New? 6.5 Blocks for sale on ebay

[KallyI]

Has anyone else seen these blocks for sale on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...K%3AMEWAX%3AIT

Just wondered if these were more blocks from China, and should we stay away from them?

[DaveBr]

Cast and machined in Canada but nobody in Canada sells them??? I don't want to be an alarmist but my BS meter is in the red zone.

[KallyI]

Cast and machined in Canada but nobody in Canada sells them??? I don't want to be an alarmist but my BS meter is in the red zone.

I just sent the seller a question about the block, the name of the Canadian company, and if the block is sold in Canada. I'll let you know what he says.

Kal

[KallyI]

This is what I asked him:

"Hi,
Is this block for sale in Canada too? Who is the supplier in Canada?
Thanks,
Kal"

This is what he answered:

"Kal,
The blocks are cast for us in Canada then the entire lot is shipped to our warehouse in the states.
Thanks, Jeff"

So, I don't feel I learned much at all.

Anyone else know anything about this seller?

[Robyn]

I have seen this seller on Ebay several times and know one local fellow who bought one of the blocks.

The only thing I will say is this, be sure your check all the OIL PASSAGES to be sure they are all clean___ ALL OF THEM

These blocks are probably cast overseas, shipped through Canada and the on to the final buyer for either sale or final machining.

The ones of these I have seen are very nice looking stuff.


Missy

[DaveBr]

This is what I asked him:

"Hi,
Is this block for sale in Canada too? Who is the supplier in Canada?
Thanks,
Kal"

This is what he answered:

"Kal,
The blocks are cast for us in Canada then the entire lot is shipped to our warehouse in the states.
Thanks, Jeff"

So, I don't feel I learned much at all.

Anyone else know anything about this seller?

If I was going to spend the money to make molds, do casting and cnc machining then I would want a supplier that was going to buy more than 10 at a time. If Jeff is the only distributor for these Canadian engines then the guy supplying the blocks isn't a very smart business person. My BS meter is now bouncing off the end of the scale.

[Robyn]

This fellow is not the only reseller of these blocks for sure.

I doubt seriously that these blocks are being cast in Canada.
This looks like the same block thats being sold by CCH out of Florida and a few others.

Nobody will give specific details about the who,what,where, when and why on these things.

As I said before, I have seen one up close and personal and they look great

CCH has been selling the hell out of them for a few years now and I have not heard any bad press.

The folks marketing them are trying to keep from all the bad press of "MADE IN CHINA"

Bottom line is this. The seller has a 100% ++ feedback score, this is a good thing when buying off ebay. Bad vibes get around real quick.

The choice for a good block these days are getting slimmer as every day passes.

The truth about who is actually making these blocks is likely not going to surface.

AMG/GEP would probably love to know and sic the hounds after them.

With the Military moving away from the HMMWV AMG will probably start making their stuff more readily available as parts ????????/

As I said before, the only thing that one should do is check these blocks out really good for bore dimentions and such and be really sure all the oil passages are totally clean and free of machining residue.

Local fellow has one and there was an issue with a passage pluged with a mix of oil and machining chips.

Once that issue was resolved things were sweet..

Sadly the amount of feedback on these blocks is still very small.

Personally, I would not hesitate to try one.
I got lucky when I needed a block for DaHoooley and found a 929 block that was crack free.

Unfortunately it had other issues that did not present itself right up front, but thats another story.

If I could do it over, I would have been $$$$$$$$$ ahead to have gone with one of the aftermarket blocks.

OH BTW
The add copy that the ebayer is using to sell those blocks is not original, its been used before by others with minimal changes.

If the guy has managed to keep 100% happy buyers, he is doing something right.

Just tooled on over to Ebay and poked around. "Odessa cyl head" and "Heads by CCH" same company me thinks (has Clearwater Fl as the location) has blocks for sale for $1125 and $1150

Both have good feedback.

I have poked around on the net many times looking to find out who is doing these blocks.

I suspect that the stuff is done overseas, shipped to a port in Canada and then trucked into the States.
This convoluted way of getting the stuff in here is likely being used to keep "Under the Radar"

Back a few years, there was a story going around that these were blocks cast at the IH foundry and were "over runs" and being sold as surplus. Yeah right.

Odessa and CCH are using the same Piccy of the blocks too. Bet me that the ebay ad was not done from the same computer in the same office somewhere.

Missy

[KallyI]

Robyn, and Dave, you pretty much summed up how I felt about the blocks, but it is good to hear confirmation from those more experienced. If I buy one, It will be checked thoroughly before useage!

[Subzilla]

Here is their website: http://www.6-5liter.com/index.html

They are in Bostic, NC which is only a few hours from my house. Ain't never been there, though.

I seem to recall someone else here asking about these folks some years ago but don't remember the concensus...........

[DaveBr]

I would really like to find out who in Canada is manufacturing blocks because the only thing I have seen is someone in Edmonton selling Chinese knockoffs. If anyone has an address or ph.# I would appreciate it if you could share it with the masses.

[Robyn]

I would buy from Clearwater myself.

I have dealt with these guys and the experience was a good one all the way.

Once you get the block, remove all the oil galley plugs (ALL OF THEM) including the ones that go into the relief valve and such.

All the passages need to be completely washed out reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeall y good.

I would even yank out the cam bearings they install before I did the washout.

The rear cam plug needs to come out as well as the lifter gallery plugs too.
Remove the front lifter gallery plugs too.

GET every last oil passage plug out and be DAMNED sure that there is not any crap in the block.

Once you get the plugs out run a wire or other item, even a rifle cleaning rod with a 22 Jag on the end into the dead end passsages.

Flush with such stuff as GUNK or even brake clean to be sure there is not any congealed oil and shavings.

Spray with simple green afterwards and hit the thing with loads of nice high pressure HOT WATER to flush things well.

Now install or have installed, the cam bearings (according to GM specs)
Reinstall the plugs and then your ready to put it together.

Make sure the pistons have .004" clearance for cyls 1-6 and .0045 on 7 and 8

The main line is easily checked by dropping in a set of STD bearings, then the crank and plastigage things. .0025" clearance is sweet on these.

Once thats done, lube the bearings with lubriplate 104, snug the caps down to about 40 lbs and see how the crank spins. Spins OK then your good to go, Yank out the main bolts and ready things for the rear main seal.

You can install the seal by lifting the cranks slightly and installing the seal, square it up and align it, then set the crank back down and fit the cap.

Be sure yu use a little High tack on the areas of the cap that are metal to metal. The GM manual shows the area.

The spec calls for anerobic sealer ( I use High tack) just dont get stupid with the amount. Just a touch on the sides where the oil can seep through around the seal.

Install the seal in the block with just a touch of grease on the outside. This will allow it to seal well on the block and not have issues.

Lube the lip too.

From here its pretty much clear sailing.

If the block has oil squirt holes in the main line, be sure that all the little nozzles are there. One missing squirt nozzle will leave you with near zero oil pressure hot at idle.

You must use a high volume (late model pump) on a squirt block.

Early blocks (599-929 or so without squirts) use a low volume pump and this will not work on a squirt block.

You can use a squirt block pump though on a non squirt block. (Been there done that) just have oil pressure up the BUTT is all.

DaHooooley runs 70+ cold and 55-60 Hot down the road and idles at 35 hot.

Sacres the hell out of the neophytes that own stock 6.5's

Check all the threads to be sure the bolts go in correctly.

I have not found any issues on these blocks (or heard of any) just good assembly practice is all.

I would say, if you can afford it, to get a SCAT crank for your project.

These are cast steel, but light years ahead of an old used up stocker.

Have fun and keep us posted.

Missy

[racer55]

might not have anything to do with this thread but when Bill Mitchell/World Products makers of aftermarket castings ect. started making iron heads he used a foundry in Ontario Canada.
could be some relation or not?If so he would most likely be marketing the blocks himself and through warhouse vendors.

[More Power]

If you google "engine casting foundry canada", you'll discover a couple dozen such operations. I couldn't tie any one of them to the 6.5 using the net, but it remains possible. I also contacted a couple major and longtime Canadian diesel businesses (who deal in 6.5 related stuff) about a foundry in Canada producing 6.5 blocks. They didn't know anything about it. That seemed odd to me...

Think about it logically... If you were selling a great product that you were proud of, you'd likely loudly proclaim the advantages and thoroughly answer all questions about where they came from. Several years ago AM General proudly announced that Navistar was producing their 6.5 castings.

In talking to AM General more than a year ago about the Chinese imports, I was told that AM General (and they alone) have the rights to produce the castings or contract the castings be made for them.

Ask the seller what sort of durability testing and certification has been done.

[Robyn]

I agree with Jim.

The likely source is Off Shore with the sellers beating around the shrubbery as to the source, simply to keep the big boys off their butt.

Whoever is doing these castings is doing a lovely job though.

They are clean and free of excess flashing and other ugly stuff.

The machine work is AAA+++ too

The only place I have seen that makes me nervous is, as I mentioned before is the cleanliness of the oil passages.

I am very anal about such stuff, and rightfully so.

To date the one casting that I have seen is under daily service and has about 30K miles on it now.

This Block was sold by CCH in FL and mated with a set of their heads.

The engine has a Scat crank, GM 6.5 rods, GM stock 6.5 cam, lifters, timing gears and sheetmetal.

The pistons came from an Ebay deal and are from a name brand aftermarket seller.

Myself, at this late date with AMG real stingy about who and what they will sell, would not hesitate to use one of these blocks.

The junk thats out there in the used market can really keep you on your toes trying to make sure if the stuff is any good or not.


Missy

[rameye]

I just felt I had to chime in here...I was shopping a new motor/block in the winter and came across this fellow...I interrogated the dog poo outta of the guy. We discussed this fella on this board. He certainly was nice enough to talk too...somewhat knowledgeable...a little off on his metallurgy..

What he told me:

1) His blocks are cast in South America by a company for Navistar...they have to remove all casting marks in order to comply with a licensing agreement with Navistar. He swore up and down it was the same block AM General is using.

2) He has the blocks machined in Stamford Ct....I'm a fire fighter in Stamford (24 years) , and am familiar with all the machining places in the city....I checked it out...nobody is machining brand new 6.5 blocks in Stamford, CT!...The city is not that big, the machining community is small, and only 2 business have the machines that can align bore the blocks.

3) I told him I wanted to visit his machining facility to verify the quality of the blocks and the parts and methodology being employed. He flat out denied revealing the secret address within the city...citing of all things, tax reasons..

Ok so this guy may have a stellar reputation on E-bay...whatever....but if you look at his feedback it 's from folks buying parts!!!! not engines.

I can only speak for myself that he was way, way, too evasive ....and in my opinion lied about his machining operation. His story did not match his add....what about Canada??? never mentioned Canada!!!.....

That was enough for me. Do what you will, but I say "Let the buyer be ware"

My $.02

[KallyI]

I just felt I had to chime in here...I was shopping a new motor/block in the winter and came across this fellow...I interrogated the dog poo outta of the guy. We discussed this fella on this board. He certainly was nice enough to talk too...somewhat knowledgeable...a little off on his metallurgy..

What he told me:

1) His blocks are cast in South America by a company for Navistar...they have to remove all casting marks in order to comply with a licensing agreement with Navistar. He swore up and down it was the same block AM General is using.

2) He has the blocks machined in Stamford Ct....I'm a fire fighter in Stamford (24 years) , and am familiar with all the machining places in the city....I checked it out...nobody is machining brand new 6.5 blocks in Stamford, CT!...The city is not that big, the machining community is small, and only 2 business have the machines that can align bore the blocks.

3) I told him I wanted to visit his machining facility to verify the quality of the blocks and the parts and methodology being employed. He flat out denied revealing the secret address within the city...citing of all things, tax reasons..

Ok so this guy may have a stellar reputation on E-bay...whatever....but if you look at his feedback it 's from folks buying parts!!!! not engines.

I can only speak for myself that he was way, way, too evasive ....and in my opinion lied about his machining operation. His story did not match his add....what about Canada??? never mentioned Canada!!!.....

That was enough for me. Do what you will, but I say "Let the buyer be ware"

My $.02

Was it the seller I was looking at?? I mean, Canada is a fairly large place, so if he told me that the machining was happening in Ontario, that's pretty safe for him to say, because it's 2000 miles away from me. At any rate, he never told me much of anything, so I suspect he's been sold a bill of goods too!

[rameye]

yes...same guy

also check out the price on his "new" motor direct from AM General...any fool off the street can beat that price by $800 by going direct thru AM General.

no deal at all there!...thats a verifiable fact..

There is another guy.... IDI or IDC.... in Long Island NY...anyway he will tell you he is selling a brand new knock off engine with China parts...but he says "come on down" and drop the pan off the bottom...bring feeler gages whatever....half the price of a new AM General engine.

I found myself asking the following questions??

1) How much can I afford to spend??

2) What sort of reliability to I want?? (more reliable= more dinero)

3) Would I mind, or have the time (or willpower after a major undertaking) to pull the motor ( at your own expense) and send it back if it goes South under warranty?

4) How long to I plan on keeping the vehicle?? (is this even worth the effort)

5) How much will ancillary things cost me, and should I replace them now while its easy?? (motor mounts...oil lines...cooling upgrade....starter...front end...etc.)

6) And of course most importantly...What should the color scheme be??? Detroit Green??

[PONTIACMAN]

This fellow is not the only reseller of these blocks for sure.

I doubt seriously that these blocks are being cast in Canada.
This looks like the same block thats being sold by CCH out of Florida and a few others.

Nobody will give specific details about the who,what,where, when and why on these things.

As I said before, I have seen one up close and personal and they look great

CCH has been selling the hell out of them for a few years now and I have not heard any bad press.

The folks marketing them are trying to keep from all the bad press of "MADE IN CHINA"

Bottom line is this. The seller has a 100% ++ feedback score, this is a good thing when buying off ebay. Bad vibes get around real quick.

The choice for a good block these days are getting slimmer as every day passes.

The truth about who is actually making these blocks is likely not going to surface.

AMG/GEP would probably love to know and sic the hounds after them.

With the Military moving away from the HMMWV AMG will probably start making their stuff more readily available as parts ????????/

As I said before, the only thing that one should do is check these blocks out really good for bore dimentions and such and be really sure all the oil passages are totally clean and free of machining residue.

Local fellow has one and there was an issue with a passage pluged with a mix of oil and machining chips.

Once that issue was resolved things were sweet..

Sadly the amount of feedback on these blocks is still very small.

Personally, I would not hesitate to try one.
I got lucky when I needed a block for DaHoooley and found a 929 block that was crack free.

Unfortunately it had other issues that did not present itself right up front, but thats another story.

If I could do it over, I would have been $$$$$$$$$ ahead to have gone with one of the aftermarket blocks.

OH BTW
The add copy that the ebayer is using to sell those blocks is not original, its been used before by others with minimal changes.

If the guy has managed to keep 100% happy buyers, he is doing something right.

Just tooled on over to Ebay and poked around. "Odessa cyl head" and "Heads by CCH" same company me thinks (has Clearwater Fl as the location) has blocks for sale for $1125 and $1150

Both have good feedback.

I have poked around on the net many times looking to find out who is doing these blocks.

I suspect that the stuff is done overseas, shipped to a port in Canada and then trucked into the States.
This convoluted way of getting the stuff in here is likely being used to keep "Under the Radar"

Back a few years, there was a story going around that these were blocks cast at the IH foundry and were "over runs" and being sold as surplus. Yeah right.

Odessa and CCH are using the same Piccy of the blocks too. Bet me that the ebay ad was not done from the same computer in the same office somewhere.

Missy

I think i`ll say what missy is tiptoeing around as she probably feels this could somehow lead to an argument taken incorrectly.

As a past seller on e-bay i have found it is pretty hard to sell thousands of items without showing your true colors (be it a honest person "

"or a shyster".

Whoever is selling these blocks (did not buy their Ebay score) that is showing 99 percent of their customers are" happy ,and satisfied" with the seller, so my educated assumption ,(or whatever ya wanna call it")

"IS"

Is that the guy who is selling these blocks is being as forthright as can possibly be had without letting everyone know where to get a block by bypassing his part and losing his sales.

IF he tells where he gets them, many will gladly bypass him, and save $$$$200 $$$$ bucks that he makes

"if that".

SOME DAY THAT PRICE IS GONNA HAVE TO GO UP WITH THE DEMAND AND WITH THIS SITE INCREASEING THE DEMAND POINTING TO THE GOOD MILAGE THE 6.5 can GET People are probably gonna demand more for the decent mileage!!!!!

He`s/ "THE BLOCK GUY" been selling auto parts for quite a while( if you read his feedback) which details his sales,....

Many sales being 6.5 injectors ,and keeping feedback over 95 percent is quite amazing.

If i was needing a 6.5 replacement block i would not hesitate buying from this seller.

Especially considering the alternative is something that's been cycled out of balance millions of times likely ,(with questionable balancers), and heavy questionable internals, and the fact most original cores that arent cracked, still are cores that have to little metal in the rear cylinders that will crack sooner, or later ,along with main saddles that are known to crack whenever they desire all because the original blocks were not made strong or heavy enough to begin with.

Many machine shops consider the stock block throwaways, so i would rather trust a china block myself (with a little more heft to it) over anything in the scrap yards regardless how much nickel the scrap guy says is in the original weak 6.5 throway blocks...

I'm only trying to be honest and i can honestly say everything iv seen come out of the scrap yards 6.5 related was generally scrap.

What other block is almost always cracked in the main girdle area????

Even the so called junk Gasser's rarely have a problem where the crank breaks cause the block is not strong enough to carry the crank load!!!

I`ve never seen such a thing other then the stock 6.2-6.5 ers...

Most briggs and stratton engines have a longer life expectancy as the 6.2-6.5 was just to light ,and thin in all the areas that needed good strong iron alloyed with something to make the pig iron stronger.

As missy said

ALL new blocks should be checked and cleaned thoroughly usually with soap water and compressed air if doing yourself at home....

Soapy water carries metal slivers away way better then solvents like diesel , gas or whatever the shade tree mechanic may or may not use.

Again with these or anything else machined and needing to be clean to survive you check the block for machining shaveings/ dirt in all the passages "as with all new castings ", pressure wash the block , and i`d feel things were ready to go..


P.S:

Im amazed that anyone has put any engine together and had it work more then a day, if they were unaware that these, or i should say (any engine always need to be cleaned before assembly)

Anyway back to the option:

OR I COULD GO and choose the other route where i would have to hunt threw piles of heavy rusty blocks or whatever looking in trucks hoping to find something salvageable , then need to clean it ,and re-bore the holes , resurface the decks, line bore the mains , as in past years even the better of the 6.5 blocks that came threw my shop needed lots of work to get a marginally decent building block to begin with and i think its a waste of time for something always questionable.


If this was my main ride right now i would feel blessed these blocks are available rather then feeling like somebody was setting me up for a duping.

Whoever is selling these would be jeopardising the ebay account he built over the years, and the great feedback score which is making him an impressive amount in $$$$$ money, so if he were to sell something that were junk he`d be hurting himself more then anyone else.

Sorry for the long post ,but i do not know how to get my point across with less words just hope nobody is offended on( my opinion of most of the available cores that I've seen) ,while in business...

Anyway:

Maybe i beat the longest most useless post ?????


Teddy bear Auto Repair

[Robyn]

Pretty much sums it up.

If the ebay buyers are unhappy for any reason, the smack will hit the feedback rating really quick.

Missy

[blackshirts]

sum-wat relevent and sum-what irrelevent but im looking at a truck with 160k on it how much more life would that 6.5 be expected to have left in it? i know sicne it IS a dieel it has lots left but how much?i know cummins will run from 300k-400k if not 600k but like you said they made them weak in the places that shouldnt be weak