A rigid metal tube or rod used in overhead valve engines to link the lifters riding on the block-mounted camshaft to the rocker arms on the cylinder head. As the camshaft turns, it pushes the rod upward, which pivots the rocker arm to open the intake or exhaust valve.
Heard on the job
Roll each pushrod on a flat piece of glass to check if they're bent before you reinstall them.
Do not mix it up with
- Overhead cam: Pushrod engines have the camshaft in the block and use rods to reach the valves, whereas overhead cam engines place the camshaft directly over the valves, eliminating pushrods entirely.
Related terms
Rocker arm
A pivoting lever in a valvetrain that transfers cam or pushrod motion to open a valve.
Overhead valve
An engine design where the intake and exhaust valves sit in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber.
Tappet
A mechanical component that transfers linear motion from a camshaft lobe to a valve stem or pushrod.