I recently bought a light weight mechanical fuel pump push rod from an engine rebuild shop and didn't realize how many of these things are out there until I started looking for them. The one I bought wasn't in a box or package of any kind and the guy who sold it to me told me it was from Pioneer. I checked the Pioneer Automotive parts site and found this to be a ARP (same company that makes bolts and such) part with a ARP part number. My question is, I am using a GM hydraulic roller cam and GM has a regular steel run of the mill push rod in the parts list for this engine. But I read in the latest issue of Chevy High Performance that you MUST use a special push rod for hydraulic roller cams. Has anybody got any solid info on this. I realize the lightweight push rod is for high rpm use and isn't really necessary for a street motor, but it's the tip material that I'm concerned with. Especially after reading the article in CHP. :confused:
Thanks
Jim

I used a fuel pump rod with a bronze (I think) end on it with my roller cam. Bronze end toward the cam. I don't know if I had to but better safe than sorry.

I have a Comp roller and most asked said bronze tip. Turns out my cam has a concentric lobe that uses a std pushrod. If you mis-match you will have premature failure that could be very costly... Same for the distributor drive gear... I believe billit cams are the ones that require bronse but I don't know that for a fact... Follow the manufactures recomendation and you're good to go!!

In your case tell the parts guy at a Chevy dealership what engine you have, it sounds like you have already done that though!! A cam is only a few hundred bucks but if it goes, it can cost you the whole engine and that's not cheap!!

Unless you are seriously involved in competition the weight of the fuel pump push rod is of no importance IMO!!

Thanks for the replies.
Having worked for a GM dealer and because I deal with several of them now, I wouldn't ask them a question like that. All I would get is that Deer in the headlights stare. (my apologies to parts guys who know their stuff, where ever you are? It's kind of a tech question anyway.) GM Performance Parts e-mailed me back and didn't know either! I'm waiting for them to get back to me after they find out? I have the LT4 Hot Cam. The light weight push rod I used has hardened tips, but how hard are they? The stock GM steel push rod is pretty hard too. Iv'e been using an old one for a bearing drift for a while now and it seems to hold up better than my Snap On drift. Oh well. I'll print the e-mail they send me back and use what they tell me. If it damages the engine at least I'll have it in writing.
Jim

I'm also using the HOT cam with a stock GM pushrod.

No problems, been in there 2 years.

i've got the HOT cam, and have used a stocker for the last 3 years. of coarse, the stocker i have is from a factroy roller cam engine, but it looks just like any other old pushrod. i don't remember reading anything about the fuel pump pushrod in the instructions that came with the cam kit.

no experience with a gm hyd. roller, but ran into this with my isky solid roller. i bought the same one (arp) you have now, but started thinking about the fact the solid rollers need a bronze dist gear, how about the fuel pump pushrod? called arp about it, and if i could see through the phone i know it would have been the "blank stare, deer in headlights" look on thier face, no answer, just pure confusion. in short, great fasteners, crappy tech support. then i called isky, who generally is great with tech help, and they just told me, "good question", but said it was probably a good idea. gave up on other people in the end, went with my own feelings, and ordererd the comp pushrod with the bronze tip, and no problems yet. after the fact an engine builder buddy of mine said it likely wont matter in the long run, has seen factory ones run on roller cams without any trouble, but its a good bet to go ahead and use the bronze tipped one. but, if gm lists a standard one as the part #, i cant imagine why it wouldn't be o.k. like you say, at least you'll have it in writing. good luck with it!

Thanks again for the replies guys.
I've found out from one source, that it is recommended to use a bronze tip pushrod for a STEEL cam and a hardened regular tip or a stock pushrod for a CAST cam. My engine shop says he's been selling the regular tip lightweight rod to a lot of people for any cam and hasn't had any complaints. Yet! Oh well, I'm going to play it safe and use a bronze tip rod. The Hot cam is a billet steel cam.
Thanks
Jim