Pushrod installation

[83Blzr62]

I bought a set of clevite pushrods and they have copper on one end and steel on the other. I heard that the copper side goes up. Is this true and what is the reason for this?

[mstockton]

The "copper" shouldn't be copper at all, it should be colored that way because of induction hardening. Harder surfaces should exhibit less wear. Someone correct me if I'm wrong on this, but copper on the tip of a pushrod doesn't make much sense to me.

[gmctd]

Could be discoloration from the hardening process

Could be titanium nitride.

The hardest end goes to the rocker arm - the lifter end has least 'oscillation' in the socket

Could just be an indicator to distinguish proper orientation.

Go to their 'site, see what they have to say.

[IUPAC]

If it makes any difference, I just removed a set from my 6.5 and the rocker rod end was copper colored.

[Robyn]

Put the copper colored end to the rockers.
The books all say Paint color to the rockers, but in the real world the copper colored ball is the real deal.
Go with it.
The reason is that the ball on the rocker end is hardened to withstand all the friction from the rocking motion and the lifter end does not see it.

Just put the new ones in with the colored ball up and youuuuuus be fine.

The reason they do this with the copper color is that some of the early ones had paint and it would come off after time and then you were fouled if you took them out and did not mark them as you removed them.

The manuals were never changed to reflect the new marking scheme.

:D :D :D :D

[83Blzr62]

Ok thanks, I just figured copper was soft and thought that it was weird that they put it on the pushrods.

[DmaxMaverick]

Ok thanks, I just figured copper was soft and thought that it was weird that they put it on the pushrods.

Your main and rod bearings are copper. Many pushrod ends are actually copper or bronze clad (bronze is mostly copper). Copper is an excellent self lubricating durable element. Oilite bearings (most common bushings) are copper/bronze.

Copper is relatively soft, but annealed (hardened) copper is fairly hard. As long as a load is spread uniformly onto it (as in a main bearing), copper is very durable, and it will remain intact as long it isn't abraided.

If you analyze your engine oil, you can see a bearing failure developing by watching copper trends.

[Robyn]

For sure the color is to identify the end that goes into the rocker.

Im going to venture a guess here.
There may be a connection as far as the initial break in to the copper flash on the ends of the pushrods.
Im not even sure its actually copper but might be some other plating metal thats used.

Good luck

Robyn