How do hydraulic flat tappet lifters fail?

RustyRatRod said
It's terrible practice and has not been recommended in YEARS.

This seems to be the consensus, and I had read about this prior to installation, but I decided to follow the manufacturer's instructions. I won't be soaking them from now on.

RustyRatRod said
Righty, @dartfreak75 asked you a question on page 2. Did you measure retainer to guide clearance? Did you cut the guides for clearance? His cam has almost the exact same lift as yours and he had guide to retainer clearance issues and had to cut the guides down. If you don't answer questions, we just go deeper down the abyss.

I answered in my reply:

Righty Tighty said
The machine shop did have to cut the guides down. By how much I don't remember.

I dug up the specs I got from the machine shop, the seal to retainer clearance is .590. I don't know how much he had to cut to get that. He checked the lifter bores and guides, and actually corrected my first choice of springs.

I'm really not trying to be difficult Rusty, there's a lot I'm trying to learn and understand here. If I miss a question, it's certainly not deliberate.

This engine did fail before, but I attribute that to being run with no coolant in August in Arizona, on the interstate. The bearings melted and the oilers clogged, then it was allll downhill from there. Looking back on the break in after the rebuild, the engine didn't start with the first (or second or fourth) turn of the key. It's being suggested that excessive cranking prior to the initial startup could ruin a cam?