F4tal, there's nothing wrong with your pushrods. It's just the cam with that much lift is deffinately going to be a little louder than stock. Trust me Geoff deffinately knows what he's talking about. He tuned my first 5.3. He's one of the best. Seal up those exhaust leaks and it will sound better. Exhaust leaks on headers will fool you on valvetrain noise.