Loose pushrod ends

A friend has two, maybe three pushrods with "loose" top ends - that is, the cup will slide off the alloy.

We have to replace the head gasket soon so will address the problem.
I'm thinking of thoroughly cleaning these joints and reassembling using Loctite 263 (high strength red). I will only put the loctite on the alloy ( to ensure none gets trapped "inside") and clamp them tightly with sash clamps until the Loctite has set.

Has anyone done something similar? If so, how did it work?
Pushrods are not dear but waiting more than a month for delivery (here in OZ) hurts.
Any advice welcome.
Cheers

robs ss said:

A friend has two, maybe three pushrods with "loose" top ends - that is, the cup will slide off the alloy.

We have to replace the head gasket soon so will address the problem.
I'm thinking of thoroughly cleaning these joints and reassembling using Loctite 263 (high strength red). I will only put the loctite on the alloy ( to ensure none gets trapped "inside") and clamp them tightly with sash clamps until the Loctite has set.

Has anyone done something similar? If so, how did it work?
Pushrods are not dear but waiting more than a month for delivery (here in OZ) hurts.
Any advice welcome.
Cheers

Click to expand...

Is 263 up to that amount of heat
Maybe 648 would be better?
Probably not ideal but could the pushrod be knurled to gain some diameter?

robs ss said:

A friend has two, maybe three pushrods with "loose" top ends - that is, the cup will slide off the alloy.

We have to replace the head gasket soon so will address the problem.
I'm thinking of thoroughly cleaning these joints and reassembling using Loctite 263 (high strength red). I will only put the loctite on the alloy ( to ensure none gets trapped "inside") and clamp them tightly with sash clamps until the Loctite has set.

Has anyone done something similar? If so, how did it work?
Pushrods are not dear but waiting more than a month for delivery (here in OZ) hurts.
Any advice welcome.
Cheers

Click to expand...

Andover Norton deliveries often get to Australia much faster than that, less than a week sometimes as long as they have them in stock. Npowershop on ebay from QLD have them advertised currently too, sorry, can't do the link on this device. Classic Bike Spares in NSW appear to have them in stick too.

I use JB Weld Original - it works great!

Manufacturer: Kibblewhite Precision Machining
MADE IN USA

A few years ago I had a "floating" intake pushrod end hydraulically pump up and hold the valve open at about 2000 to 2500 rpm and higher.
I was a bit of a head scratcher, as it idled fine but slowly rev the engine & it was spitting out the one carb.
Pulled the head & valves were ok. The one intake pushrod top end was loose as can be. Freshened things anyhow & replaced all pushrods. Fine now.
Still find it hard to believe but the proof was in the pudding.
Make sure they are solid.
Cheers

baz said:

Is 263 up to that amount of heat
Maybe 648 would be better?
Probably not ideal but could the pushrod be knurled to gain some diameter?

Click to expand...

Thanks.
According the TDS for both they have same temperature ceiling.
Both have to be heated above 250C (482F) to disassemble.

Satan's Aardvark said:

Andover Norton deliveries often get to Australia much faster than that, less than a week sometimes as long as they have them in stock. Npowershop on ebay from QLD have them advertised currently too, sorry, can't do the link on this device. Classic Bike Spares in NSW appear to have them in stick too.

Click to expand...

Thanks - I find Classic Spares a bit on the spendy side - $180/set from them $128/set from AN and the Kibblewhite's @KiwiShane posted are $143/set - all excludes shipping.
My mate's currently deciding whether to go the repair or replace route.
Cheers

I am a tight arse if it can be fixed that's the way I go, while waiting for deliveries he could be riding and it's the right time of year for riding here now.

robs ss said:

Thanks - I find Classic Spares a bit on the spendy side - $180/set from them $128/set from AN and the Kibblewhite's @KiwiShane posted are $143/set - all excludes shipping.
My mate's currently deciding whether to go the repair or replace route.
Cheers

Click to expand...

The Kibblewhites are of course coming from New Zealand with a cheaper frieght cost...hopefully ...
Or dot punch them and/or add a drop of JB high heat epoxy ?

I've used Loctite 603 on quite a few pushrods over the years & never had a problem.

On the "Loctite" Front, I used 638.
It's true that back pressure when fitting is a problem - you want the space full of glue but too much and you get a springy airlock...
It's fiddly but seems to work okay once you get them to stick in the right place.

Have Combat head.
I think I could JUST get away with std pushrods BUT I've got these "mushroom" ended adjusters which use (I guess) about 2mm of space up.
I'm going to try pulling the ends off with a (yet to be created) home-made slide hammer.
Take a bit off the length. Put ends back on with Loctite.
Will report....

I have these for sale @ $90 plus shipping, dont know much about them

Peach said:

On the "Loctite" Front, I used 638.
It's true that back pressure when fitting is a problem - you want the space full of glue but too much and you get a springy airlock...
It's fiddly but seems to work okay once you get them to stick in the right place.

Click to expand...

How do you go about selecting an assembly adhesive? As in the case of the pushrods - they are a reasonably tight fit (should be!) so what ever you put on will scrape off? - you'd like to have the tightest of fits, The adhesive has to deal with high temperatures. oil contamination, high shock loads - you really don't want it to part. Different people recomend different products but if youre using Loctite then only the most appropiate should be used. I've tried to search but struggled to get past threadlocks - and threadlock can't be the right application?
On a side note I just bought some flange sealant Loctite 518 - dissapointed to see it was made in china!

Time I replied just to prove I haven't abandoned ship... It's a bit early as I'm still waiting for bits (pushrods) to squeeze through French customs.
Yes Locktite numbers is a complex affair - I based my choice (638) on reading the info on the internet - but I'd like to consult a real Locktite expert.
I was thinking "Liquid Nitrogen" migh help with getting the steel ends off. Need a freindly dermatologist....
Does anyone know the interference (and tolerances) that Norton aimed at when fitting these ends?
Did they heat the steel and cool the ally - or just push hard ?

On the exhaust side I'm shortening the Valves instead (!!) by 3,2mm and then, as the case hardening is removed, I'm adding 1mm thick lash caps ( which I got from Performance Engineering Services, Yorkshire UK ) .
I'll have 0,5mm clearance betwwen the collets and the lash cap skirt.
I don't like it much - adding bits offends my soul.
I gain 2,2mm - just about accommodating the mushroom adjuster screw heads and leaving me a little room for tappet clearance adjustment. I hope...
I'm doing it this way because the rocker attacked the inboard corner of the valve stem top and the angle would have been even worse if I shortened the pushrods.
On the Inlet side the 'rocker attack angle' (my own silly jargon) is good, so once my mate Jacques has finished my special slide hammer, I'll take the ball ends off the inlet pushrods and shorten them 2mm.

Right - time to phone all the local dermatologists....

More info in this subject here:


Ken

It looks like it's all worked out.
Didn't need Liquid Nitrogen . A slide hammer (+ special end-piece made for the job) took the ends off EASILY.
There was oil in the tube - that surprised me.. These rods being hollow, it's easy to locktite the ends back on as there's negligeable back pressure.
Conclusion :
- To accomodate faced off combat head and mushroom end valve clearance adjuster screws I took 2mm off the valve train - Inlet and Exhaust.
In order to improve attack angle of rockers on valve stem ends :
- On the inlet side I took the 2mm off the Pushrods.
- On the exhaust side I took 3mm off the valve stems an added 1mm lash caps.
Looks good.
Fingers crossed ....
Cheers.
(And a big thankyou to Greg Marsh for the nice old hollow pushrods)

Peach said:

It looks like it's all worked out.
Didn't need Liquid Nitrogen . A slide hammer (+ special end-piece made for the job) took the ends off EASILY.
There was oil in the tube - that surprised me.. These rods being hollow, it's easy to locktite the ends back on as there's negligeable back pressure.
Conclusion :
- To accomodate faced off combat head and mushroom end valve clearance adjuster screws I took 2mm off the valve train - Inlet and Exhaust.
In order to improve attack angle of rockers on valve stem ends :
- On the inlet side I took the 2mm off the Pushrods.
- On the exhaust side I took 3mm off the valve stems an added 1mm lash caps.
Looks good.
Fingers crossed ....
Cheers.
(And a big thankyou to Greg Marsh for the nice old hollow pushrods)

Click to expand...

Now if could just figure out what I did with my bag of bad pushrods I could do some mixing and matching and have good ones! I have a bag of about 20 but my shop black hole has eaten them. No doubt when I find them, I'll find the box with the two missing Norton oil tanks at the same time!

Was 638 your final Locktite choice?

Like Peach, I’ve used 638. No issues.

I have also used it for rocker spindles that like to turn.