Lifter gallery

The non-gallery lifter bores inadvertently helped me ~1994. My 1969 slant had a bad cylinder (no compression). To keep driving until I got a rebuilt engine, I had the bright idea to just remove its lifters and pushrods to deactivate it and not waste gas. Bragged of my cleverness to a tech at work who was a GM rodder. He told me I would lose oil pressure doing that. Actually, not since there are no oil feed holes to a slant bore, even 1985 ones, but didn't know that then. I put the lifters back, lowered the adjusters so the valves stayed shut and rigged weak springs to keep things from rattling. Worked fine, but unnecessary. Got a rebuilt engine a few months later. I lived in the Mojave Desert then, so couldn't just run out and get an engine. Had to wait for the next trip to L.A.