When I changed my rocker box gaskets for the front cylinder on my '89 883, both pushrods were marked with 3 red bands. I did the rear cylinder last night, and the intake pushrod had 1 red band and the exhaust rod had 3 bands. Is there something weird about that? The 1-band rod is like .03" shorter than the 3 band one. I looked in the shop manual, and it says that the intake rods shoul have 1 band and exhaust should have 3 bands. Why would the front cyl have 2 3-band rods...or does it all have to do with valve train fittment???

I don't think it makes any difference how many bands are painted on the pushrods. The book says they have 1 band. Well, mine have bands on both ends. Looks like the purple band on 1 end is actually 2 bands.

All ya really need to know is that the shortest 2 of the pushrods is for the intakes, and the longer 2 are the exhaust.

My short intake rod is orange

My long exhaust rod is purplish white

All ya really need to know is that the shortest 2 of the pushrods is for the intakes, and the longer 2 are the exhaust.


that clears things up for me, but the real question is why my front cylinder had 2 same length pushrods in it...??

someone who didn't know exactly what they were doing was inside your motor and just used parts he had on hand (at least that would be my guess) if it runs alright I wouldn't worry
down the road if ya do some work on the motor then ya can do it up right

Yeah, I figured that much. The motor has just under 9k miles. It's most likely all original. I'll wait until it's 1200 conversion time to do it up right...
thanks.

The colour and number of bands is a way of the factory identifying the lengths....


SOunds like ya got a wrong un in there......

WHen ya go to ya 1200 conversion, it may be worthwhile buyin some adjustables if ya budget can swing to it.....

Either way when ya ready to go back in lets us know and I'll guide thru checkin the amount of lifter travel and correct pushrod length...

thanks, but I plan on not going in until it is 1200 time. But you never know... I'll surely drop you a line.