Stuck Pushrod

[Geminijeff]

Hopefully this hasn't been covered before. I just replaced all of my fuel injectors, crossover tubes, fuel lines, with new Bosch parts. As I was torquing the #6 cylinder exhaust valve rocker arm, trying to reach 27 ftlbs, it looked a little funny. I kept slowly turning but never reached 27ftlbs. Just as I was ready to stop and check things out, the rocker arm slipped off the valve bridge. In the process of tightening the rocker arm, I obviously didn't have the pushrod seated in the tappet on the camshaft properly and I bent the pushrod. I can't get it out. Any advise would be very much appreciated. I don't want to pull the head for no reason. This thing is really stuck. I've tried vice grips and light prying to no avail. Someone please help me, lol!! I really do need advise badly. Thanks.

 

[DonFitzwater]

Something doesn't add up. Did you have the pushrod wedged into an area beside the lifter? Did you have the pushrods removed for the injector installation?

 

[Wayne M.]

I did that the first time I did a head gasket on a 12v. The pushrod wasn’t seated ball in cup, and the pushrod did bend. I guess I came up against a TDC piston. Anyhow, I was able to get it out.
I hope maybe you could pull it out to the whip, and perhaps pull on it to straighten it enough to get it out. I hope it’s a front cylinder.

 

[Wayne M.]

Oh. I reread and see it’s #6. Sorry!

 

[Geminijeff]

This darn thing is making me crazy. Of course it has to be cylinder #6, go figure. It couldn't happen on number 1. I'm going to try 2 pairs of vice grips tomorrow, one on each side if I have the room. I figure that would be kind of like a handle I could pull on. I've had others tell me to pull the head, but since the head sits on dowls, you'd have to get the pushrods out first. This is really frustrating. It would be nice if there was some kind of puller that would work. Any ideas there?

 

[Geminijeff]

Also, sorry to hear you did the same thing on your 12 valve, but at least now I know I'm not the only one, lol.

 

[Geminijeff]

To Donfitzwater, yes, I had removed the exhaust rocker to remove the old fuel injector and install the new one. Like you were saying, I'm pretty sure the pushrod wasn't seated in the cup on the tappet and it wedged against something down there and I bent it good.

 

[Geminijeff]

I did that the first time I did a head gasket on a 12v. The pushrod wasn’t seated ball in cup, and the pushrod did bend. I guess I came up against a TDC piston. Anyhow, I was able to get it out.
I hope maybe you could pull it out to the whip, and perhaps pull on it to straighten it enough to get it out. I hope it’s a front cylinder.

How did your engine run after you removed the bent pushrod, reinstalled a new one, and set the lash? Did it run OK? Was anything else damaged? Thanks for sharing that with me.

 

[Wayne M.]

It was all fine!

 

[Geminijeff]

It was all fine!

That's a relief. Thanks again. I'm going to try what you suggested this afternoon.