The other day I realized that Mopar was designing and building hydraulic lifter 8 cylinder engines all through the 50's, and then the slant 6 was designed and built.

Any idea why they chose to design them as mechanical lifter engines? My guess would be for cost reasons, and yet I can not imagine how much more each hydraulic lifter engine would actually cost if it was designed as such from the beginning.

What are your thoughts?

Yes, it was cost. But not primarily from the lifter itself, but by the need for an additional oil gallery and drill station. I think it was the cheapest engine Chrysler felt the public would accept after keeping the flathead 6 in production far too long. Hydraulic lifters have been around since at least the 1930s. A friend rebuilt a Packard V12 that has roller cam followers and hydraulic lash adjusters.

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Joshua