Push rod gauge
AssigneeRivera Engineering, Inc.
InventorsMelvin N. Magnet, Gerald L. Magnuson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A push rod gauge for finding the optimum length of push rods in a push rod engine. The gauge has a mounting bracket which is affixed to a cylinder head after the rocker arm has been removed, a push rod holding channel is held by the face plate and has measuring marks on its outer surface. A push rod member is placed in the conventional position of a push rod and the cam shaft is turned. The position at which the push rod moves an equal length above and below a zero line mark is noted. A push rod is then adjusted or cut to this preferred length. The device can be used on any engine having push rods.
Claims14
A push rod gauge affixed to an engine for finding the optimum length of push rods for use in a push rod engine of the type which has a cylinder head, a cam shaft, said push rod gauge comprising:
- a push rod with an upper end and a smooth cylindrical portion near said upper end;
- a mounting bracket affixed to said cylinder head, said mounting bracket having a base with means for securement to a cylinder head, and said mounting bracket having a face plate;
- a push rod holding channel held by said face plate of said mounting bracket, said push rod holding channel holding the smooth cylindrical portion of said push rod;
- and
- measuring indicia visually allignable with the upper end of said push rod, said measuring indicia including an optimum half lift measuring mark and a plurality of marks on both sides of said optimum half lift measuring mark, said measuring indicia positioned above said push rod holding channel whereby the vertical position of the upper end of said push rod may be determined by observing its position along the measuring indicia as the cam shaft of an engine is turned.
A push rod gauge affixed to the head of an engine having a head, a cam shaft, a plurality of push rods each having a longitudinal axis, said push rod gauge comprising:
- a mounting bracket affixed to the head of said engine, said mounting bracket having means for removable attachment to the head of said engine;
- means for slidably holding a push rod having a central axis, said means for slidably holding a push rod being positioned on said mounting bracket so that the longitudinal axis of a push rod of said engine will lie along the central axis of said means for slidably holding a push rod and wherein the means for slidably holding a push rod is a channel having a right side member, a left side member, generally parallel to the right side member and a channel base and wherein said right side member and said left side member are slightly inclined toward each other so that a push rod may be snapped into said channel and the push rod may slide up and down without binding against the channel;
- and
- measuring indicia comprising a plurality of parallel straight lines positioned adjacent and above said means for slidably holding a push rod and said plurality of parallel straight lines being at a 90 degree angle with respect to the central axis of the means for slidably holding a push rod, whereby when the cam shaft of said engine is turned, the position of the top of a push rod, held in said means for slidably holding a push rod, can be measured against the measuring indicia.
A push rod gauge for finding the optimum length of push rods for use in a push rod engine of the type which has a cylinder head, a pedestal mounted rocker mounted on a rocker stud supported by said engine head, a plurality of valves each having a valve stem top, and a cam shaft, said push rod gauge comprising:
- a mounting bracket affixable to a cylinder head by being affixed on said rocker stud from which the rocker has been removed said mounting bracket having a face plate held thereby;
- a push rod measuring member, comprising an elongated rod having a top end and a bottom end;
- a push rod holding channel held by said face plate, said push rod holding channel being of sufficient width to slidingly hold the push rod measuring member;
- and
- measuring indicia positioned on said face plate above said push rod holding channel said measuring indicia being visually allignable with the top of said push rod measuring member and said measuring indicia including an optimum half lift measuring mark and said measuring indicia including a plurality of marks on both sides of said optimum half lift measuring mark whereby the vertical position of the top end of said push rod measuring member may be determined by observing the position of the top end with respect to the measuring indicia as the cam shaft of the engine is turned.
A process for determining the optimum length of a push rod for use with a push rod engine of the type having a plurality of push rods, rocker arms, a cylinder head, a plurality of valves and a cam shaft supporting a plurality of cams, said process comprising:
- removing at least one push rod and at least one rocker arm from the engine leaving an exposed push rod passageway;
- supporting a push rod gauge above the exposed push rod passageway, said push rod gauge having indicia indicating an optimum one-half lift measuring mark and indicia on both sides of said measuring mark, said indicia comprising an indicia area;
- placing a push rod measuring member into said push rod passageway so that a lower end thereof contacts a cam and an upper end thereof extends above said push rod passageway and adjacent said indicia area;
- turning said cam shaft;
- and
- measuring the distance above and below said half cam lift measuring mark as the upper end of the push rod measuring member moves up and down to provide data to determine the optimum push rod length.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.