GT40p heads - factory pushrods?

[Pirate]

What are the cheapest sources for custom-length pushrods when one-piece or hardened rods aren't really required?

www.hacksaws.com

[Mercracer]

www.hacksaws.com

Hacksaw and threaded rod... Guaranteed 10 seconds or 10 feet or until your engine starts. Whichever comes first....
Hey.. What's the worst that can happen???

[gadget73]

Haynes manuals don't really cover high performance. They're written towards repairing stock engines with stock parts. If you're simply removing a set of stock rockers and rods and re-assembling them, there isn't a whole lot of need to worry about it. If it was right before you took it apart, it'll be right when it goes back together with the same parts. If it was wrong, well, its still gonna be wrong.

The whole counting the turns thing is an easy measurement alternative to a dial indicator. Spec is like .020-.060 lifter preload, but you can determine this by the turns of the bolt past zero lash pretty reliably too. Stock rocker retainer bolt is 5/16-18. One full turn of a 5/16-18 bolt is .055 of movement. Half turn is .027, etc. If you're using something other than stock lifter hardware, you can calculate the preload based on whatever the thread pitch is on the stud. Just divide 1 by however many threads per inch and you get a figure for how many thousandths per 1 turn of the bolt.

[torquelover]

Ah... now I have a creeping feeling I should have spent more time with that smallblock rebuilding book a friend let me refer to when assembling the thing. I certainly don't recall the Haynes manual going into detail on this stuff, but now I'm realizing that's to be expected. Odd that a well-known Ford engine builder told me once that some wobbledy slop on the rockers is normal ...

What are the cheapest sources for custom-length pushrods when one-piece or hardened rods aren't really required?

When you're out here next time, we can pull the valve covers on the 1987cp and have a look. I have been adjusting valves since 1992. My garage is sorted out now, so 2/3 of the car should fit, LOL.

[1987cp]

When you're out here next time, we can pull the valve covers on the 1987cp and have a look. I have been adjusting valves since 1992. My garage is sorted out now, so 2/3 of the car should fit, LOL.

That'd be way cool. I don't suppose someone like Van Senus has different-length pushrods in stock?

[torquelover]

Van Senus pulls stock off of a part warehouse just down the road. A buddy of mine gets things really cheap there. They have different lengths in stock. If that fails, we can always pay DSS a visit for some overpriced specific length pushrods, or visit Dean's in Merrilville that specializes in rebuilding SBs.

[1987cp]

Van Senus pulls stock off of a part warehouse just down the road. A buddy of mine gets things really cheap there. They have different lengths in stock.

Ooh, excellent. I must dig up my pushrod length checker and determine whether my rockers are indeed worn out (and whether I have a better set that could be cleaned up and installed instead).

[JD's Toy]

allright everybody, need a little bit of help here. finally getting this engine back together and flat tapped out on cash!

my setup is an explorer camshaft and GT40p heads. the factory pushrods are a gnats whisker to short. they just get to 0 lash at the same time the bolt bottoms out. so i need like another turn or 2 on the bolt is all. i went on summit and attempted to find the factory size pushrods so i could go with just 0.060 - 0.080 longer or so.

can anybody help out the internet feable among us (aka me). what length / diameter are the factory pushrods and anyone got a standard length bump that might work for me? i assume summit racing is a good place to get em.

THANKS!

[JD's Toy]

morning everyone! Can anybody tell me if this is what I need? I saw a post by MrLTD that said our factory pushrod length was 6.270 inches. Assuming I need just a hair more, I was looking at 6.350 inch pushrods through summit. Price = $90, more than i wanna spend but obviously do what i'll have to do.

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...0&autoview=sku

tubing diameter of 5/16" correct? other thoughts / suggestions?

[1987cp]

Have you tried using an adjustable pushrod to measure exactly what you need?

Alternatively, if you just order a set and they turn out to be too long, do you have a set of shims to achieve zero lash with the pedestal rockers?

A pricier option ($375!) would be to keep your old pushrods and install something like the Comp Cams #1052 full-roller pedestal rocker arm that features an adjustment on the pushrod end. If I understand correctly from the Car Craft article referenced on this thread, these rockers, along with the 1.7:1 #1054, don't normally require different-length pushrods so long as you can achieve zero lash with the built-in adjustment screw.

[JD's Toy]

haven't tried the adjustable pushrod cause i'm trying to save the cost of the tool. appreciate the adjustable rockers, and those would be an option if i had the $$ for em.

don't have a set of shims if the set i put in the link is too long, but shims have to be fairly in-expensive right? (hopefully...)

[gadget73]

shims shouldn't be too expensive, but you have to be careful with those. You can end up with the right preload, but a bad contact pattern on the valve tip if the pushrod is too long. Shimming them up too far with a too long pushrod will put the rocker contact patch toward one side of the valve stem, and that will cause the valve guide to wear out sooner from the side loading. Adjustable pushrods are the tits to get things dialed in perfectly and ensure you have a proper pattern.

[1987cp]

BTW, the adjustable pushrod I've got here somewheres was like $23 at my local speed shop .... I figure that's worth it to avoid maybe getting the wrong parts.

[Mercracer]

I use Comp Cams 7752-16 which are 6.300 long. They should take care of your issues...

[Mercracer]

my setup is an explorer camshaft and GT40p heads. the factory pushrods are a gnats whisker to short. they just get to 0 lash at the same time the bolt bottoms out. so i need like another turn or 2 on the bolt is all. i went on summit and attempted to find the factory size pushrods so i could go with just 0.060 - 0.080 longer or so.

can anybody help out the internet feable among us (aka me). what length / diameter are the factory pushrods and anyone got a standard length bump that might work for me?

Comp Cams 7752-16 will work for you. They are 6.300" long 5/16 diameter. I use these on my motors.