your valve
adjustment to zero lash at that point and then let them pump up.  It can
take as long as 30 minutes before lifters get completely pumped up so
just turning the van on and expecting them to pump up in a few seconds
is not realistic.

Hope this helps,
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com

Jim Felder wrote:
> I put the new lifter in dry when I did the heads on my 2.1. It really runs
> crappy now... almost like there is an intake leak.
> And there is an intake leak. Where does the long plastic hose go that comes
> in from the right-most hole in the metal "firewall?" I took digital
> pictures, but can't figure out where this thing goes from looking at them.
> Whatever it is supposed to plug is obviously open. It's not the other pipe
> that goes to the throttle body, that's fastened.
>
> Maybe I did the valves wrong when I put the new lifters in. Maybe it will
> run better when the lifters pump up. Any opinions?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Jim
>
>
>