I'm installing SE255 cams in sometime in the Spring. I'm thinking of going with adjustable push rods. I thought I would check with you guys that already have them or know someone that does. Are they pretty reliable if properly installed?

Thanks in advance, to those that reply.

 

No down side at all just MAKE SURE you are on cam base circle of the pushrod your adjusting.

 

Tighten 'em up correctly and ride!

 

What they said. 10k on my SE tapered and no problems so far (knocking on wood as I type....)

 

Good side is you dont have to remove the heads for install

 

Christmas Eve I installed a ser of TP rocker boxes and shimmed the rockers on my bike. It had SE adjustable rods installed for the past year and about 6000 miles. When I was removing them the locking nut on one of the rods fell off in two pieces. I have known of the lock nut to loosen and cause the rod to go out of its effective range. I left a new set of adjustables on the work bench and installed the original one piece. If I have to open the cam chest and need to remove the push rods I will cut the one piece with my bolt cutters and replace them with adjustables to avoid removiing the rockers. I think the adjustables are reliable, but not as reliable as one piece. If I were you I would go with the adjustables to avoid pulling the rockers unless you are going to shim the rockers.

 

You don't have to remove the heads to reuse the stock ones either.

 

I have never had a problem with them.

Rick

 

User experience may vary...

I had a set in mine when I did the cam support plate upgrade. I also had to go back inside the cam chest to check some other things. After about 3-4 times of removing the adjustable push rods, I realized the ones I had in there were a bit hard to adjust down far enough to remove without having to remove the lifter blocks.

The ones that were in there when I got the bike, had flats on the bottom end for the wrench. Those flats were in a position where they would not allow the full length to be adjusted to it's shortest. There was almost another 3/4" of threads below the flats. So the last portion had to be adjusted in using my fingers. Once the adjusting process had been done so many times, the threads became mucked up from tightening the lock nuts. So it became increasingly difficult to turn the last portion with my fingers, so I began using the only thing which would work, pliers.

Yep, the threads even got worse, so that forced me to buy new ones. I found there were many different configurations in the way they lock. Some had hex on all three - top, bottom and lock nut. Others like my original set had flats on the threaded portion. Then there were also different sizes to facilitate removing some irritating rattle because the top part of the push rods would tend to come into contact with the upper part of the push rod tubes when the lifter was fully extended. So there are also some which are tapered to smaller diameter at the top.

Anyway, the set that I finally purchased was a smaller diameter, and had hex on upper and lower. Seemed a good choice. Thing is when I installed them, they would not adjust short enough to remove without still taking the lifter blocks off. It is not easy to adjust the push rods when they both have to be in place before you can begin. But that's what I ended up with. I'll change them out again the next time I have to, but till then they are what they are.

So, my answer to the OP's question is YES, adjustable push rods are reliable. But you still need choose wisely. I don't have the particular brand names of those I have expeerienced the problems I noted above. The reciepts I have from the previous owner shows they had SE 204 cams installed, and SE lifters. I'm going to guess the push rods would have been SE also, but this was around '03 or '04, so prolly an older style than the newer SE's. The ones I installed were a generic brand, which I picked out of J&P Cycle catalog.

From what I've found during my research after having the issues I had, I would suggest which ever brand you select, try to make sure they are at least tapered, and what they call 'easy install'. I believe I've seen a set or two which 'easy install' in some form was part of the particular name. And be sure not to over tighten the lock nuts. Even though I am a 'seasoned' mechanic, I still managed to muck up the threads after so many adjustments, and I still made a poor choice when I purchased the replacements.

One last suggestion...
I've got around 3000 miles on the set of adj push rods I installed, and they seem to be making a little bit of noise now. I believe it's time for another adjustment. So, I would suggest anyone with adjustable push rods check theirs at 2500 mile intervals, at least once after the initial install.