I have no doubt there is a connected passage there but it might not be big enough but you wouldn't think there'd be an error with that. I'd call Hughes & see what Dave has to say. EDIT You might clean up & toss in another lifter from your stash & preoil again just to see what you get for flow. wont hurt nothing, you ain't running it, just repeating the preoiling to see how a different lifter flows