How to cut steel pushrods, Valve Train Set-Up Options

[Highland]

How to most people get their pushrods cut? Should I take the pushrods to the same machinest that worked on my engine parts (crank, cylinders, rods,...) or to a regular machine shop?

Also, what tolerance should I give them? +/-0.001"?

Below are my numbers for a Raby 9590 cam with 0.426" lift for exhaust and intake. Are these numbers typical?

Cylinder.....Intake Lift....Intake Rod Length
1...............0.432................10.567"
2...............0.433................10.607
3...............0.431................10.640 (required 0.03 shim)
4...............0.424................10.578


Cylinder.....Exhaust Lift....Exhaust Rod Length
1...............0.410...............10.623"
2...............0.409...............10.618
3...............0.412...............10.663 (required 0.03 shim)
4...............0.410...............10.612

['73-914kid]

I think there was someone who took them to a machine shop to have them cut on a lathe, and there was some misunderstanding as to what length they were supposed to be cut at, and ALL ended up too short. ie. ruined

Any machine shop can do it, but a hacksaw and a file to get the surface nice and flat would probably do just fine.

If you take it to a machine shop though, make sure you talk to the guy who will be doing the cutting and explain explicitly how they are to be cut....

Oh, a chop saw with a locking jaw to stabilize the pushrods and make a perpendicular cut also works well.