What are lifters on a 1996 6 cylinder Ford Taurus?

Answer 1

Lifters are small cylindrical metal mechanisms that ride on top of the camshaft and move up and down as the eccentrics on the camshaft go around and around. As the lifter rides up and down on the camshaft eccentric, it moves a pushrod up and down. The pushrod, in turn, moves one end of a rocker arm up an down. The rocker arm is pivoted in the middle, so it ends up moving like a child's teeter-totter. On the other end of the rocker arm from the pushrod is a valve that gets opened when the rocker arm pushes it down. So the lifter actually opens a closes the valves by means of these connected pieces.