What to do - What to do??

I went to the track Sunday and bent a couple pushrods right off the bat. This is the first time this has happened. I'm actually getting very close to tearing everything up at least once..

Anyway, I bent the intake and exhaust pushrods on #8 cylinder. They were the cheapo $30 comp cams heat treated pushrods..

I pulled the spark plug on #8 and it looks fine and I can't really see any other damage so should I just put new pushrods in and go for it?? I really *really* don't feel like pulling the motor out and tearing it down.. But I also don't want to shell the motor or wipe out a turbo.. I'm leaning towards putting new pushrods in it and starting it and seeing how it acts.. I got new 1 piece chromoly pushrods from thunder :metal: Thanks Paul!

Are these cheapo pushrods prone to bending/breaking??

I think I hit the limiter on the 2-3 shift (6500) and I know I revved it a little higher (shiftlight set at 6300 vs. 6000) The valve springs are fresh too, FWIW..

thanks
...Brady<--- destined to run 10's forever...

replace them and try

i say replace them and see if it all work right..

i broke one pushrod and one rocker stud once and replaced and everything in my car seemed to be okay so far i also went with a one peice pushrod and a bit longer one

You could do a leakdown test on that cylinder while you have the rockers removed. That would tell you if you have bent either of the valves.

Well, why do you think you bent them? Usually, this is because a valve hit a piston or there was some other contact that should not have occurred (rocker to valve seal, etc.). I suppose if you have mondo springs and really cheesy pushrods that could be the culprit, but I doubt it.

I think you need to figure out what's wrong before you break something big time, if you haven't already.

Rich Krause

Brady,

I know its off the topic but I just got the new GM Hightech Mag.

All I have to say is DAMN!!
Very SWEET Ride Man!!....DAMN SWEET!
:bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:

And Congrats on the write up in the Magazine.

Thx,
Claude

Upon teardown of my motor during the first rebuild, I found 3 bent pushrods. They were replaced with crane chromoly units, and I have never had a problem since. You may want to call comp cams and find out just how strong those ones in the $30 set are compared to the chromoly ones.

I also saw your car Brady in GM High Tech. Congradulations on that car. Hope you can get it fixed. :)

I bent a pushrod once but it was a result of them being too long.

If you have never had this problem before, Im not quite sure what could have caused it. Id say its at least worth a leakdown to make sure you dont have some bent valves or something else amiss there.

Good luck bro.

Thanks guys, I put new pushrods in it and it seems fine.. I think the $30 pushrods didn't like the 977 springs.. I could be wrong though, time will tell.

Check the lifters. The spider that holds down the hydraulic lifters got bent somehow on my #3 cylinder. The lifters spun around in the bore and eventually mushroomed the lifter and the lifter would get stuck in the lifter bore. I could crank the car and watch if run fime for about 1 min. then it would either bent or break the pushrod.

Might want to check lifter preload.

Good luck on running 9's!!! :)