I pulled my head to replace my head gasket, and one of my push rods is bent a lot. It's been gouged from rubbing. At least one other is noticeably bent. Somebody suggested I might be able to straighten them rather than get new ones. This strikes me as a bad idea, but I wouldn't mind getting my engine put back together today. Should I straighten or get new ones?

Is there anything else I should do\check for while I've got the head off?

 

New ones, most definately.
Do you know what caused the head gasket failure & bent rods??

 

1st of aqll you need to find out why the push rods are bent over revved mechanical interference? what motor is this a 351c?

 

I've been thinking about how they got bent...and a few times gotten my car WAY too hot. I never could figure out what was happening to the water...so far I've replaced my thermostat, radiator trying to fix it, but I'm thinking it was the head gasket. It got it so hot, I cracked my exhaust manifold. Could that've warped my rods?

P.S. I've got an inline 200.

 

do you have a manual tranny? maybe you or someone downshifted into first while going to fast?

 

Nope, wish I did. I'ts a 3 speed auto

 

When I took my 351W apart, I found 8 bent push rods. I found the culprit when I took the head apart. The valve guides were extremely worn out. I had cheeped out when I originally built the engine and had hat the guides knurled instead of replacing them.

 

thats strange to even see bent pushrods from loose guides. its TIGHT guides that end up sticking and bending pushrods.

in any case, you MUST replace them if they are bent

 

Most likely over-revving, resulting in valve/piston contact. Since you've got the head off, I'd check for bent valves and marks on the pistons.