Je'Acuse parts manufacturers.

A thread was locked before I could throw my two cents in and I feel an extension of it is necessary.

My advice is based on experiences of over 40 years in the auto repair and parts industry.

One guy was extremely upset because he ordered engine parts, expecting a particular brand and received a different brand.

AE, versus Hastings.

Now he expressed the opinion that Hastings was not desired. Maybe it is not what he wanted to put in, but he didn't do his research on the quality of Hastings.

Hastings engine components are every bit as good as mainstream AE.

They are both major suppliers to the auto manufacturers and rebuilders and over the counter parts suppliers, for many years.

Maybe his emotions overcame the moment? dunno.

Instead of accusing the parts supplier, I would recommend that next time he ask for experiential references before deciding he got a substandard product.... That is the major benefit of this forum, where we get to pass on the knowledge we have learned.

Receiving an incomplete order, or broken parts is one thing, but receiving a different makers component parts is something to be investigated, not condemned.

Case in point: in just about any application I would use Federal Mogul as well as Vandervell, but would pass on County brand given the alternatives...

nuff said.

I saw that and had the same thought, Ron.

Hastings rings are in a LOT of my engines. Trusted and considered top shelf in my small world.

ok,
i consider myself chastised.

I guess i am just used to seeing my rings in nice neat packages, not tossed unprotected into a cardboard box with three compartments for top middle and bottom.

m

Aha! Yep, the quality of the packaging isn't necessaeily a guage of the quality of the product within!

hmmm.

so it is ok to take tempered steel pieces with sharp edges and randomly bang them together before i put them in my/your engine?





m

just so you all can see what i am talking about..

Rings are not made of tempered steel, they are cast iron. Very hard, resistant to wear due to graphite flakes within the metal, and highly resistant to compressive forces including sitting in a box with other like parts. They are though rather brittle and will break easily due to the poor resistance to tensile forces (pulling) which happens to the inside of the ring when it is stretched to go over a piston.
Quality of the rings has primarily to do with carbon content and flake size. Accurate machining is preferred but not necessary as the ring will wear quickly to the correct fit.

Fear not, Mark. Th' Hastings are every bit as high quality as AE or anything else you could find. Fit 'em and do a proper run-in.

Speaking of breaking rings, I was very happy when I got an individual ring set direct from Hastings at a very reasonable price when I broke a ring putting it on my AH100 piston, it was even an odd size, .060" over. Good deal shippe promptly matched perfectly, I had sourced the .060" pistons from England and was afraid I would have to buy a whole new full set of rings for four pistons or a whole new piston and ring set (from England more time and money) to get it fixed, Hastings saved the day, yea Hastings!

In my opinion you have a better product, the AE rings, have a less desirable oil control ring they use these days, and the second ring is extremely tricky on the AE set to not break on installation, can't say I'm a big fan of them. You're better off, fate worked in your favor this time. If it makes you feel any better high dollar JE and Total Seal racing rings come in a box just in plastic baggy, not the little fold out thing AE and Deeves did

ok ok...i get it. I screwd up- didnt do my research- popped off with out thinking.
should have asked here first. my apologizes to the board.


mark


just dont turn me into a rutabega

OOooohhhh.... THAT's ~LOW~ bruvver....

:wink: