I am a HotRod subscriber of many years and remembered an article that very much pertains to this subject. The article is about a year or so old and it mentions the woes of domestic flat tappet manufacturers about four years ago.
It seems that you may have cheaper off shore lifters because the US manufacturers cater to the OEM's, naturally, and the OEM's no longer use flat tappet engines. Read the article and you will understand better than I can explain it.
http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/engine/flat_tappet_cam_tech/index.htmlBottom line, you need to go through your block. It is easier to do it now. Ensure that parts are not galled. Get good quality lifters!!! Get a lifter bore burnisher from Hughes, PN 8319, or Comp Cams lifter bore grooving tool, PN 5007. You want to ensure that your lifters are rotating properly or they can kill your new cam with a quickness.
I have an old(new in box) set of lifters my father gave me for a future 340 build, I may junk them because they are about four years old. They are Fed Mog, but they are the supplier not the mfg. No telling if they are Chinese or what. 16 new Comp Cams lifters are less than a 100 spot, thats worth the peace of mind.
