who is running MRL (BAM) Lifters without lifter bore sleeves

I've just kinda been watching here.

I've run one set of small block BAM lifters, the pin oiling ones, with no lifter bore sleeves. When I first primed the engine I had the intake manifold and rocker covers off to watch the top of the engine oil. I was stunned to see the amount of oil running over the camshaft. It didn't matter where the liter was located in the bore, oil was gushing, completely covering the cam.

But it wasn't coming from around the lifter body, it was coming from the bottom of the lifter, the pin oiling system. Nobody needs that much oil on the cam and running down on the crankshaft.

So I removed the aluminum heads, pulled the lifters and swedged a tube into the lifter body, not the lifter bore, to close off the pin oiling. Ah, much better.

And, when fired, the engine always had good oil pressure. I doubt it would have with that much oil release before, but I don't know for sure, because I didn't fire it before modifying the lifters.

The engine has run that way for years.