6.0 / 6.4 Power Stroke Diesel Pushrods

Due to the overall length of the Stock 6.0 and 6.4 pushrods being almost 10 inches, we feel the strength of the OEM pushrods are not adequate for anything other than a stock vehicle. When the stress on the pushrod surpasses what is considered a reasonable window of operation, the OEM pushrod is not designed to support the additional load that the valve train system is experiencing.


To provide increased pushrod column strength and valve train stability, we offer 11/32, 3/8 and 7/16 diameter “3 Piece” pushrods. Our pushrods are manufactured with 4130/4135 seamless Chromoly tubing with a variety of heat treating conditions and wall thickness’ available, all coming standard with our billet steel tip ends. These tips have been CNC machined from 86L20 bar stock that is then core hardened and triple tempered , providing increased impact and wear resistance. This combination of materials and heat treatment procedures will extend the service life of the pushrod, while improving overall performance of your valve train. Our versatility in engineering and design allows us to manufacture a product that will enhance the specific combination of your engine.


When we sit down to engineer a pushrod, we always try to fit the largest diameter pushrod we can, within the space available. With the window we have to work in, the stock 11/32 diameter is the largest diameter pushrod that will drop right in without any modifications. However, by increasing the diameter of the tubing from the stock 11/32 to 3/8, we can spread the load over a larger surface area without causing the pushrods to bind with the port of the cylinder head. 3/8 diameter will require the port hole of the head gasket to be relieved to fit the larger diameter. This larger diameter pushrod will provide almost 50% more loading capacity than a 11/32 diameter before beginning to deflect. Larger diameter is always a better choice when it comes to pushrods.


If you have made any changes to the engine requiring custom length pushrods, we sell pushrod length checking tools with proper ball radius’ to replicate the OEM pushrod in both the 6.0 and 6.4 engines. Correct pushrod length will allow you to keep stock rocker geometry and therefore ,allowing the scrubber pad of the rocker arm to correctly ride the contact area of the valve bridge. If the pushrod length is not correct, it will change the pre-load of the hydraulic unit to be incorrect, resulting in premature failure.


All in all, pushrods are a very important link in the valve train that are often overlooked at the expense of performance and service life.


Note of interest: Ford has decided to supersede the original 6.0 pushrod length of 9.850 and is now going to supply only one length pushrod for both the 6.0 & 6.4 engines. We would suggest this superseded length for anyone with the stock 6.4 engine combination.