Really--I cant speak for VW's--but i have seen bent pushrods on corvairs.
very similar to the wasser boxer valve train--meaning hyd lifters. easily
bent by over tightening the valves. I rebuilt one corvair engine that had 3
bent push rods. Guy at rear engine specialist (probably the best and one of
the few corvair shops around) told me it was fairly easy and he see's it
alot. maybe these are just weaker than the VW rods. I know i've never seen
one on all the air cooleds i've rebuilt--but those werent hyd. lifters. i'd
love to hear more about this.

as a thought--i'll check the archives--but whats a good way to check the
lifter to see if maybe its dead and causing the problem

mike

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Can't comment on all the H20 questions since I'm an air-head, but I can
comment on the pushrod thing.

I'd find out *exactly* how this one got bent before I did anything else.
In seventeen years of VW experience, I've only seen a few bent pushrods;
not a common failure IMHO.