TheSamba.com :: View topic - Bent Pushrod- why?

Thu Apr 20, 2023 8:51 am

Hi All,

A stock 1600 dual port (1972) is being put together after top end checkout/cleanup. It was working well before the work.

Disassembly showed no significant issues. Just checked deck height and installed a 10 mil cylinder shim, where it only had paper gasket before. No valve work was done and valves were not removed ( although valve springs were removed.)

In final top end assembly, everything looked good except Cylinder 2 intake (I believe) push rod was bent slightly, all others were straight.

1) Could this be a sign of a more serious problem with a valve for example?
2) is it ok to try to replace just the one push rod, or am I better off replacing all push rods?

Help will be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Thu Apr 20, 2023 10:10 am

1. Hard to say, but it could be the push rod was just slightly bent when first installed, and has increased that bend from normal use.

2. Yes, unless there is obvious damage to the other push rods.

Thu Apr 20, 2023 10:34 am

I had that same experience recently. Here is my journey:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=767130&highlight=

I also learned that if you mistakenly switch sparkplugs such that neither 3 nor 4 are firing (or 1 and 2), then the pushrods are vulnerable.

Thu Apr 20, 2023 11:25 am

Tom K. wrote:
I also learned that if you mistakenly switch sparkplugs such that neither 3 nor 4 are firing (or 1 and 2), then the pushrods are vulnerable.

Thinking you mean spark plug cables switched....

Thu Apr 20, 2023 11:25 am

Interesting about spark plugs not firing correctly causing problems.

I remember that when the engine was first started after being rebuilt (by amateur me) about 40k miles ago, the distributor wires were wrong and the engine ran terribly for a bit before the wire order was figured out. I always worried about stressing a new engine in that way. Maybe it started a warp on the push rod. And maybe it just started with a bit of a warp and got worse over time.

Thanks!

Thu Apr 20, 2023 12:39 pm

I would pop a new one in and run it. Be concerned if it happens again. Did your tube survive the bent rod?

Thu Apr 20, 2023 8:14 pm

Tom K. wrote: I would pop a new one in and run it. Be concerned if it happens again. Did your tube survive the bent rod?

I didn’t notice any damage to the push rod tube, but it was several years ago and the old tubes were discarded. The bend was actually minor, only found it rolling it on a table as recommended in the old YouTube series on engine rebuilding (DragRacingTV). (I like that series with a good old school builder from what looks like the 1990s.)

Thanks for the advice about putting in a new push rod and watching for a repeat. I found a local old VW shop here in NS Canada that will sell me a single push rod (if they can dig it out of the attic). CIP1 wanted to sell complete sets.

Thanks all!