Blackcat, This is exactly my point.
How many people check stuff when they are doing things. Very few..... and they trust the integrity of the manufacture...........and builder. Period.
Same applies to "ANY" product, whether it's automotive related or not.
Real World. Maybe sometimes people/builders/manufactures/etc get to far away from the public. Sorta like politicians. LOL.
I deal with working class people all day long. They come in and buy bearings, rings, gaskets, Speed Parts and just want to go home, install them and go.
Same applies with Parts houses and Discount Mail order places. They buy to use, not re-do what they paid for!!!!!
A lot of people don't even surf the web or even use computors that call or stop by the shop.
Many are just fixing their cars to get to work. How many times have I seen them pull the pan, replace the rod bearings and pump. Put it back together and then be ready to go to work on Monday.
How many people would know what to look for in a defect?
How many want to do it, let alone know what to inspect?
Undersize balls in a Melling Pump? Very interesting and a point that qualifies my statements on Quality control.
How many people have the capability to find this defect or to mic bearings or even check piston size, big end rod bore size, etc. Ya trust the shop. right?
To check aline bore?
This is in the "Street Part" section of the PY Forum. Not the race section.
A person has no way to check for bore if it was done with "Torque Plates" or while hot honing!!!!
Real World Time:
I trust that when I install or sell a Holley/BG or Carter carb out of the box on a Stock engine that the only adjustment I/they will need to do it the idle and the air/fuel adjustments. I hope all the parts are inside and assembled without trash or metal shavings. I know that the customer may or may not need to change some internal settings to apply to his combo. Maybe.
When I sell Engine parts, I'm trusting the integrity of the manufacture that he is producing a quality product that I want to use and am willing to sell.
I am putting my reputation along side with that product. I don't even want to tell the customer that he has to tear apart his pump and wash out the trash and maybe return it for another one if it's rusty inside or pitted. He will say, Why do you handle this and go elsewhere next time.
Discount or Mail Order houses aren't concerned with this. They can play the odds. They don't install, They buy in bulk or volume discount deals and they only go by feedback and the person working for them isn't going to "Pass it along". He doesn't care.
Here's only ONE example; The Moroso deep oil pan was produced for better then 5 years for Pontiacs(I really don't know for how long, I'm a NEWBE, LOL
) and was only available with a 5/8" pickup tube in their catologs.
They seem to make their pans at a odd depth so I couldn't locate another pickup to use with this pan. 1/2" instead of rounding it out to 8 or 9, what ever. My point is; I called to find out why in 1993
and was given the response........
Hummmmmm, We never hear that before and nobody ever complained before.
Maybe, Maybe not. I see that finally they are producing a 3/4" pickup. Did the guy on the phone take that long to tell the
BOSS .
How would you use a Melling pump as they offered the M54DS and th M54F in 3/4" only. Hummmmmmm.
People trust my judgement and tell ya that in conversations when asking for advise and products. Period.
I don't need to hear about the product I'm selling in relation to a failure. No builder or Independent shop does.
How many times have I got a call about oil presuure problems and told them to change the pump or tear it apart.
I know that this is getting old, but If it ain't right, it ain't right.
Another Essay by Pontiac Dude. Hahahahahaha. but serious about product failures and quality control that shouldn't require the "Public" to
Internally inspect Every oil pump made or produced to make sure that it's OK to use???
How many pumps does Melling produce every year?
I'm off my soap box now. LOL.
The buck stops here.