bending pushrods

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Dec 9, 2007 | 04:29 PM

#16

ceetwarrior

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Joined: Jul 2003

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From: Colorado

FFR, but shouldn't the heads already have stronger springs in them matched to the cam?? Being as he bought them as set?

I told him he should get a smaller cam. Cause this motor is in a 74 Highboy with 32" tires.... He needs lower torque curve, heh

Last edited by ceetwarrior; Dec 9, 2007 at 04:33 PM.

Dec 9, 2007 | 05:30 PM

#17

FFR428

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From: CT

Is he using the stock Edelbrock springs that came on the heads? Or the springs made for the cam?

Dec 9, 2007 | 08:00 PM

#18

ceetwarrior

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From: Colorado

He is using whatever comes stock on those heads. But I know he bought the cam and heads as a set, so hopefully they are matched.... not sure where he bought them but all they said was that adjustable valvetrain is recommended. Nothing about springs.

Dec 10, 2007 | 11:44 AM

#19

bertha66

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Joined: Oct 2004

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From: Central Oregon

When my 428 bent all the push rods, it was the lifters, engine had less than 1000 miles on a rebuild and 9 of the lifters stuck in the up position and would not compress. The lifters were from NAPA, I pulled them out adn replaced with a set from a differant parts supply, been running fine for 6 years or so now.

Dec 10, 2007 | 05:48 PM

#20

FFR428

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From: CT

Quote:

Originally Posted by bertha66

Very good point. I was also thinking of the lifters. I somehow misread and thought it was a Comp cam and lifters he was using. Which led to the springs. As Hyp mentioned the non adj rockers are well beyond my safe point of .550 lift. It could be the springs are fine. But I've heard of many having issues with them with cams well under the lift your using. I had some of the 1st gen Edels on a 428 with a 5.64ish soild cam and they were fine. But I think they might have went to a cheaper spring package possibly as guys seem to all have the same problems recently. And most just swap the springs right off the bat. So while I'd focus on the rockers, pushrods and lifters....also keep them springs in mind.

Dec 10, 2007 | 09:46 PM

#21

"Beemer Nut"

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From: "Islander"

FFR428.....check your PM.

Dec 11, 2007 | 04:56 AM

#22

FFR428

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From: CT

Thanks Carl back at ya!

Feb 2, 2008 | 08:16 PM

#23

ceetwarrior

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Joined: Jul 2003

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From: Colorado

Quote:

Originally Posted by ceetwarrior

Hey guys, my friend is having some woes with his 428:

His motor was running strong for a long time then one morning he started it up and it bent 3 pushrods, 1 on one side and two on the other side. He tore it apart and had lots and lots of slop in the timing chain and pretty much just assumed that was the cause. He checked the pistons, no damage, no cylinder ridges so he decided just to do a top end on it. So he was wanting a bit of freshening up so he bought Performer RPM aluminum heads, intake, recommened Edelbrock cam (cant remember number) and edelbrock lifter kit.

He put it all back together and broke in the cam, then drove it around the neighborhood and all was well. Parked it, went out to start it the next day (cold) and sure enough (clunk clunk). Took off valve covers to find 4 more bent pushrods. ANY ideas on what could be causing this?? Thanks!

Hey guys, well we ended up putting my adjustable valvetrain on my friends 428 try try and fix the problem. Well we couldn't get past a few revolutions before it rebent MY pushrods! So then were had though we did it wrong so reordered another set of pushrods and tried it again, bam bent some more, we we quit cause it was just wasting money.

Took it to his engine builder and helped tear it apart.... something in the oil had gotten too hot and melted to the valves and siezed them! (NO WONDER, why some of those pushrods had come out like an S" Took brake cleaner and they are shiney new again, the guides feel good so we think just a good cleaning will fix it.

He put the Edelbrock cam break in lube on the lifters and cam, then also dumped in some Crane cam modifier crap into the normal Valvoline oil and we think it had something to do with it, couldn't had been anything else. It also burned that crap onto the valve seals.