Guys - I'm not sold on the Evans coolant, although it does have 4+ stars in reviews at . But I am intrigued, so will continue to research it. Again, if you find links I should read please supply them. And, I understand the pros and cons you've outlined.

As for what I did today, I pulled Dad's engine completely apart. Pistons out, crank out, cam out. In fact, it is ready to go to the machine shop with the exception of needing to put it in the back of the truck, along with the crank and pistons. Maybe next week.

And there was a huge difference between the inside of Dad's engine that hadn't been apart in 30 years and 141K miles, and the $40 400. The oil rings on the 400 are pretty well stuck fully recessed in the grooves, as are some of the other rings. And none of the 400's pistons rotate easily on the rods. But Dad's pistons are like they've been oiled with WD40, and all the rings are free in the grooves. In many respects it was a shame to take it apart, but..... it was a dog! I think the block is going to be much happier at a 400.

 

Gary, it was a dog, say it ain't so, you the champion of the 335 series.

 

Gary's the new official king of the dogs.

 

The factory 351M was a dog. Or, at least those I was around were. Dad's got 10.5 MPG about anyway you drove it, and stepping on the throttle was like stepping on a dead toad. I'd written M's off until I bought Rusty, with a rebuilt M sporting an RV cam, set straight up, and an Eddy intake and carb. (I'll skip the step with the Holley it came with.) Granted it had an NP435 vs the C6 behind Dad's, but it got 13.5 to 14.0 under the same conditions that Dad's got 10.5 and would run circles around it. Then I moved it to Dad's truck and put the ZF5 behind it. At 62 MPH, where I was testing, I got it up to 16 MPG with a lean cruise mix, but it wasn't easy nor fun to drive. So I went back to stock jetting and about 15 MPG - again at the test speed of 62. And at 65 to 70 it got 14.5.

So, the 335 Series isn't a dog - just the factory M's, and I can't speak about the factory 400's. Apparently what I've read, and some of it was from you, Bill, the main problem was the retarded cam timing. And then there's the huge combustion chambers that made it next to impossible to get decent compression. Plus they are open chamber so even if you do get compression you'll also get detonation.

Today we have pistons from Tim for the 400 that let you choose your compression in the 9.5, 10.5, and up range. But there aren't pistons for the M to get decent compression. So the M seems like a lost cause. Yes, you can make it run decently with stock style pistons, like Rusty has, but there is so much potential for roughly the same money in the 400.

 

Forgot to say that the dizzy didn't come today. Here's what the email from Amazon said:Apparently, given the Saturday delivery, it is coming via FedUp. However, pressing Track My Package says it is still In Transit, not even Out For Delivery. I will be sure to notify Amazon of yet another late delivery.

 

Don't forget to save screenshots this time.

 

Thanks, I had forgotten. Will this do?

 

Well at least I'm not the only who gripes when Amazon ships by FedUp and OoPS.
Didn't your computer suffer the same fate?
How long was that MIA?
A week???

I'm glad you are not sitting with a broken truck waiting for that distributor.
Or have it come smashed to bits, like a few of my packages.

Maybe soon Amazon will just buy USPS, or take it all in house and deliver solely by Fresh and drones...

 

Yes, my computer went MIA for a week, and FedEx adjusted the target dates to cover. This time I'm going to call Amazon and ask what I get when a guaranteed delivery doesn't make it. And when told "nothing" I'll ask to speak to the next level up. At some point someone should be intelligent enough to know that either they change the emails they send or be open to a law suit. Note that the email says "guaranteed" while the tracking page says "expected".

And, while I hope to have their attention I will ask for none of my shipments to come by FedUp. Doubt they can do that, but I will try. UPS has never done to me what FedEx has, and UPS has handled 90% more packages for me then FedEx.

 

I have tried to get Amazon to inform me of their intended method of shipment.

I have told Amazon customer service I would stop shopping (and did for a number of months) if they kept using UPS.
UPS is the one that trashed a number of shipments in the late summer/fall.
Prior to this everything always came USPS.

FedEx never seems on time from Amazon, but okay if I ship things myself.

USPS has been FAR & ABOVE the best AFA tracking and ontime delivery.


Maybe your computer was diverted while NSA installed their own BIOS or backdoor?
The timeframe is right...
NSA spy malware operations detailed incl intercepting laptops shipping | BGR
NSA diverted computers and laptops from shipping facilities to install spyware | The Raw Story

 

Well, that would explain the lateness of my computer, although why I would be "a target" as described in one of the links seems quite odd. More likely is the scenario I've created from several things in the press that FedEx looked at all of the commitment dates and delayed packages selectively to ensure enough room was available for ones with closer due dates. But, that doesn't fit that they had it on the truck for delivery and took it back to the facility mid-day. Nor does it explain why they put "local weather" as the reason they didn't deliver it another day when the local weather was excellent.

As for things being trashed, I no longer order gaskets from Amazon after they sent me three sets in a row with the head gaskets creased, not just bent. They don't seem to be capable of comprehending that the paper boxes Fel-Pro gaskets come in aren't up to shipping abuses by itself. But then they will send me something in a box that is completely capable of surviving a war and put it in another box.

I do have to agree that USPS has been good to me. But what I don't understand is why they didn't sell their soul to Amazon 10 years ago. Poor management for sure. Maybe Amazon will buy them and solve several problems in one fell swoop.

 

It's about having ALL of EVERYBODY'S information.
Why should NSA stop at "suspects"???
Remember Poindexter's TFI program?
We have already seen unwarranted searches of mobile devices at our borders.
And that metadata dumps are not at all selective.


Amazon's shipping issues stem from their promises about other companies handling and schedules.
Soon to see 'projected' instead of "guaranteed" delivery dates in your emails...

ETA: just checked MY guaranteed Monday delivery.
Coming USPS thankfully!

 

Guys, the issue I have here is: Wayne Court is a dirt road, apparently RFD went by the wayside a number of years ago. As a result, our mailbox is a half a block away on Seaside Road. Any package that will not fit in the box gets a notice left for us. This involves driving into Exmore to pick it up.

Where the problem comes is FedUp "Smart Post" or Oops "Sure Post", both of these involve the package being delivered to the post office for delivery to us. Back to the top, now, first it arrives after the route carrier is finished + 1 day, second, it probably won't fit + round trip to pick it up, third, if it is a Saturday and the notice doesn't get there and the carrier back before noon + 2 more days. For us these two "services" are neither smart nor sure.

Oops and FedUp will deliver to our door, BTW, the last thing I had delivered by USPS, was a used 1996 460 distributor, box was damaged where the shaft had punched a hole, but even the cap, rotor and adapter were undamaged.

 

I understand that both these carriers will use the post office to 'go the last mile' if it makes no economic sense for them to travel out to rural areas.
...and then the Post Office will not deliver to your door a half a block from the mailbox?

I guess there was a time not long ago that we had to go out into the world and hunt down what we wanted or needed.
Wasting time and energy with no assurance of success.

 

Jim - On one hand I understand your point about searches of mobile devices, but Kim Kommando's column in the paper this morning said it isn't limited to phones or iPads, but includes laptops. And, that's been upheld by a judge. But on the other hand I have nothing to hide, although I don't like the intrusion.

Bill's point about USPS not delivering everything to everyone is well made and one I hadn't considered. But, when Amazon buys them they can fix that. However, in reality it should be someone like FedUp or Oops that buys them and serves all suppliers. Having said that, Amazon's the ones with deep pockets though.