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Connecting rods vs push rods

mdorkenhoff

mdorkenhoff

Drawing a Blank
Joined
Jun 12, 2009
Location
San Jose
Moto(s)
Tuono 660
tldr; Has "the thing that connects the crankshaft to the piston" ever been known as a push rod? As far as I can remember, it's always been a connecting rod, because it connects :)

Background: I was describing my Tuono 660 engine swap (bad connecting rods) to a friend who believes he knows all things motorcycle. When I told him about the issue, he said something along the lines of the issue being with push rods. I corrected him and then he said "they're the same thing, in the old days we used to call them push rods."

I've been taking engines apart since the early 70s and as near as I can tell, the thing between the piston and the crankshaft was always a connecting rod and the thing between the lifter and the rocker arm that made the valve open and close is a push rod.

It's not me, right?

Thanks.
 
Lemme' guess. For more than a decade your friend has been buying the beer because he's been losing bets.
 
It's silly for those two names to mean the same thing when some engines have separate parts for each name. But if your buddy has never seen an engine with push-rods, I guess the names can be confused.
 
You are right, he is wrong. Connecting rods have always been connecting rods. And push rods have always been push rods. A quick perusal of a very early service manual will tell you the same story except that there may not even be a push rod in some manuals because the engines discussed simply didn’t have them. But they always had connecting rods.

Your buddy owes you a 12 pack of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
 
Push rods in engines used to be used to open the valves, in time with the crank. Overhead cams eliminated the need for push rods. Some Hardley engines still have them because 1950
 
...and another thing!

Yep, push rods are not connecting rods anymore than the intersection for 35/9 is 'Four Corners'. No, that's the hot dog cart.

The intersection of 35/84 is FOUR CORNERS. Alice's, Skylonda, STP, etc. is the location named such. If you are a newbie from the South Bay and only ride up 9 and slide down the other side, that stop at the top is not The Four Corners and more than a push rod is a connecting rod.

/rant
 
slydrite said:
Push rods in engines used to be used to open the valves, in time with the crank. Overhead cams eliminated the need for push rods. Some Hardley engines still have them because 1950
Click to expand...

Or, in the case of flat head engines, the cam acted directly on the lifter.
 
slydrite said:
Push rods in engines used to be used to open the valves, in time with the crank. Overhead cams eliminated the need for push rods. Some Hardley engines still have them because 1936
Click to expand...
Fixed that for you…
 
ST Guy said:
Or, in the case of flat head engines, the cam acted directly on the lifter.
Click to expand...

The lifter still rides on the cam in an OHV situation. The pushrod sits between the rocker arm and the lifter.
Regardless.
 
Jalopyshoppe said:
Fixed that for you…
Click to expand...

:laughing:thumbup

Indian just sort of gave up ... :toothless

19fa26db6a77dbafbbd0ff389137412b.jpg
 
slydrite said:
Push rods in engines used to be used to open the valves, in time with the crank. Overhead cams eliminated the need for push rods. Some Hardley engines still have them because 1950
Click to expand...

As does the C-8 Vette because 1953
 
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