Aluminum block. Bush lifter bores or not?

New KB block. Priority oiling. Has lifter oil galleys. Jesel tie bar lifters with oil feed to axles. Going to machine shop next week. If lifter bores check good. Run the .060 lifter galley restrictors at rear of block and run in the aluminum bores. Or spend the 1k for bushings with .020 oil holes?

What is the intended use for the block?

Al 90% street. 572 hemi. Some local track street car events. nothing competitive. Cost is not the issue, Longevity is a concern between freshen up..

All the aluminum blocks I have owned and seen have the bushings. Myself I would spend the money and bush them. Especially if it will see the miles of some street duty.

Ask KB if they have any feedback. My guess is that you wouldn't need bushings since you have drilled oil galleries. So the lifters are going to be flooded with oil whenever the engine has oil pressure. I suppose it might depend on how big the valve springs are. If you run an Accusump the engine will have oil pressure during cranking so the lifters will always be operating on an oil film.

My guess is the lifters are going to be tight. So the real cost to bush is $1,000 minus his price to hone. That will make it easier for you to decide because the bush price is now reduced. With all that said I still wouldn't bush. But thats just me.

Andy I will be running an accusump for prelube and a little safety cushion. When I last talked to Tim Banning. At that time he said it is personal preference. If unbushed run a .060 restrictor at the rear of block in each lifter galley. He said if running bushings put a .023 to .025 oil hole in each bushing if lifters have pressurized oiling. Valve spring open pressure in the 650lb. range. It is a street engine so looking for best option for its intended use. I always appreciate the input on this site. Galen

Thanks Rick. I thought if I could get away without bushing them it gives me an option down the road if the bores wear out or I damage a lifter. Appreciate the response. Galen

Just for info, we got our KB block in 2009. We've ran it since then with no lifter oiling and no bushing. Always used solid roller cams and we have had no issues

Tig did you all use some sort of prelude (Peters/accusump )?

X2

no pre lube either.

Didn't for many years, fitted an accusump after the car developed a habit of wheelstanding. Though we always pre-lubed the engine with a drill if it had been standing for a couple of weeks or so.

Those aren't killer springs and you'll be pre-lubed so I'd just check the fit on the lifters and run them if the clearance is correct. I assume the car is kept in a garage so it won't develop rust or corrosion problems inside the engine.

IMO it is not a necessary thing since you are staying with a stock lifter diameter and mainly a street car with very mild spring load. FWIW I have run a LOT more spring pressure on a non bushed KB block with no issues. I always have an accumulator on my wet sump hoopties.

My KB street wedge aluminum block came with bushings
I would have them added by a good shop so I wouldn't have to worry about not having them.
I have one set of the older special Crane chrome solid roller lifters design to be run in aluminum blocks with no bushings.
I may end up running them in my new 572 C.I race motor with that block, maybe not

I was expecting the majority of the replies to say add the bushings... surprised to hear the bare aluminum bores hold up

Same here. Been running my KB block since 2006 w/ no lifter oiling and no problems at all. Street and strip w/ a solid roller cam.
No prelube either.

Appreciate all the response. I will run them on the aluminum bores with the .060 restrictors in the oil galleys. If need ever arises I can bush them hopefully a few years down the road. Money I can use in a different direction right now is a plus. Thanks everyone.