-
If they are made in China, and sport a 506 casting #, they are counterfeit. Good or bad, that's what they are. A true 506 would have been cast at the GM foundry. If they are not counterfeit, they are the same old blocks, recycled. I don't know which is better/worse, but time will tell. Most folks just want a good product at a good price, as with most things.
I agree about the GEP blocks. But, the lack of availability is likely due to military obligations, and limited production ability. Let's face it. The 6.5 is seen by most as a dying breed and not a sound investment. The few of us left are but a small niche market. In most cases, competition is good, but I doubt Navistar will change their production practice. I can't say I would do it any different. They are what they are, and are available, at a price. You can get them, just not at a price most will tolerate. So, here we are. Doing what we do, in this love/hate relationship.
-
Reviva
Well, I also e-mailed GEP about the Reviva engine I have in my truck as I had read here that GEP doesn't sell bare blocks, so I wondered about what they did in fact use. From the reply I received GEP does apparently sell bare blocks to a wholesaler. It was relatively easy to contact them (they have an e-mail form on the GEP website) and something in the future I would recommend to others when considering investing in a new engine. Here is the reply I got with my original message below:
Mr. Lundquist,
It is my understanding that Reviva uses a short block configuration that
is supplied to them by a company that only uses the GEP block and piston in their build. Based on this, I would say that the block, camshaft, and piston are certainly original GEP OEM stock. I can't verify that the heads and crank are OEM, but they could be.
Joe Hayes
Director of Marketing
-----Original Message-----
From: Bryan Lundquist [mailto:bryanlundquist@prodigy.net]
Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2007 2:48 PM
To: Hayes, Joe
Subject: GEP - Sales Information Form from amgeneral.com
Contacts Information:
Bryan Lundquist
630 Stetson Rd.
Kenduskeag, ME 04450
Phone: (207) 884-4005
Email: bryanlundquist@prodigy.net
Comments:
I recently purchased an engine from Reviva (www.reviva.com) and they
claim to use the Optimizer 6500 block and new heads as the basis of their
engines. However, I have read many places about companies selling
Chinese imitations. I want to ensure the longevity of my engine and
figured I would go to the source and find out if they are an authorized
supplier of your product.
Thank You
Bryan
