well we went and ran the rigs yesterday on the river for the first time in a while. i Have a mud buddy hd4000 on a 1648 mod v boat. i am verry happy with the speeds im getting....gps is reading right at 30!. I have yet to hook up my rev limitor to the motor bc it just came in not long ago and i bought the motor used. while running up the river the motor kicks up out of the water and all of a sudden would only turn about 1400 rpms and sounded like crap. i limped back to the ramp and opened up the motor. sure enough one of the small rods had came out( sorry idk the correct term for these but they are under the covers that are silver or galvanized looking) but i got it put back in and the motor seems to be doing fine now. Do i need to have it tuned by a pro or will it be fine. idleing i believe it is running like it should and when i rev it up everthing sounds right. I think it was a easy fix but i dont want any other problems to occur bc of this. i am going to get my rev limitor on asap! Thanks for any help

Sounds like you over revved your motor when it kicked up, and you lost a push rod. As long as the rod was not bent, and you installed it correctly, you should be fine. I would check your valve lash just to make sure this is set correctly. Just search for valve lash and you will find out how to do it.

Also, you may want to install that rev limiter now....

X2 on what SP said.

If you over rev the motor and the valves start to float, the push rods can pop out of position. However, you are very lucky in that some times when they do, they fall into the rocker arm and can do other damage or get bent.

Also, I wouldnt be surprised if you found that the rocker arm clearance is not within spec.

yeah the revlimitor is fo sho going on this week lol. and im going to have some one take a look at it just to make sure everything is in proper position, like i said i fixed it at the boat ramp and it sounded right when i reved it up and all the power cam back to it once the push rod was installed again. i did take the push rod all the way out and roll it on the benck in my boat like you would do a pool stick to see if it was warped any and seemed to not be bent at all. Thanks for the help.

You should check the valve lash before you run it too much more.

check your valve clearances, with the valve cover off, roll over your engine till the intake valve is depressed(open), then set the lash with a feeler gauge on the exhaust valve. roll engine over to where the exhaust valve is depressed(open), and then set the intake lash with a feeler gauge, repeat on other cylinder. Adjust where the feeler gauge can move freely side to side, but you can't move the rocker arm up and down, no tap. And if you start it up and it has a little valve noise, adjust them again, you will know when it is right... no loud tapping and no exhaust popping or backfires.
To check your push rods, put them out on a true flat surface and roll them, if they hop, they are bent, if not they are good.
Find out what your valve lash is for intake and exhaust.
Pick up some feeler gauges at local auto parts store.
Easy to do, no need to take to "professionALL".

thanks!

hand turn your engine in its normal direction of rotation. valves must be set in the base circle of the lobe. such as when the exhaust valve begins to open adjust the intake valve. that is when the intake lifter will be in the base circle of the lobe. set your lash on the intake valve. after you set it rotate engine watching the intake valve. the intake valve will go to full lift than begin to close when the intake is almost closed adjust the exhaust valve. at that point your exhaust lifter will be on the base circle of the cam. set your exhaust lifter at the specs that db8 stated. this can all be done by holding on to the push rods.