Hardened Pushrods
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 3,245
From: Ocala, Florida
I see... even though I've ran these same OEM pushrods in my setup for 70K on my LPE heads/cam setup it's still just an "opinion"... 
Even though I spun it to 6200rpm every day that setup was on the car and gee... ran just as fast or faster than most of the LEx setups that's on this board now. 
I bet if I would've set up my lifters to zero lash and used chromoly pushrods I could've spun to 7Krpm and picked up some serious power!
So now you plaster pics up of bent pushrods that are allegedly hardened pushrods yet have no background info on anything and this is supposed to convince me that OEM hardened are junk? Usually there's a very good reason why pushrods bend that badly.. by either a combination of ****ty parts, valve float, valve/piston contact... so on and so forth. You are the only one I've ever heard claim that OEM pushrods can magically bend like that because they just junk.
Sorry but I'm not one of your sheep. You flap on about LS1 this and that, but last I checked this thread was about a simple hotcam install, correct? Where's your proof that changing to higher spring pressures along with chromoly pushrods increases power above and beyond the LT4 hotcam power peak?
Once again I ask... how does a lifter plunger "act" on the lifter retainer? Do you need help? I can find the link if you wish.
At first I looked at your banter in the most nonobjective way possible, but I honestly think SSMPSTR is onto something. You seem to be "that dude" who likes to be the head of the rumor mill juggernaut. Just like the Comp R scare and now... I must be one of the lucky ones.
I golf clap your following. *** clap clap clap *** Reminds me of Mike Tyson's "yes you bad, Mike" entourage after his first fight w/ Holyfield.
However because of the lack of ET's from your setups I'm really not quite convinced you are the best that's offered. As I used to tell Overton when he started patting himself on the back all too vigorously... "There's no use in celebrating mediocrity."
Even though I spun it to 6200rpm every day that setup was on the car and gee... ran just as fast or faster than most of the LEx setups that's on this board now. I bet if I would've set up my lifters to zero lash and used chromoly pushrods I could've spun to 7Krpm and picked up some serious power! So now you plaster pics up of bent pushrods that are allegedly hardened pushrods yet have no background info on anything and this is supposed to convince me that OEM hardened are junk? Usually there's a very good reason why pushrods bend that badly.. by either a combination of ****ty parts, valve float, valve/piston contact... so on and so forth. You are the only one I've ever heard claim that OEM pushrods can magically bend like that because they just junk.
Sorry but I'm not one of your sheep. You flap on about LS1 this and that, but last I checked this thread was about a simple hotcam install, correct? Where's your proof that changing to higher spring pressures along with chromoly pushrods increases power above and beyond the LT4 hotcam power peak?
Once again I ask... how does a lifter plunger "act" on the lifter retainer? Do you need help? I can find the link if you wish.
At first I looked at your banter in the most nonobjective way possible, but I honestly think SSMPSTR is onto something. You seem to be "that dude" who likes to be the head of the rumor mill juggernaut. Just like the Comp R scare and now... I must be one of the lucky ones.
I golf clap your following. *** clap clap clap *** Reminds me of Mike Tyson's "yes you bad, Mike" entourage after his first fight w/ Holyfield.
However because of the lack of ET's from your setups I'm really not quite convinced you are the best that's offered. As I used to tell Overton when he started patting himself on the back all too vigorously... "There's no use in celebrating mediocrity."
The best heads in the world won't do anything in a car that doesn't have the right setup in it. Hell, the cam Bret sent me gained 4mph in the 1/4 over my gm846, and the .050 #'s are very close, so its not like I just threw the biggest cam I could find in there. And I trapped 118mph with who knows what heads that still have stock vavles in a full weight car. I'm sending Lloyd my heads tomarrow, and I'll be sure to post up new times when I get the heads back after he does some work to them.
Registered User
Joined: Oct 1998
Posts: 3,144
From: Jackstandican
lots and lots and lots of ramblings...
including this little gem...
So let the name calling begin. Remember I'm an arrogant a$$hole, my mom would even tell you that, but that doesn't make me wrong, and at the end of the day I sleep just fine knowing that some moron out there doesn't like me because people agree with me more than them.
Bret
including this little gem...
So let the name calling begin. Remember I'm an arrogant a$$hole, my mom would even tell you that, but that doesn't make me wrong, and at the end of the day I sleep just fine knowing that some moron out there doesn't like me because people agree with me more than them.
Bret
This isn't a credential contest. I've supplied a link to hardened pushrods that are cheap and they WORK. It's not an opinion. It's a fact.
There is no proof those pictures you supplied are hardened pushrods and there is absolutely no background or factual material to convince me the pushrods are to blame for bending. Only your opinion and resume'.
As far as the Comp R failures it reads as though you admit other parts can be at fault for the failures and you are relying on a flimsy little piece to keep the lifter from breaking? How retarded is that? How can a Comp lifter be to blame if there is pushrod flex or valve float or bad valve geometry?
I'm not lucky. It's called using the right combination of parts that keeps me from having to post up whining that because I used hodgepodge crap my entire valvetrain is now damaged and blaming only ONE component.
LMAO... this is pure comedy.
Moderator
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 3,853
From: Jupiter (NPB), Fl
That's my pushrod below. Bent mysteriously after about 13k miles of operation and about 200 track passes, 6250 rpm shift point on a cc503.
"Hardened" pushrod purchased from Combination Motorsports back in 2003.
Bent coming out of the burnout box at the track.. car started misfiring immediately. Trashed the lifter, trashed the cam, trashed the lifter spider.
This was on my 12.0 @ 112.8 cam only setup.
Registered User
Joined: Oct 1998
Posts: 3,144
From: Jackstandican
The best heads in the world won't do anything in a car that doesn't have the right setup in it. Hell, the cam Bret sent me gained 4mph in the 1/4 over my gm846, and the .050 #'s are very close, so its not like I just threw the biggest cam I could find in there. And I trapped 118mph with who knows what heads that still have stock vavles in a full weight car. I'm sending Lloyd my heads tomarrow, and I'll be sure to post up new times when I get the heads back after he does some work to them.
And I trapped 118mph with who knows what heads that still have stock vavles in a full weight car. I'm sending Lloyd my heads tomarrow, and I'll be sure to post up new times when I get the heads back after he does some work to them.
Registered User
Joined: Oct 1998
Posts: 3,144
From: Jackstandican
Proof part 1?
That's my pushrod below. Bent mysteriously after about 13k miles of operation and about 200 track passes, 6250 rpm shift point on a cc503.
"Hardened" pushrod purchased from Combination Motorsports back in 2003.
Bent coming out of the burnout box at the track.. car started misfiring immediately. Trashed the lifter, trashed the cam, trashed the lifter spider.
This was on my 12.0 @ 112.8 cam only setup.
That's my pushrod below. Bent mysteriously after about 13k miles of operation and about 200 track passes, 6250 rpm shift point on a cc503.
"Hardened" pushrod purchased from Combination Motorsports back in 2003.
Bent coming out of the burnout box at the track.. car started misfiring immediately. Trashed the lifter, trashed the cam, trashed the lifter spider.
This was on my 12.0 @ 112.8 cam only setup.
So a handful of people have had these problems and that means hardened pushrods are junk. That's outstanding research! You'd think if it was an epidemic then hardened pushrods would become extinct! Sorry but this kind of evidence is not enough for me to believe hardened pushrods are "junk" for reasons already specified. It's like Heatmaker saying Spec clutches are "junk" because he had problems or bad luck or didn't know how to drive with an agressive clutch only after having experince with two of the clutches they offer.
Moderator
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 3,853
From: Jupiter (NPB), Fl
Fascinating. You are using the same shift points I was and I had no problem with my junk hardened elcheapo pushrods.
So a handful of people have had these problems and that means hardened pushrods are junk. That's outstanding research! You'd think if it was an epidemic then hardened pushrods would become extinct! Sorry but this kind of evidence is not enough for me to believe hardened pushrods are "junk" for reasons already specified. It's like Heatmaker saying Spec clutches are "junk" because he had problems or bad luck or didn't know how to drive with an agressive clutch only after having experince with two of the clutches they offer.
So a handful of people have had these problems and that means hardened pushrods are junk. That's outstanding research! You'd think if it was an epidemic then hardened pushrods would become extinct! Sorry but this kind of evidence is not enough for me to believe hardened pushrods are "junk" for reasons already specified. It's like Heatmaker saying Spec clutches are "junk" because he had problems or bad luck or didn't know how to drive with an agressive clutch only after having experince with two of the clutches they offer.
That's fine, I don't really care either way. I obviously needed new pushrods after my situation, and I decided I'd rather spend an extra $70 and get the comp Hi-Techs and now I know the pushrod won't be the weak point when I rev up to 6800 rpm.
You want to keep running the cheapo pushrods? Be my guest... I don't care.
Registered User
Joined: Oct 1998
Posts: 3,144
From: Jackstandican
That's fine, I don't really care either way. I obviously needed new pushrods after my situation, and I decided I'd rather spend an extra $70 and get the comp Hi-Techs and now I know the pushrod won't be the weak point when I rev up to 6800 rpm.
You want to keep running the cheapo pushrods? Be my guest... I don't care.
You want to keep running the cheapo pushrods? Be my guest... I don't care.
Moderator
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 3,853
From: Jupiter (NPB), Fl
True enough.. the other 15 didn't bend if ya want 'em lol
Honestly? I think this is like anything... for alot of people, they will be FINE for a long time running them, but sometimes, without warning they can just fail.
Who knows, maybe your hardened pushrods were "hardened" better than mine.. the ones I got from combo don't look all that much different than stockers :-/
I sleep better at night knowing I don't have gumby inspired pushrods in my "much more expensive than previous" setup. After all the money I spent, an extra $70 was a drop in the bucket.
Honestly? I think this is like anything... for alot of people, they will be FINE for a long time running them, but sometimes, without warning they can just fail.
Who knows, maybe your hardened pushrods were "hardened" better than mine.. the ones I got from combo don't look all that much different than stockers :-/
I sleep better at night knowing I don't have gumby inspired pushrods in my "much more expensive than previous" setup. After all the money I spent, an extra $70 was a drop in the bucket.
Banned
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 4,970
From: Goochland, Va.
It looks to me like we are comparing hardened steel vs. LPE hardened moly.
SS RRR It looks like you have a higher quality pushrod at a good price, The LPE are surley a step above. You may have had a diferent opinion if you had the comps
Registered User
Joined: Oct 1998
Posts: 3,144
From: Jackstandican
You're absolutely right. The brand you had probably had some sort of fault with it. However I just don't like when someone says hardened pushrods are no good in general when it isn't true. For serious applications, sure it's better to go with chromoly, but the two sets (changed first set out just because they're cheap) of hardened pushrods I've used looked brand new after miles of rpm abuse.
Let's just agree to disagree and call it beer:30.
Registered User
Joined: Oct 1998
Posts: 3,144
From: Jackstandican
dO you have a part number or a brand?
It looks to me like we are comparing hardened steel vs. LPE hardened moly.
SS RRR It looks like you have a higher quality pushrod at a good price, The LPE are surley a step above. You may have had a diferent opinion if you had the comps
It looks to me like we are comparing hardened steel vs. LPE hardened moly.
SS RRR It looks like you have a higher quality pushrod at a good price, The LPE are surley a step above. You may have had a diferent opinion if you had the comps