Operation Torquey-Pig

There’s some high performing stock type lifters for around $17 each. The later model block has bosses cast into the valley to accept 3/8-1/3 inch of thread. It may be possible to get the valley spot faced and then have some weld nuts attached with some powder flow welding. I think a better option may be riv-nuts, but the iron is pretty thin in that part of the valley. AFAIK, putting bosses for the cam retainer plate in a conventional block is mostly uncharted territory. I’ll have to look later today in my stash to see what might be possible. I think drill through the top after marking with a retainer plate and drilling, spot face the cam tunnel side. Run a bolt through from the cam tunnel and put a Belleville washer and nut on top. Pre-heat and Ni-Rod or gas weld the Belleville washer in place. The washers would have to be spot faced to equal height. To install the rib nuts, you’d have to use a piece of high strength all thread inside of a piece of DOM carbon tube because the rib-nut tool won’t fit in the bottom. Also, the top of the lifter bosses are all going to have to be milled to the same height for the dog bone retainers. While possible, once you look at getting all this done by someone who knows what they’re doing with a knee mill big enough to clamp an engine block into and fo this it may not exactly be what one would call “practical”...