[taff2]

I have lifter bore oil hole restrictors(solid flat tappet cam) so the volume of oil that reaches the mains should be increased. As you said Pdude,there's a lot of oil splashing about when the engine is revving, I was more concerned that the lobes had that little squirt of oil on them when I was breaking in the cam.

[mjfitzz]

I think Cliff is right about all the causes of this premature flat hydo cam lobe failure. To his list I agree: "All of the above", but here's a couple thoughts:

The Web has brought a lot more of us Pontiac enthusiasts together, and this new communication method has seen exponential growth over the last few years. My theory is that for the most part, flat cams are getting wiped nearly as often as before, except that we're all hearing about it now (and not embarassed to tell)!

What else has occurred that is new to this equation in the last few years? Here's another thought:

The supply of usable cores for traditional Pontiac engines has dwindled, forcing all of us to consider blocks that we never would have trusted a decade ago. We've gotta check lifter bores very carefully now! Measure them, or have 'em measured and checked for anything that could hang-up a tappet. The days of sleeving lifter bores are here.