Foreign Made Parts in an Engine Rebuild

Stinch

Stinch

Senior Member
I'll going to get my engine rebuilt to standard specifications this winter. I can't seem to get over the idea of using non-USA parts in the rebuild. Are there any reputable suppliers of parts (pistons, valves, etc) that are made in the US?

Rich in CT
 
Not all foreign parts are poor quality, a reputable vendor can supply parts of known good quality. If it is a personal preference, I think you can do it with USA stuff if you look, and ask. Good luck on the rebuild!
 
United engine co in Carson City NV produce pistons & we have used them for many years, , Derek in a sunny NZ.
 
there are many good parts available made here. Stipe machine makes cams and oil pumps, Antique Engine Rebuilding makes rods, Snyder and Brumfield make heads. Snyder has US made pins. Pistons crankshafts and valves are made in ISO shops that supply Ford, GM and Chrysler, and while some are made overseas, they still meet American mfg standards.

Call a few suppliers or engine builders and talk to them...you'll find many of today's A parts suppliers are committed to the best quality and will tell you where they come from.
 
Currently, the only US Piston Co. is Silvolite or Badger, other than custom like Ross Racing etc all are made out of country.

Using Sealed Power for years, we found out the hard way they are now made in INDIA, Sealed Power has out sourced.

We use Hasting rings, as US manufacture.

Check hard and ask the right questions and you can find out the source of the engine components.

A lot of companys such as Clevite, ACl etc do have manufacturing in other countries ie Brazil, Germany etc. but none use 3rd world types like China, Viet Nam, Korea.

Thanks Max Sr.
 
peters180a/170b said:
Well i asked the question at Hershey this year.... And here's the answer.... Hershey the GREAT AMERICAN CHOCOLATE will now have starting Janurary 1, 2111 "ALL" Hershey kisses will be made in MEXICO... Its pretty bad we can not even make chocolate here in the u.s.a.
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Amen!!
 
peters180a/170b said:
Well i asked the question at Hershey this year.... And here's the answer.... Hershey the GREAT AMERICAN CHOCOLATE will now have starting Janurary 1, 2111 "ALL" Hershey kisses will be made in MEXICO... Its pretty bad we can not even make chocolate here in the u.s.a.
Click to expand...

I am glad I have enough self control to stay away from that stuff. With some exceptions food is one thing that I will not budge on when it comes to where it is made (some things obviously can not be produce here).

O.P.
As far as finding American made parts for your engine, just start making those phone calls or send those e mails. before I buy practically anything I will fins out where it is made. I have passed on some items but there are also the times when you have to suck it up and go with the foreign stuff. Hopefully not too often though.
 
If you are serious about domestic production, contact me when you get to the point where you know what size of pistons, rings, etc. I have a shelf filled with NORS and NOS pistons, rings, valves, etc. to choose from and might be able to help you keep it domestic.

Otherwise, keep in mind that the rest of the world has improved in quality and the days of funky third-world metallurgy are coming to an end, mainly because we sold them our production facilities and processes.
 
Buyers/ 'The Market' demand good quality, low priced goods. Producers & companies want to make maximum profit. They go where there is a large pool of trainable workers who work for much less than you or I.
It does not mean these people produce cheap crap, it is often very good quality & the technology comes from the West.
 
Tudortomnz said:
Buyers/ 'The Market' demand good quality, low priced goods. Producers & companies want to make maximum profit. They go where there is a large pool of trainable workers who work for much less than you or I.
It does not mean these people produce cheap crap, it is often very good quality & the technology comes from the West.
Click to expand...

With the possibility of getting banned if this is considered "political" I have to say that I disagree. What Buyers/'The Market' demand is the lowest price--and to stay in business, that's what companies provide. For the average consumer, quality hardly ever enters into the equation. Which is why the WalMart, Harbor Freight, and other companies do a bang-up business in cheap, shoddy goods. Generally, "these people" (whatever that means) do produce cheap crap--and for some disposable items, buying cheap crap probably makes sense. But that doesn't mean it makes sense to source close-tolerance parts used in critical components like your engine or brakes from some third-world country where the definition of quality control is that the part got sold before the defect was found.

Unfortunately, Americans seem to have traded the traditional idea of "you get what you pay for" for a kind of short-term thinking that's led us to the brink of a complete collapse of manufacturing. Most citizens don't seem to understand that you can't have a society that sells and consumes and doesn't produce. It's not sustainable.

For myself, I try to only purchase US-made items when I'm looking for something that's intended to last more than a year. I may buy the occasional foreign-made disposable (a toy that my four-year-old is unlikely to keep, for example) but I usually avoid them. This means that occasionally I have to buy a used tool, or borrow one, or make something myself. Sometimes it means forgoing something that I'd like to have... because we've reached a point where there are some things where a US-made version cannot be had at any price. But personally I've decided that I'll do without some things to avoid contributing to the problem.

To bring this somewhat back on topic: Good luck to the original poster. Let us know what you find and how hard it is to meet your goal of all- or mostly-US sourced parts. I know that at some point a lot of us will be in the same situation, and it would be good information to have if you're willing to take the time to share your experience.
 
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In the next issue of the Model A Times we have an article on rebuilding an engine and delve into the various parts that were used. The crank is a Burlington and this is the second one we have used and know of many others in engines with everyone being very pleased with the product. Other than that everything is US made.
 
My Buddy and I have it figured out;make it last for ten years.After that we probably won't be here any way!! works for me--Bill
 
Back in my flying days, one of the guys in the flying club had an expensive twin and going to land at Bader field in Atlantic City, NJ when he lost a engine in foggy weather. This was a recently rebuilt engine. You all know what they say about a twin on one engine? "It flies you to the scene of the crash!" He managed to get it down safely (Minor Miracle) then it was torn down! The company that made the parts had been "Globalised". The Rods or wrist pins (I don't recall which) that failed, were made in a country that had no business making aircraft parts. Since then I'm very leery of anything from a foreign country. On the other hand, When I rebuilt my Ford 8N tractor, all parts came from Bilt-rite (?sp) (The big tractor parts dealer in Iowa) and worked fine. These parts came from China.
Terry
 
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