pushrod

American  

[poosh-rod] / ˈpʊʃˌrɒd /

Or push rod

noun

Automotive.

1. a rod in an overhead-valve engine that is part of the linkage used to open and close the valves.

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pushrod British  

/ ˈpʊʃˌrɒd /

noun

1. a metal rod transmitting the reciprocating motion that operates the valves of an internal-combustion engine having the camshaft in the crankcase

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Etymology

Origin of pushrod

First recorded in 1905–10; push + rod

Example Sentences

Introduced in 2019, it was the first pushrod V8 Ford built in nearly 20 years.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

But the big news is what’s old: the continuing availability of Ford’s high-output 7.3-liter V8, a naturally aspirated, pushrod actuated, gas-guzzling anachronism nicknamed Godzilla.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

The top version of the 7.3-liter pushrod motor is officially rated at 430 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque and comes mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission.

From Fox News • Aug. 1, 2019

With the linkage-lever bottomed out, snap the pushrod back in place.

From Time Magazine Archive

Instead of the movable stop operating directly on the rocker roller to hold the exhaust valve open, it was located underneath a collar on the pushrod.

From The Wright Brothers' Engines and Their Design by Hobbs, Leonard S.