Increasing the reliability of parts working in contact with each other in friction conditions is an important task in the manufacture of any modern machine. When choosing tribological materials, it is necessary to take into account the specifics of working conditions at the contact of friction pair surfaces. In the gas distribution mechanism of an internal combustion engine, the working surfaces of the camshaft cam and the valve tappet during operation experience high contact pressures, fatigue loads. In this regard, for highly accelerated automobile engines, in order to increase the wear resistance of the pusher, it is welded by freezing with white cast iron. In this paper, the process of spalling (formation of pitting) in the surfacing of the pusher during bench tests is considered. It is shown that an increase in the hardness of the working surface of the pusher does not always guarantee the required wear resistance of the material, it is necessary to consider its microstructural state. During the wear process, cementite dendrites can be deformed, sometimes with the formation of microcracks; a network of cracks is present in the pits of pitting. The quantitative ratio of the martensitic and austenitic structural components in the cast iron matrix (at least within the studied limits) does not significantly affect the durability of the pushers. The current requirement for the content of ~40 % cementite in the cast iron microstructure does not guarantee the necessary wear resistance of the material. Based on the results of the study, recommendations were formed on the process of surfacing by freezing white cast iron to improve wear resistance.