I'm new to LS1s....but I'm tryin to learn. Do LS1 pushrods measure up to LT1's hardened versions or are they even better. I ask because I've heard of alot of LS1 guys bending theirs.

 

They are made softer as far as I know.I think they are made that way so that you don't screw up the rest of the motor when you miss a shift and over-rev.It's better to bend a $15 part than to do $2500 worth of damage!
Kevin

 

Just wondering, how would one know if they had bent a pushrod??

 

I also wonder this

 

I bent a pair a few years ago, so it's a little foggy at this point.

I learned to drive stick on this M6, so I missed a few shifts early on. I ended up slightly bending two pushrods. The engine was only making a slightly audible tick as a result.

I was paranoid, so I took it to the dealer and worked with a really cool advisor & tech. For whatever reason they justified pulling the engine & heads. Since he was already in there, I bought a pair of ported heads & cam for him to install and paid him on the side to install the cam. They put in stock pushrods, but I upgraded the next year when I switched cams again.

 

Just an FYI, only 94 or 95 (not sure which) came with hardened pushrods in the LT1's, not every year. I have way overreved my motor though and not bent a pushrod. At the end of the 1/4 shifting out of 3rd @6000 rpm and hitting 2nd instead of 4th Nothing happened, motor was fine. I've heard of some LS1 owners doing the same missed shift and bending multiple pushrods. I guess the LT1's must have used a somewhat stronger pushrod than the LS1's.

 

I bent 12 push rods by doing the infamous 3rd to 2nd shift at 6000rpm. The car ran fine and it idles normally; no strange noises. We had to open her up and physically check the rods to make sure. I got them replaced with hardened units.