"i just cant bring myself to buy a stock type mp aluminum head"

I haven't personally had access to the Chrysler parts system since '13, and can no longer physically check it out myself,
but if I can believe what folks have said offhand it seems MP killed those part numbers off anyway, and that's probably no longer an option (unless you find
someone who already has them). So, one less thing to worry about I guess.


"Is it possible to have these push rod channels opened up a bit for more clearance?
Thoughts on clearancing prior to assembly?"

Sure, most anything is possible (Whether it is practical or not is yet to be determined).
It's a thin brass tube pressed in. You can potentially press or cut the tube out, machine the hole bigger, hope you don't get into water and so on, and
press something else larger in. You can CNC the holes into an oval shape, and then custom make 8 special oval shaped tubes to press in.
There are many possibilities. Just nothing that I would do.

The engine was not fully assembled in the pictures shown, it was one of many mockups. Multiple mockups and corrections were done.

With the Victor Jr, one thing a person is not going to do successfully is stick a carbide bit in there and cut away at the casting to create some more clearance.
Again, It's a brass tube.

Instead of the above, alternately, an exhaust rocker other than Indy also seems to take care of it.