Did you also do the lifter modification, where a small groove is cut into the pushrod seat to relieve trapped air in lifters that don't have a hole in the center of the seat? OEM lifters had a tiny vent hole in the middle of the pushrod seat. Since you have a lathe, another approach might be to chuck the pushrod seat into an adapter of some type, and use a very small solid carbide drill bit to make a vent hole in the center of the seat.
Edit:- - - - -It sounds like a solid lifter cam might be somewhere in your future! Adjusting valves a couple of times a year really isn't that much of a hassle, and when they're adjusted properly, solids are virtually silent.
Jerry
