All the rods are out of the truck (middle of head gasket replacement) - am I just basically inspecting to see if they're bent as a criteria for replacement? They all have a small flat spot on the end about the diameter of a q-tip shaft, but they're all the same in that way too. One isn't anymore worn than any other.

 

All of mine have the same flat spot. Bent is a different issue though so yes, check that.

 

Awesome, thanks! It was running just fine before, so no reason to think anything is amiss.

 

To check if they're bent, just roll them on a piece of glass or any other flat surface like a countertop.

I hope you kept track of the location from which each pushrod came so you can reinstall them in their original locations. That's recommended.

 

I did indeed, yep.