Bent Pushrod, head damage, need opinions pls

**Pushead** · 08-16-2008, 10:16 AM

I was at the track a few weeks ago and ended up bending a pushrod while there. I shut the car down when I noticed the lack of power, and didn't make another run, but I drove the car home which was about 45 minutes away.

A friend and I pulled the valve covers off to replace all the pushrods, and noticed that the hole in the head for the pushrod was "enlarged". I'm at a stand-still here and unsure what to do.

I didn't pay attention which pushrod was the problem, can you guess which one it was? lol

Can I just buy a pushrod guide plate and be fine, or am I in some serious trouble here?

Thanks!

**vettenuts** · 08-17-2008, 03:34 PM

Replace the pushrod. Look the rokcer over real good, maybe even replace the one rocker just in case it was damaged in a way you can't see. Check ofr other issues and do a good inspection, especially the valve spring. If all looks good, you should be OK. No guide plates on stock rockers, that will cause a problem.

**0rion** · 08-17-2008, 06:57 PM

I would also worry about where all that material went.

**Frost** · 08-17-2008, 07:24 PM

I have seen this before. Change the oil and change the pushrod(s). Call it a day.

**Pushead** · 08-18-2008, 08:24 AM

Thanks guys. I pulled the oil pan, and there wasn't much debris in there. I've changed the filter, and will probably change it all again in 100 miles or so, just to make sure. I think the next step will be to pull the head and make sure there is no damage on the piston, but I think I just floated it.

**Justin93** · 08-18-2008, 11:47 AM

AHHHH JB weld will fix that lol jk

**TransAm11973** · 08-18-2008, 01:52 PM

sounds to me like a great excuse to buy new heads,.....ahhhemm and maybe a cam while there

**squee** · 08-18-2008, 02:14 PM

M6 I'm guessing?

**Pushead** · 08-24-2008, 07:53 AM

Well, we tore more of the engine apart last night. I don't think it'll start now. :lol

So when we pulled the head, here is what we found on the piston:

My friend works on heads for a living, so he took the head and is going to check out the valves and clean it up. Next week we'll pull the exhaust (it was a bitch to get the head out with the headers in the way), and pull the other head as well. We'll swap the cam and he'll clean the other head and put the new springs on. After that, just put the new exhaust on (hopefully it doesn't scrape!) and rebuild the engine.

It all seems simple when it's typed out like that. This is really my first time attempting anything but simple changes or maintenance on a vehicle. It's kind of exciting and terrifying at the same time!