I tried the 5/64 pins on another set of pushrods I had just to see how it would work. First, yep 1” is way too long especially when the fit is as tight as it is, so Stanton’s question about the length was a good one. I got one about 1/4” in and it’s not coming out, so I will likely cut it off. I am having a heck of time getting something to fit, of course I am ordering off Amazon so that is probably most of the issue. The 5/64 pins were .086 but the gap was only about .005-6, so that is why they were not going in. I tried 2mm, which should be the same as the 5/64, they had a better gap but still very very tight going in. I when I measured them they were .090, with closer to a .10-.15 gap. I then thought if the 2mm were that far over spec then maybe a 1.5mm, may actually be worth trying.
When I go to actually put them in the pushrods, I will likely heat the pushrods in a sonic cleaner and try to chill the pins in the fridge.