The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Hole in Lifter

you have been told why, someone replaced that lifter at some point. They didn't put one odd lifter in from the factory. There is no real mystery or magic here. It isn't there for any special oiling or anything. The cam gets its oiling mostly from the oil flinging from the crankshaft. The reason the other engine has the same lifter is that engine had a lifter replaced as well, it happened a lot as many if not most of these trucks ended up on the farm, and if you have ever worked on a farm, you know the rest. The real concern would be getting them back in the same hole they came out of, but since you don't know, that ain't gonna happen. You have 4 options, just put them in and hope they work, get the lifters refaced, buy new lifters, or get a new cam and lifters. Personally I would get the lifters refaced, and the cam reground assuming of course there was enough there to regrind. But since no one makes new small journal blanks for these engines, (at least as far as I know, and I have gotten all the way to the only two foundries in the country producing them) That is all you can get is regrinds. If you are waiting for someone to tell you why there is one lifter with the hole before you put it back together, you are going to have to find the person that did it. Because there is no other reason.