Got a set of lifters that came from Engine Tech that have made in mexico on them. I've done a little research and they are made by Eaton. I tried Melling and Sealed power and they are made in mexico too. My machinist doesn't want to use them but the business I bought them from has been using them since 1992 without issues. Have y'all had any issues with these Eaton lifters? Seems like they make lifters for everybody.
Maybe shop around a little more. My EPWI whse still sells lifters made in the US. There is a whse in Memphis if that location helps you.
The good ones come from Mexico, the bad ones from China. I have used engine tech cams and flat tappet lifters in a couple of rebuilds ( nothing crazy powerful, just overhauls with stock valve springs ) and never had a problem. For hi performance builds using stiff valve springs I´d recommend roller lifters/ cams.
Thanks 73RR. I just talked to a epwi dealer who said that that he sells eatons and the USA made Johnson high lifts out of Michigan.. He said there is no quality difference between the two and 90 percent of the failures he has seen over the years is trash related. He said to run the Eatons I have.
Yeah its funny about Mexican stuff, Mexican doesn't necessarily mean cheap or inferior, you can still get asbestos brake pads, r12 refrigerant and a bunch of other stuff banned in the US years ago, there are some differences, bearings are cut to different angles etc. to keep outside manufacturers from dumping lower cost stuff into their economy. but its all probably made on American machines with American know how.
You have to watch the "made in USA" stuff nowadays. Like the starters and alternators from Cleveland, There Chinese bits assembled in OH. Not good.
My uncle used to own a machine shop right and after GM put a plant there, he got a lot of the warranty claims motors. UNtil they were up and running for a few years, he had a lot of business. THey would forget to put little things on like......rings and bearings.....lifters and timing chains......
"Made in USA" is a legal term defined in great detail by federal law. The above is a very clear violation of that law. If you find suspected violations of any kind, contact the FTC here-- https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/complying-made-usa-standard#todo It can't be stopped if nobody ever gets caught.
Companies move because of labor cost and taxes , the material is the same and since most manufacturing is automated these days , the quality of the product shouldn't be an issue , management caring more about QC than profit is the deciding factor...
One is the Federal Trade Commission. The other is the company accused of violating federal law. This doesn't operate like some kind of backyard "he said, she said" squabble. There are established processes for this, and they are enforced (but only when the FTC knows there is a violation). I was directly involved in "Made in USA" product designations for a Fortune 50 company for years. I worked directly with FTC authorities to ensure our products were in compliance. My $40 BILLION annual revenue company, with more lawyers than you could count in a month didn't try to screw with the FTC. It complied.
It only takes a couple hours for a competent shop to install a set of original steel lifters. No worries about soft metal and loose screws then.
My engine building buddy's have had problems with hydraulic lifters from all the cam companies, the story is the lifter body is USA made but all the company's started using China internal components and the tolerances are not correct, some of the lifters are so bad you can push them down with very little resistance. Crane lifters have been working the best for them.
Some years ago I had a camshaft reground and the lifter bottoms as well. Does anyone still do it? Mine were solid, but is there any reason that hydraulic would not be regrindable? I would think that if the hardening were deep enough there shouldn't be a problem.
I suspect his " spellcheck " substituted that for hydraulic.....often you later see. " damn spellcheck "!
Maybe he meant "hydroponic lifter": a lifter you grow in your basement under special lights. Then you don't need to worry about importing them from Mexico.