Originally Posted By: mshaw230
Gbauer & DeuceCoupe, I don't mind the hijack at all! It's interesting, a lot to learn. I was thinking about another thread for the electronics, but really, this is my personal engine build thread! Come one, come all, digressions welcome. I'll keep this thread alive over the next six months as I stumble my way through... Oh yeah, I think a 200r4 is right for the upgrade (vs. 700r4), but don't know too much about that either.


Originally Posted By: gbauer
The broken float arm was because it was lord knows how many years old before I got it. I'll wager it was made right here in the US of A.


As to the distributor: I'm sure it's made in China. Just like the American brands. Nothing is made here anymore thanks to the EPA and NAFTA.

Here's a review of their V8 distributor: http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/skip-whi...4/topics/179906

Digging further it's a "clone" (probably made in the same factory) as a MSD Streetfire.

Your choice, obviously, but I can't see buying a $200 distributor when a $60 one is exactly the same distributor probably made in the same factory.


Taking some vacay, visit the respective families in the heartland, no ability to try swapping the vacuums, etc.

I suspect you're right about everything coming from China. I have more than a little professional experience with Chinese electronics manufacturers (EE by trade). The tendency is to use cheaper, lower efficiency parts in designs whenever possible. I've heard horror stories in the industry of counterfeit capacitors wiping out entire production builds but haven't experienced that. You can find "quality" platings with thickness that vary all over the map. The only way you know you have a problem is if you accidently have more moisture and humidity than you expected. Then boom, corrosion city. I'm convinced the only way to get something really good is to buy a brand that you have confidence that they perform regular monitoring of the factories.

My experience with brakes and suspension is that most people have good experiences, but lucky me (Murphy is my middle name) I replaced two ball joints, one caliper, and pads. So I know that the quality control epidemic has hit car parts also.

But I digress and perhaps say too much. I really want to publish a research paper on those experiences, but lack of time...

I'm really tempted to buy the lower-cost stuff because chances are like gbauer, it'll work just fine. But I have precious little spare time and really do not appreciate replacing brand new hardware like I did this spring.

The above treatise gets me to my philosophy that worked really well when I had the '32 Chevy: "Touch it once". Meaning, don't settle for intermediate solutions, choose a path, go all-in and then forget about it for the next twenty years. On the '32 it meant take the time and replace every danged nut and bolt I removed because they just don't make iron like they do steel.

Back to my own hijacking of the thread. I'll probably go with a better name-brand, new dizzy that is more likely to have superior quality control over the electrical components used.

Given all that, which vendors have a good reputation and have you used successfully? Which have a bad reputation and have you had bad experiences with? We've got Gbauer's experience. I read somebody on another thread with good luck with Langdon's. Others?

Thanks!
Mark


Keep in mind that "made in America" probably only means "assembled" in America. I sell water and wastewater equipment for a living. Even our American manufacturers don't get their castings made here much less electronic components. They can get around the "made in America" clause by assembling the units here.

It's all about the quality.

For the corrosion resistance: I take off the cap every couple months and spray WD-40 in it. I don't think I need to do it but I do anyway.