VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Mechanical - Engine, Trans, etc Pushrods not so straight. Questions

So I have 2 pushrods that have a slight bend. Just wanted to know if anyone has tried to straighten them and if successful how did you do it. Looking for that "my grandpa used to" kind of information.

I have tried to straighten them with little success. I'm sure someone has a good way to do it. They are not hard to find and the easy way is to replace them.

I have straightened push rods several times. The key is to roll them on a 2x4 or similar support to check how straight they are. Take all the wobble out and they will be as "good as new".

t was not unusual to see one or wo pushrods woble with the engine running from new . If excessive roll on a flat surface and bend as necessary.

The best “tool” I have found for checking push rods is a piece of glass that is almost as wide as length of the round portion of the pushrod. You can “hear” if they are true when you lift the glass and let the pushrod roll down the glass.

I support the pushrod on a couple of hardwood blocks and tap the “high” spot with a plastic-face hammer. Or you can use a 3rd hardwood block against the high spot and hit it with a hammer. You want to avoid putting any surface defects on the pushrod.

I really like Rusty's checking method.

My straightening tool of choice would be an arbor press if you have one or have access to one.

With the low spring pressure of these engines, straightening your pushrods will work just fine. If you have a piece of glass like Rusty recommends, it's probably the "best" way to determine whether one is straight or not but any flat surface will do the job. As Chev Nut alluded to above, perfectly straight isn't necessarily a requirement.