Foil Pushrod - Re-straightening
Foil Pushrod - Re-straightening
The foil pushrod -- which pushes the main foil flap for ride height control -- is easy to bend. Trying to straighten the bends turns them into kinks, and it can get jammed in the narrow hole it travels through. It is a good idea to store it in something that provides protection -- the foil itself can do it, but it leaves an end exposed.
KEEP IT STRAIGHT!
A PVC pipe is a low-cost alternative for keeping your pushrod straight. Store it in the PVC pipe, keep it in place with masking tape.
You can remove the kinks with a sandwich press, locking pliers, drill, gloves and a wood block. Note that this will probably weaken the pushrod slightly every time you do it, and might weaken its rust protection.
The sandwich press (the kind to make paninis) is used to heat the pushrod.
The wood block with drilled holes will provide the straightening force to get the bends out.
Instructions:
Drill multiple holes, as holes are worn out, enlarged, switch to an unused one. If you have soft wood and hard wood, use soft wood first, then hard wood block.
Thread the pushrod through a drill hole and place a section in the heater to warm for about 5 minutes. You can only warm about 9 inches (15 cm) at a time.
After warming, with gloves carefully grab grab both ends of the rod and run the kink through the wood block many times, alternating which side you pull from. Work both directions, always pulling and rotating. AVOID PUSHING the rod through the hole.
Repeat on each section until straightened.
Keep the foil vertical nearby and insert the pushrod to test while it's still warm.
Or.... buy a new one from Fulcrum Speedworks