<VV> Here we go again...

[D. Barry Ellison]

Just so we all know Ron, I went expensive on the first build, with KB 
pistons and total seal rings.  That burnt me, too, when one of the pistons 
got destroyed by a dropped valve seat.  Guess what?  The vendor isn't making 
any more with none on the shelf.  I'm stuck with 5 KB pistons, rods and jugs 
sitting on my shelf waiting on another run that MIGHT or MIGHT not happen, 
decision based on demand.

With this knowledge in hand, I'm shooting myself in the foot by saying that 
I will never go with a single run of off common brand pistons again, only 
stuff I can buy off the shelf.  If other's follow suit, then I'll never get 
my 6th piston and might as well throw $500+ dollars worth of stuff in the 
recycle bin.

There are lots of people that go cheap and get by with it day in, day out.  
I, however, was not so lucky this time.  That's the price we all pay when we 
play this game.

And cheap is relative.  I had good confidence in what this well known racer 
told me, "used assemblies with only a few miles, changed my mind and went 
with a big bore engine", and I would buy from him again.  They were not for 
sale until I asked the world for a KB piston.  He sold them to me at quite 
an inexpensive price.  I measured and miked (sp?) and checked things 
excessively before the install.

Not that my financial situation is anyone's business, but after you pay a 
couple of grand on a rebuild, it's hard to justify it 2 years in a row on 
the same car.

I hope and pray YMMV.

Barry


>
>Here's a case where all I can do is caution everybody on the potential 
>pitfalls of going cheap on an engine.  Often it doesn't work and to quote 
>an oft used phrase, don't ask me how I know!  It's a lot of work to do an 
>engine so don't try to go cheap on it or you may have exactly the problem 
>that Barry is now having.  Or, at least some variation of it.
>RonH
>