280zwitha383 Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 I was replacing my fuel pump and noticed the end of the pushrod was VERY worn. Like halfway to rounded off worn. Comp sells several different pushrods, I like the one with the roller tip but not for $113. I'm wondering if I didn't mess up my cam because Comp says "don't damage your expensive roller cam". I don't see how a harder cam can be damaged by a softer pushrod. I've been running this thing for close to 2 years, pretty hard and probably close to 6k thousand miles I'm sure. I guess I'll just buy the cheap pushrod and see how it runs. I hate buying bronze stuff that's just going to wear out but $113 for a pushrod is just stupid. Worse comes to worse I'll buy an electric pump. Anyone done this before? If I put the bronze tipped pushrod on it will the possibly scuffed up cam just wear it out that much faster? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbhsbZ Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 Obviously a roller would be best, but you don't want to spend the money. Second best would be a bronze one. another alternative may be a cast iron tipped pushrod. Cast iron generally has pretty good wear characteristics, but I'm not sure which would be better against a billet cam as far as pushrod and cam wear....bronze or cast iron. Anyone with a lathe could modify a stock pushrod with either tip. The only other alternatives are to replace it with another stock pushrod or upgrade to a chromolly pushrod. I'm not sure how the chromolly pushrod would fare against the billet cam...probably not well. I think the cast iron may be the better idea. The stock cams are cast, while the pushrod and lifters are billet. The cast cam has good wear characteristics against the billet lifter and pushrod, so I figure that a cast iron tipped pushrod should wear nicely against a billet cam. I probably have no idea what I'm talking about though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280zwitha383 Posted April 16, 2007 Author Share Posted April 16, 2007 Haha, well I am a machinist (of sorts) and I would never dream about trying to machine down the pushrod and attach (somehow) a different tip to it. However, now that you mention it, I suppose if I had a piece of bronze I could take say .050" off of the pushrod and braze(?) the bronze tip onto it. If I could get my hands on a little piece of bronze it would be interesting to say the least. It would probably be like one of those projects that the "engineers" or customer service guys want me to do that is so iffy that I giggle half the time I'm making it.... I would think I would have to spend a significan amount of time polishing the end of the bronze unless I got a piece that had a usable end on it. Hmmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbhsbZ Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 just face about 1/4" off of the old pushrod and drill a 1/4" diameter pilot in it, half an inch deep. Then machine your insert to the correct diameter with a 1/4" half inch long leg on one end, stick it in the pushrod and try it. Thinking more about it, I think a piece of cast iron would work better. I've got plenty of old cranks and cams if you need a piece of stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280zwitha383 Posted April 16, 2007 Author Share Posted April 16, 2007 I would think if cast were a viable option with the steel crank they would make a pushrod like that. If someone does please point me there. Regardless, what you are saying is very doable. What I would do is simply press the tip into the rod. I think what you're saying is to simply place the tip in and let the cam and pump hold the thing together which should work but the idea just doesn't sit well with me and it would be just as easy to make the nipple .252" for example and press it in. I guess I could go to the scrap yard and try to buy a small piece of bronze. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_hunt Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 Use an electric fuel pump and ditch the rod all together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280zwitha383 Posted April 17, 2007 Author Share Posted April 17, 2007 I would like to and absolutely would it it weren't for $$$. I wonder how much power I would gain from the friction loss.... haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbhsbZ Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 I've got a procomp (holley blue clone), brand new, I'll sell you for $50 shipped...I think thats a little less than I paid for it. Then you go to pepboys and buy a block off plate and you're done. I don't think you'll pick up and HP from lack of frictional losses, but it certainly is easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280zwitha383 Posted May 16, 2007 Author Share Posted May 16, 2007 I thought I would update in case anyone searching might have the same situation (wishful thinking maybe). I ordered the bronze tipped pushrod from O'reilly's for $15. I took the old one out and it wasn't as worn as I thought. It was not rounded off as I remembered it but wore in a U shape. Put the new one in and took it for about a mile drive. No bueno. Pulled the pushrod out and it was chewed up pretty bad relatively. I was hesitant to take it back (haha) but they took it even with me mentioning the wear and how my cam lobe must be ate to hell. They didn't bother to look at it and that was well enough for me. Anyway, I ordered a knockoff holley red off of ebay, put that loud sucker on and all is well with the world. I'm amazed I can hear the thing over me stupid loud exhaust but I usually have the music cranked so I don't usually hear it. Would a regular holley electric pump be that loud? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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