With all the banter going on about the merits or lack there of depending on your persuation of the aftermarket heads and blocks I have been thinking again, and this is dangerous!!

In the years I have built engines I have seen many many neat little boxes with new replacement parts in them grace the many work benches I have had the privledge of calling my own.

I have seen Sealed Power, Perfect Circle, Cleavite, Delco, GM, Ford Autolight, Mopar, Felpro, National, and this list just goes on and on.

As of the last couple engine rebuilds I have taken to using a supplier here in the metro area that sells to the rebuilders and the parts are all
"White Box or in some cases "Brown Box" stuff.
The parts all come in bulk packs and are stuffed into a build kits in the quantity needed.
The list in the main box tells who the maker was and the country of origin.

Many of the names I recognise as my old standby's but in a lot of cases the country of origin is no longer USA.

I have seen Mahle Pistons in these kits as well as Sealed Power and also Silvalite. Depends on what they get for the right price.
The rings are all over the sky as to who's name was on them.

Recently I helped haul down a 6.5 from a 98 Burb. The engine was factory as the owner bought it new.

We found two different brands of bearings in the beast and there were two cylinders that had slightly different oil rings than the other six. HMMMMM.

I wonder just how much stuff that the factories use on the assembly line is really all that much better than the stuff we can buy at the parts store or the rebuilders warehouse.

So much of the OEM stuff was made by folks like TRW and so on originally.

Now how many boxes do you get at the Ma General store that says Made in Mexico on them or possibly other places on the planet.

The discord over the Chinese made heads seems to be a focal point here at TDP and I can understand many folks having issues with a lot of the stuff that is sold.
Do we really know where many of the parts in our beloved 6.5 Td's came from originally.

Just because it has GM cast into the thing does not mean that it came from the good O'l USA or was made by American workers.

Just thinking about how much real worry it is worth fussing over where the replacement part came from.
Now I know I am going to hear about this but the truth is one big bunch of our parts and the originals come from overseas in the first place.


I am sad to see names that I have associated with salt of the earth American companies now on boxes that say Made in China, Made in Mexico, Made in Tiawan. Awe Sh** Frank do we make anything here any more??

I am just asking the question, are we over reacting to where one replacement part is being made and overlooking the bulk of the other parts we happily bolt onto our trucks.

How many water pumps have any of you looked at recently to see where they are made.

Buy a Delco starter for your truck, made in the USA?? Probably remanufactured south of the Border.
Very little electrical parts like starters are available new now except for new rigs being assembled.

Recently rented a D5M Cat Dozer to do some dirt work here at the Ranch.
The sticker on the lovely little toy says "Made In Japan" Hmmm
I associate Cat with Peoria Illinois. Long way from there to Japan me thinks.

Just some food for thought before we bash everything on the marketplace that is being sold to us.

I did not say that you had to like it, just that its there, think about it.

I will admit that there is some real junk out there and we all need to be careful when buying.
There is one HELLUVA Lot of junk being rebuilt here and sold as top quaility. HMMMMM I'll pass on a lot of it.

Just sitting here thinking.


Best

Robyn