How do you go about determining if the lifter bores were machined properly other than taking it to a machine shop that has the capability/fixtures to install bushings? I know that one of the reasons the bores are bushed is to correct geometry. Some also say that wacky bore angles are also the cause of some of the solid cam issues and is really why I want to check this. This is an NOS R block if that matters.

As far as I know (and I'm not the brightest bulb in the pack)the only way to know for sure is to use a fixture, I have not known the smallblock's to have the issues that some of the bigblock's had.