what do you guys think about buying engine kits on ebay? i could use a micrometer to check critical stuff like bearings, rings are a given, and seals are fairly easy to check.

im trying for figure out ways to save on biulding my bronco's engine, but i dont want to put crappy parts in it. i dont really think everybody on ebay is a thief (and i dont want to either).

anybody have some form of guidelines on what to buy and what not to buy on ebay?

pistons, cam, stuff like that i will buy new.

 

Look at their feedback rating. Me personally, I look for sellers that have a 98% rating or better.

 

You can buy custom engine building kits for some engines from our sponsor TMI as well as some of the supply houses like PAW etc.

 

If it is not recognizable brands I would be leery. Some of that stuff is old inventory from defunct businesses. My concern would be poor quality gaskets and seals made in China or something like that.

I am an ebay user but very cautious. I have had a couple of poor experiences but nothing big. Now I don't consider buying from sellers out of the country.

 

well most of the stuff i see is all new name brand stuff. never seen a single gasket made in china though. if you stick with the ROL or felpro gasket kits than you will be fine. i use www.partsdinosaur.com for my stuff. even if its not listed he can get it for cheap.

 

I agree with your source.

My ebay concern is that there is a lot of counterfiting. I don't know if Felpro has been knocked off by the Chinese, but they know no bounds.

 

there is a korean company called Kim Min Ho which makes gaskets and sells them to canada and the U.S. but it seems they only make SBC parts. so we don't have to worry yet. i just bought a complete ROL set for my 352. it was 47.00 with headgaskets and valve stem seals. this will be my third set and each one has been great. also the King and ACl engine bearings are awesome.

 

If your looking for an engine kit, or a stroker kit....give me a call. I'll hoom you up. I carry Scat and Eagle and get you complete ballanced or unballanced assemblies with oversized pistons/rings, forged or cast pistons, strokers or stock, H-beams or I-Beams....you tell me and we will get it together. You can call me and talk directly to me, no ebay email systems...and if you have questions or concerns...call me...monday to Sunday 9AM to 9PM.

 

I have a question about the lower-priced stuff on the market lately, specifically like the Scat and Eagle brands. I know a lot of their stuff is made for the SBC, but lately the Ford builder has been blessed by some really good bargains. So my question is.....Do you know of any brand that builds parts for Ford (like cranks, rods or any recipricating parts) that are build in any of the Asian countries?

 

Scat, Eagle and many more are from on the other side of the pond. I ran my last rotating assembly (Scat 9000 series 4.3" crank, Eagle H-Beam rods with L-19 bolts) in a 521 at 8000 RPM all last year pulling. I parted ways with the engine (930HP) after 17 pulls do to valve train failure that took out the entire engine after a valve bent and hit a piston....the crank and rods survived and were sold. This year I am running a new Ford MotorSports Iron block and new forged steel no-name china crank that I got for $850...it will be spinning 9K RPMs this year with the same exact type of eagle rods as last year, but brand new rods again for this year. I dont re-use rods two years in a row. There are a couple rocker ams made over-seas for the 460 heads, but the cost of a silver Crane or a Harland Sharp is so low its hardly worth it....the crank I just paid $850 for would cost me $2200+ to buy a Sonney Bryant, Crower, or similar.....so I have the same material for 1/3 the price....I'll let you know next fall if it was a wise savings. I am gambling on my past experiance turning cast iron Scat cranks to 8K RPMs that these new forged steel cranks are going to be plenty strong for 1050 HP at 9000 RPM......roll the dice baby!

 

I got my forged steel crank from BF Evans Racing in Kentucky,
Lem Evans
270-929-5295 - Cell
270-683-6101 - Home
He also owns a Ford dealership, and that is where I picked up my FMS block. Lem/Charlie Evans are some great guys, and they also have about the best flowing Trick Flow A-460 heads going....and they are not priced to high because they are a hobby race shop...both of them have real jobs, but the race engine thing is thier version of playing golf....do it for fun. They are also who I contracted out to assemble my new monster for this year...its just weeks away from finished and I cant wait to drive down there to Kentucky and get the big bad engine!

 

stay away from buying kits and parts on e bay trust me.

 

The only fear in ebay is being sure that you're getting what's advertised. I sell U.S. made cams from time to time just for the PR, and I'm a Scat dealer as well. If you're leery of something - - or if it just looks too good to be true - - call Scat and ask if they know who the guy is. They generally know if he's legit - or if he's hiding behind a phony name, or claiming something is their's when it ain't.

My pair of personal FE's both have cast Scat cranks and 6.700 H beam rods and have lots of passes and/or pulls between them. One made 712HP, the other 752HP - - so I ain't too worried about them littering the floor.

Barry R.
Survival Motorsports

 

I started to post a reply to fordinmudd earlier, but I had to think about it for a minute. I don't want this to sound like a personal attack or anything, but to quote you, "trust me". Now, give me one good reason why I should trust you moreso than someone I am doing business with, that I also have never met or done business with? This ebay thing has been discussed on here many times, the subject most often being someone's (in their mind) bad experience. It just so happens that I ordered almost every part necessary to rebuild my 302, including a stroker kit, from several different vendors on ebay. Before any money changed hands, I read the fine print, read feedback comments, went through paypal, and in several cases spoke personally with them on the phone. I am totally satisfied with my parts, I got what I payed for (price wise), delivery was prompt and all is right in my little world. Sorry if you had a bad experience, as have others, but it is a risk you take when you buy something sight unseen. Like Barry_R said, it's easy to pick up a phone and check it out (and in some cases toll-free).-Pete

 

I buy from a company on Ebay all the time.They have alot of great packages and have excellent feedback.Their name is Northern Auto Parts.I have saved several thousand dollars in parts by dealing with them.They a a large Edelbrock dealer and sell mostly name brand parts.Their phone number is 1-800-831-0884 or you can reach them at northernautoparts.com they will also hook you up with their catalogs which are free. I think the guy that handels their Ebay listings name is Dan but don't quote me on that.They ship pretty quick and have offered me multi item discounts on merchandise and on shipping.As a general rule I always check a sellers feedback and in some case's I will contact some of their past customers through feedback and get a follow up on the sellers items.I will also check for phone numbers and give them a call.It also helps to see how long they have been selling on Ebay.Keep in mind that sometimes no matter how much you do sometimes things happen so nothing is full proof.Just use common sense.Hope this helps.