Cut to length pushods, ......Suck. Options

[Olympic 914]

This could go under "things you have done wrong on your 914"

So after hours of valvtrain geometry I arrive at the correct length for my pushrods.
not wanting to rush things I wait till the next day to start cutting them, after allowing for the 1 cm tip length my first cut ends up perfect.. then I drive the tip in and my pushrod is .020 short... WTF ? well I cut 3 more the same length and figure I would just use them on the exhaust... I know not optimal but usable.. although they vary a little they are with in .0016. then I go to the other four and adjust my cut longer. now I have 2 that are .040 to long and I can't pull out the tips to recut them. at this point I WALK AWAY IN DISGUST. I really don't want to buy another set and hope I get 8 good ones out of the bunch.

Then I remember that I bought pushrods for one of the Harleys from a company called Smith Bros. so I give them a call..

http://www.pushrods.net/

Sure they can make me pushrods to my specs, they have the correct tips and they can have them here in a couple days....

I am a happy boy again. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif)

the wall thickness is slightly heavier I think .040 vs .036 for the cut yourself ones. so the valvetrain will be slightly heavier, but I am not looking for max revs out of this thing. so I will be fine

They came today in the mail and measure out perfect.

So if you don't want to deal with cutting your pushrods, just use your adjustable pushrod to determine the correct length and give Smith Bros a call.

No affiliation ... Just a happy customer passing on good info.

[Bulldog9]

Nice, will save this for sure. Of all the things I am doing on the rebuild of my 912E, it has been the whole of measuring and cutting the pushrods. This eliminates th

pushrod length (I have the adjustable rod)

[76-914]

Any local machine shop should be able to this, FWIW.

[76-914]

Any local machine shop should be able to this, FWIW.

[Jake Raby]

Just part or truly "building an engine". Its the least fun, but one of the most important processes.

Just ensure that the pushrod that you used to set geometry and the Clay Smith pushrod have the EXACT same tip radius and diameter. If not, you won't be pleased if you check the geometry with the new pushrods installed.

T4 engines use a different radius and ball diameter than those generally found in T1 engines (where Clay Smith pushrods are more commonly applied) , and of course, the lifters that you use will impact one end of the pushrod tip selection.