Hardened Pushrods
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 231
From: MO
Hardened Pushrods
I have been looking into getting the Hotcam kit down the road, and have read that hardened pushrods are a good upgrade while I am in the motor. I read over at speeddensity.org that 93 through like 95 1/2 had hardened pushrods from the factory. Is this true? If it is true would it still be good to get some new ones for insurance?
On Thunder Racing's website ( http://www.thunderracing.com/catalog...vid=4&pcid=106 is the page I am referring to) I see a P/N for hardened pushrods that are 35 bucks, are those the ones i should be looking at (P/N 63-7808-16)? Or should I get the chromemoly ones?
Thanks.
On Thunder Racing's website ( http://www.thunderracing.com/catalog...vid=4&pcid=106 is the page I am referring to) I see a P/N for hardened pushrods that are 35 bucks, are those the ones i should be looking at (P/N 63-7808-16)? Or should I get the chromemoly ones?
Thanks.
Registered User
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 592
From: new orleans, la
Look for 1 piece chromoly(SStrokerAce just told me that)
P.S. I'll be selling my hotcam kit(maybe minus the RRs) down the road when I upgrade as well. Only been in the car for about 2k miles(car has never been a dd-it's a creampuff-only 28.5k!) Summit sells the hotcam kit for $560. I could sell you mine for $225 w/out RRs, $250 with RRs. Just pm me when and if interested. Good luck!
P.S. I'll be selling my hotcam kit(maybe minus the RRs) down the road when I upgrade as well. Only been in the car for about 2k miles(car has never been a dd-it's a creampuff-only 28.5k!) Summit sells the hotcam kit for $560. I could sell you mine for $225 w/out RRs, $250 with RRs. Just pm me when and if interested. Good luck!
Registered User
Joined: Oct 1998
Posts: 3,144
From: Jackstandican
I have been looking into getting the Hotcam kit down the road, and have read that hardened pushrods are a good upgrade while I am in the motor. I read over at speeddensity.org that 93 through like 95 1/2 had hardened pushrods from the factory. Is this true? If it is true would it still be good to get some new ones for insurance?
On Thunder Racing's website ( http://www.thunderracing.com/catalog...vid=4&pcid=106 is the page I am referring to) I see a P/N for hardened pushrods that are 35 bucks, are those the ones i should be looking at (P/N 63-7808-16)? Or should I get the chromemoly ones?
Thanks.
On Thunder Racing's website ( http://www.thunderracing.com/catalog...vid=4&pcid=106 is the page I am referring to) I see a P/N for hardened pushrods that are 35 bucks, are those the ones i should be looking at (P/N 63-7808-16)? Or should I get the chromemoly ones?
Thanks.
Banned
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 6,518
MAYBE.... but why put junk pushrods in a motor ever? It's like putting in a grade 8 bolt in a rod.
$35 pushrods are ok in very low spring pressure OEM applications. Even the stock LS1 valvetrain gets huge gains from stiffening up the spring to a LS6 spring and installing real pushrods. The motor will make more power and spin to 7000rpm without a hitch with those two changes. It's good for a mph or more at the track amazingly.
A OEM hardened pushrod is not up to the quality of a chromoly aftermarket piece, the wall thickness can be all over the place and the base metal is not as stiff.
Bret
$35 pushrods are ok in very low spring pressure OEM applications. Even the stock LS1 valvetrain gets huge gains from stiffening up the spring to a LS6 spring and installing real pushrods. The motor will make more power and spin to 7000rpm without a hitch with those two changes. It's good for a mph or more at the track amazingly.
A OEM hardened pushrod is not up to the quality of a chromoly aftermarket piece, the wall thickness can be all over the place and the base metal is not as stiff.
Bret
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 12,312
From: Aurora, IL
It seems like there is alot of confusion involving what years exactly had the hardened pushrods. Considering the low cost, it just wouldn't hurt to buy a new set for 30 bucks. I don't see why hardened pushrods wouldn't be adequate for just a Hotcam?
Banned
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 6,518
Yep....USE THEM!!!! I don't care if someone hasn't had problems. Once you understand the physics of what is going on in there and see changes on the dyno where you "find" 40hp with pushrods you don't take them lightly after that.
Do a search and see if you can find the results of pushrod failures, that's the worst thing. The rest of the time the crap cheap ones are flexing in there like crazy giving you valve events that aren't even close to what the cam specs are.
The HotCam is pretty tame, but even so with increased spring loads and the rocker arm mulitpling the spring load more with higher ratio rockers that are also stiffer the pushrods become more and more important.
Then again don't listen to me, I only do this for a living.
Bret
Do a search and see if you can find the results of pushrod failures, that's the worst thing. The rest of the time the crap cheap ones are flexing in there like crazy giving you valve events that aren't even close to what the cam specs are.
The HotCam is pretty tame, but even so with increased spring loads and the rocker arm mulitpling the spring load more with higher ratio rockers that are also stiffer the pushrods become more and more important.
Then again don't listen to me, I only do this for a living.
Bret
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 12,312
From: Aurora, IL
Yep....USE THEM!!!! I don't care if someone hasn't had problems. Once you understand the physics of what is going on in there and see changes on the dyno where you "find" 40hp with pushrods you don't take them lightly after that.
Do a search and see if you can find the results of pushrod failures, that's the worst thing. The rest of the time the crap cheap ones are flexing in there like crazy giving you valve events that aren't even close to what the cam specs are.
The HotCam is pretty tame, but even so with increased spring loads and the rocker arm mulitpling the spring load more with higher ratio rockers that are also stiffer the pushrods become more and more important.
Then again don't listen to me, I only do this for a living.
Bret
Do a search and see if you can find the results of pushrod failures, that's the worst thing. The rest of the time the crap cheap ones are flexing in there like crazy giving you valve events that aren't even close to what the cam specs are.
The HotCam is pretty tame, but even so with increased spring loads and the rocker arm mulitpling the spring load more with higher ratio rockers that are also stiffer the pushrods become more and more important.
Then again don't listen to me, I only do this for a living.
Bret
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 231
From: MO
Thanks for the advice Bret. I guess when I do this, I'll be spending the big bucks and doing it right. Currently I just want the motor to be streetable and reliable. I think the hotcam will give me the boost in power I want, without breaking the bank, and some chromoly pushrods will make it take the abuse of the increased spring pressures.
Registered User
Joined: Oct 1998
Posts: 3,144
From: Jackstandican
MAYBE.... but why put junk pushrods in a motor ever? It's like putting in a grade 8 bolt in a rod.
$35 pushrods are ok in very low spring pressure OEM applications. Even the stock LS1 valvetrain gets huge gains from stiffening up the spring to a LS6 spring and installing real pushrods. The motor will make more power and spin to 7000rpm without a hitch with those two changes. It's good for a mph or more at the track amazingly.
A OEM hardened pushrod is not up to the quality of a chromoly aftermarket piece, the wall thickness can be all over the place and the base metal is not as stiff.
Bret
$35 pushrods are ok in very low spring pressure OEM applications. Even the stock LS1 valvetrain gets huge gains from stiffening up the spring to a LS6 spring and installing real pushrods. The motor will make more power and spin to 7000rpm without a hitch with those two changes. It's good for a mph or more at the track amazingly.
A OEM hardened pushrod is not up to the quality of a chromoly aftermarket piece, the wall thickness can be all over the place and the base metal is not as stiff.
Bret
So now are you saying that if you get chromoly, w/ higher spring pressures and spin the motor well past that cam's power peak, the engine will make more power?
Please enlighten with this mojo! You still have yet to explain how Comp R retainers "act" on the plunger.
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 420
IM with (SS RRR) on this one! there is no need to put chromoly push rods in on a hot cam, or with 918 springs summits cheap push rods are good for 300+ spring pressure and the 918 spring are just over 300. i used stocker with 130k on my cc503 and ran great with no problems,