Changing the cover gasket and was noticing every pushrod has a rust line on it? Anyone ever seen this before? It's a 99 sport btw!

 

What makes you so sure it's rust, could it be "up"?

 

Up?


Not following, it's wipes off easy with your finger. And it goes completely across the pushrods, all in the same place.

 

Mine have orange stripes as well. Could be pushrod length designators.

 

That is one clean valve train. U must be one of those that raises a hood occasionally.

 

He's showing off.

 

Not rust. It's paint.

 

I just know how to take care of my ride! Haha

 

So it's painted from the factory?

 

Yes.

 

Interesting, I've never seen that before. I guess I know what I learned today! So what is the purpose of it?

 

I know this is an old thread, but Ken is right, it's a length designator from the factory assembly. Mopar also color painted rods to designate journal thickness when they build it. They say so in the FSM. They measured the preload on the lifters and select different size pushrods to gain the right .020 to .060 preload. Vital when setting up an engine. if you ever replace them it's worth it to measure the pushrods first, otherwise you could end up pounding your lifters and cam to bits, or not opening your valves fully.
It is good but kind of scary that the factory used different length pushrods because if you just go buy them at the store you will get what you get.