Hi. This is my first post and I'm glad to be here. I posted this question over at the Ford Barn, but one of the more knowledgeable folks over there suggested I post it here.

When I first bought my '54 Ford wagon it had been started after sitting a long time by the previous owner. Because of build up or maybe a bit of corrosion, the valves were sticking and a few of the original push rods were bent as a result. I straightened them out and ran them until there was no longer an issue with sticky valves. This was several years ago (don't drive my car all that much) so at the time I bought a whole set of new Elgin push rods (part # PR-71s) that were specified for 1954 239 y-block.

I just now decided to put them in the engine, but I now notice that they're different than the originals. My friend at the Ford Barn says they're probably an upgraded and improved push rod that's thicker than the original, but they're also about 1/8" longer than what the originals in my '54  239 y-block are. That added length makes me worry that maybe they aren't the correct pushrod, even though they're what Elgin specifies for my engine and what the vendor sold me back when I bought them. There looks to be more than enough adjustment in the adjuster screw on the rocker arm to make up for the added length of the push rod, but I don't know if there are other considerations. Do you think it's the correct replacement rod? My Ford Barn friend says they're 8 - 17/64" long according to Elgin. I'll try to include a pic. THanks for any help you can provide.