Quote Originally Posted by timsrv View Post
FYI: A few common mistakes (below):

Mixing up push rods
Push rods, lifters, and rocker arms are all the same when new, but as they break-in they develop unique wear patterns. Because of this, after break-in they should always stay paired with the parts they were originally mated with. Swapping push rods around or flipping them upside down will make them go through this break-in process again. Depending on how similar the wear patterns may (or may not) be, mixing these up can cause excessive wear and likely lead to premature failure. Typically it's considered acceptable to throw a new part into the mix, but not a previously used one. You can avoid early failure by keeping things in order. A good way to do this is to flip a cardboard box upside down and poke 8 holes in the bottom. Make the holes in a straight line and mark what end is the front. As you take the push-rods out, start on one end and remove them in order. As you remove them poke them right side-up into the holes (in the order they came out).
I have always kept track of my pushrods in this way, but I was doing it at the shop ( for those who dont know I am a toyota forklift tech at a forklift dealer) and my Toyota Certified Trainer asked why. I told him and he realated that he always did that too, until a few years ago. He said he would bring into a rebuilder all in order in cardboard, and one time the rebuilder asked him why he does that. He explained why, and the guy told him "thats all fine and dandy, but when I toss it all in the cleaner they get mixed up. Hes never had a problem, and said that if the lifters are good they should make up for any differences. Not my two cents, but someone elses. just figured Id add it to a post