Re: Worn Piston Ring on my Merc 4.3l TKS
You're about to spend a couple thousand on an engine - the real benefits (to me) would be how the internal parts used stack up against the purchase price; and I'd think these parts would be more important than sales tax or shipping in terms of knowing what you're getting.
$10 shipping for an item of this size is just "cost shifting". You will be paying more than $10 in shipping, but that cost is factored into the engine price. For whatever reason, consumers generally see the difference between $10 and $110 as greater than the difference between $2100 and $2200, so a company would expect to have more sales at $2200 + $10 than at $2100 + $110.
The best "deal" usually is going to be the local machine shop, provided he cares about his work (which is usually the case). Unless you know the specific recipe of parts for each engine supplier, how can you possibly shop by price? To quote John Ruskin, "there is nothing in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and he who considers price only is that man's lawful prey." Point being, price is only a valid consideration if you're comparing exactly the same thing; there are a bunch of different ways to build a stock 350.
If you don't have a contact locally who can recommend a shop,
here is a good place to start looking. Call around, ask questions, visit a few shops and let them do the beauty contest routine. While I express no opinion about GM (or any production style place), I think a local machine shop would be less likely to do something like, say, decide they
can't be bothered with checking piston-to-wall clearance.
And that doesn't even get us into talking about the paper (conspicuously marked "warranty") that some companies offer/sell/market. I haven't read them all, but if you go that route, read it
very carefully. There is "out" language in all of them, even if that involves them refunding your money and not shipping you another engine. This is why it's important to
fully troubleshoot and repair your fuel system, and rebuilding the carburetor - while a good place for you to start - is only the begining of the
full procedure.
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