Why to use hardened pushrods....

Nixon1 · 01-07-2004, 07:39 PM

I didn't know my Edelbrock heads had hardened valveguides. Neither did my mechanic, who will take no blame for any of this even though I trusted him to know what he was doing. Whatever. So yeah, the valve guides sawed through the pushrods. Every single pushrod has heavy wear marks...they were all on the verge of breaking. This one finally did. On the bottom is a piece of the valve guide that finally broke.

andy669 · 01-07-2004, 09:09 PM

I think you mean guide plates. The valve guides are what the stem of the valve ride in.

So yeah, you are supposed to use hardened pushrods when using guideplates. Anybody who claims to be a mechanic should know this. Its engine building 101.

Andy

Jeff Chambers · 01-07-2004, 09:12 PM

Those aren't valve guides, those are pushrod guide plates. At any rate, anytime you have a pushrod guide plate, it requires the use of a hardened pushrod to avoid what exactly happened to you. Any mechanic worth his weight in salt would have known that when he installed the heads. Chalk it up as an expensive lesson learned and have a reputable engine building shop do the repair work. If those were the stock pushrods, they probably weren't the correct length anyways.

PWR_RYD93 · 01-08-2004, 09:50 AM

There are three situations where you would not need hardened push rods:

(1) when using stock 5.0L style bolt down (pedestal mount) rockers

(2) when using the old Ford style rail rockers (a small part of the rocker hangs down on both sides of the valve tip to keep the rocker aligned with the valve tip)

(3) when using shaft mounted rockers (i.e. Jessel system)

Otherwise, when using stud mounted rockers it is alway necessary to use push rod guide plates and hardened push rods. Like the other's said.... engine building 101

Nixon1 · 01-08-2004, 01:33 PM

Yeah, my fault about saying 'valve guides'. I was working on the damn thing all day and very tired by the time I posted all these messages....

And yeah, supposedly this guy is the 'Mustang expert', everybody recommended him. But he won't take any responsibility for this one, so he just lost my business.

BLACK85GT · 01-09-2004, 08:06 AM

Take any mustang parts magazine to him and show him in the pushrod section where it states " Hardened Pushrods must be used with guide plates". Its all over the place. You dont even have to be a "mechanic". Are you shure he is not a former Chevy mechanic? lol, but even they would know about this one...

I would get money back from him. He messed up.

Dark_5.0 · 01-10-2004, 11:35 AM

NO PHUCK"N WAY

Dont feel bad I nearly did the same thing.

01-07-2004, 09:09 PM	#2
andy669 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Moline Il Posts: 901	I think you mean guide plates. The valve guides are what the stem of the valve ride in. So yeah, you are supposed to use hardened pushrods when using guideplates. Anybody who claims to be a mechanic should know this. Its engine building 101. Andy __________________ 88 coupe 91 LX NMRA Pure Street 5120

01-07-2004, 09:12 PM	#3
Jeff Chambers Moderator Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Milan, OH Posts: 2,699	Those aren't valve guides, those are pushrod guide plates. At any rate, anytime you have a pushrod guide plate, it requires the use of a hardened pushrod to avoid what exactly happened to you. Any mechanic worth his weight in salt would have known that when he installed the heads. Chalk it up as an expensive lesson learned and have a reputable engine building shop do the repair work. If those were the stock pushrods, they probably weren't the correct length anyways. __________________ Jeff Chambers 1990 Mustang GT 10.032 Seconds / 137.5 MPH 14-time Street Warrior World Record Setter CRT Performance 2001 Tropic Green Mustang GT - 12.181 / 113.2 MPH 2002 Ford F-250 Crew Cab 7.3l Power Stroke - 17.41@77.2 "There's nothing boring about a small block automatic shifting gears at 9400 rpm!"

01-08-2004, 09:50 AM	#4
PWR_RYD93 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 1998 Location: IL Posts: 1,155	There are three situations where you would not need hardened push rods: (1) when using stock 5.0L style bolt down (pedestal mount) rockers (2) when using the old Ford style rail rockers (a small part of the rocker hangs down on both sides of the valve tip to keep the rocker aligned with the valve tip) (3) when using shaft mounted rockers (i.e. Jessel system) Otherwise, when using stud mounted rockers it is alway necessary to use push rod guide plates and hardened push rods. Like the other's said.... engine building 101 __________________ Craig Supercharged 93 GT "I drive way too fast to worry about cholesterol!" Then I went to the doctor.... whoa 312! Hello Lipitor

01-08-2004, 01:33 PM	#5
Nixon1 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Palm Bay, FL Posts: 432	Yeah, my fault about saying 'valve guides'. I was working on the damn thing all day and very tired by the time I posted all these messages.... And yeah, supposedly this guy is the 'Mustang expert', everybody recommended him. But he won't take any responsibility for this one, so he just lost my business. __________________ '91 Mustang GT 5.0 AOD Daily Driver Current stats: NEW 302 short block, E-303 cam (@.050, 220/220, .498/.498, 110 degrees), 1.6 roller rockers, Performer RPM heads (aluminum, 1.9/1.6, 60cc chambers), Cobra intake, Granatelli 75mm MAF, Billet AFPR, Equal-Length Shorty Headers, Off-Road X Pipe, Flowmasters, 4.10 POSI 13.73 at 103.8, ~2.2 60'

01-09-2004, 08:06 AM	#6
BLACK85GT Registered Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Tampa,FLORIDA Posts: 340	Take any mustang parts magazine to him and show him in the pushrod section where it states " Hardened Pushrods must be used with guide plates". Its all over the place. You dont even have to be a "mechanic". Are you shure he is not a former Chevy mechanic? lol, but even they would know about this one... I would get money back from him. He messed up. __________________ 5.0, Holley heads, 1.7 Scorp Rockers, Stealth intake, Holley 600 carb, Holley Mech. Fuel pump, MSD 6Digital, MSD distributor, Hotchkis upper/lower rear control arms, FMS B Springs, 3:73 (8.8) rear. Production # 9,377

01-10-2004, 11:35 AM	#7
Dark_5.0 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Staging lane Posts: 4,337	NO PHUCK"N WAY Dont feel bad I nearly did the same thing. __________________ 92' LX-Big brakes, Lots and lots of suspension, GT40X heads, Ported cobra intake, stock cam, Vortech SC trim. 00' Lightning-Stock 88'CRX-13 second ego killer

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