How to Install Adjustable Pushrod Guideplates on a Big-Block Chevy
Setting up a big-block Chevy Valvetrain is incredibly easy. In this tech installment, we’ll show you how to properly set up a set of Dart BBC adjustable pushrod guideplates.
From horsepower to engine longevity, valve train geometry is everything. And, in the world of big-block Chevrolet engines, some finessing is almost always required. Due to tolerance stacking on factory blocks, varying aftermarket components, and about 10,000 other reasons, adjustable pushrod guide plates are a necessity––something Dart Machinery founder, Richard Maskin realized a long time ago when he patented the big-block Chevy adjustable guideplate.
Before that product was introduced, engine builders had to cut, tack weld, check, repeat to get their rockers to correctly align over the valve stems. Now, the process is much simpler, extremely adjustable, and can be handled in no time. In the photos below, we’ll walk you through the entire process of setting up adjustable pushrod guideplates for a big-block Chevy head.
Install both the intake and exhaust pushrods in the respective guideplate slot. We used Trend Performance pushrods for this engine.
Using a drift and dead-blow hammer, lightly tap the guideplate to move it backward or forward. As the guideplate rotates, so will the rocker arm. Check the rocker alignment after each tap with the hammer.