7/16 pushrods guidplates and tapered ends

so I am near the end on a 578 build and I decided to go with 7/16 pushrods. 0.165 wall 3/8 would have worked, but this engine build has been about exploring things I hadn't done before (read, how to make a few $$ mistakes).

anyway, I have the 7/16 rods I want and flex is gone, but i have a few questions on guide plates. these are comp pushrods and the last inch or so they taper down to the 5/16 ball. of course it has to have this taper to transition into a ball.

so this taper causes a little loosness within the guide plate fingers at rest, more than I would like. I have to massage the comp 4838 3/8 guide plates to fit the full lift diameter, but then at rest they are loose. These are "step up" guide plates which gave me an idea. if I cut them in half and flip them over they are step down guide plate. this gets me very near the straight shank part of the pushrod and I only have about 0.25" of linear taper to deal with. this would allow for less slop a rest

Before I start cutting and welding, how do others deal with this short bit of taper and guide plates (or by the time you really need 7/16 is everyone running rail rockers).

The other question, how close do guide plates really need to be?

thank you for any insight

chris

Tapered pushrods were meant for shaft mount rockers with no guide plates. I don’t know of anyway to make tapered push rods work with guide plates

well, that probably explains why they sell very few guide plates for 7/16.

realize the taper is only about an inch of length from the tip. after this its a straight shank.

honestly though, it looks like if I want to go through the trouble, cutting them in half and flipping them over, making them a step down guide plate will work. this gets the plate fingers low enough down that the push rod is full size (or just nearly).

ChrisH wrote:well, that probably explains why they sell very few guide plates for 7/16.

realize the taper is only about an inch of length from the tip. after this its a straight shank.

honestly though, it looks like if I want to go through the trouble, cutting them in half and flipping them over, making them a step down guide plate will work. this gets the plate fingers low enough down that the push rod is full size (or just nearly).

When I order rods for guide plates I get them with the usual ~1/2" tips.

ahh,

thanks lem. I dug deeper and found 7/16 rods with no tapered ends, just swedged at the end, I assume this is what you are speaking of. these would work a lot better
in other words, I ordered the wrong part. should have research longer. well that has never happened before.

well,

ChrisH wrote:ahh,

thanks lem. I dug deeper and found 7/16 rods with no tapered ends, just swedged at the end, I assume this is what you are speaking of. these would work a lot better
in other words, I ordered the wrong part. should have research longer. well that has never happened before.

well,

You are on to it now! Feel free to call any time, I can help you with stuff like that.

ChrisH wrote:ahh,

thanks lem. I dug deeper and found 7/16 rods with no tapered ends, just swedged at the end, I assume this is what you are speaking of. these would work a lot better
in other words, I ordered the wrong part. should have research longer. well that has never happened before.

well,

I was going to say you got something goofy going. My Trend pushrods have maybe 1/2" of taper on each end and have none of the issues you are dealing with. Just order new correct pushrods and not have to deal with the guide plate issues. That's not to say you still may have to cut and move the plates some anyway to get the roller rockers centered over the valve tips....

yes these comp parts have close to 1.5" of taper on each end. that extra inch is the problem. not really sure what the little bit of taper would buy anybody. I get the dual taper stuff for clearance, but this bit of taper just makes certain guide plates cant work. not a big deal, just wanted to talk with some people the know before I tried again.

ChrisH wrote:yes these comp parts have close to 1.5" of taper on each end. that extra inch is the problem. not really sure what the little bit of taper would buy anybody. I get the dual taper stuff for clearance, but this bit of taper just makes certain guide plates cant work. not a big deal, just wanted to talk with some people the know before I tried again.

I'm sure comp buys their rods from the same place I do....Trend. Unless you know to order otherwise the 7/16" x .165" wall stuff comes with what Trent calls 1-5/8" tips.

yes, 1 5/8" is exactly what they are.

ill figure out what I am doing and get with you Lem. honestly I didn't even think of you guys for parts like these. I usually think of you guys for heads, rotating assemblies, and valve trains. Never figured you guys messed with "simple old pushrods". I should really stop assuming stuff like that.

thank you for the help

Smith Brothers can custom make you what you need in push rods

There are a couple things to reconsider. First if you have ground the guide plate opening to make clearance then there went the Heat Treat and the Guide Plates are no longer as hard or tough as the Push Rods and wear will occur and metal particles will be in the oil.
If you want to do it right and not waste time and money, you should just buy Shaft Rockers. The cost for Jesel Sportsman Rockers are only about $1,000 to $1,200. So it is a lot but when you consider a Quality set of Roller Rockers cost $400 to $500 Studs are $40 to $50 and Guide Plates that don’t work are close to $50 and what good would all that be without Stud Girdles which add another $200 plus and what you have still doesn’t work, so add $200 to $300 to what you would have spent and just get Shaft Rockers. By the way if you want to get closer on cost consider Yella Terra Shaft Rockers they are out of Australia and are sold here as well.