I spoke with Clearwater a day or two before I scored the GEP Block.
They sell the aftermarket blocks for $1200 plus freight.
It was a day or so after I spoke with them that I found that GEP Block for $550.
Had to drive 40 miles round trip to get it. Beats the heck out of paying for tanscontinental freight.
Crank is scheduled to be delivered on Monday.
In speaking with a GEP rep last week, he tells me that all the GEP Blocks are cast at the Navistar foundary (Not china)
He also mentioned that their heads are cast here too. Seems that they tried having some heads cast in China, but the quality was all over the sky, with some making QC standards and others just being crap.
Bottom line was they pulled everything back onshore to keep the QC where it had to be.
We spoke to some length about the China Blocks too. They had purchased several from various vendors and cut them all apart to see what they were all about.
Some blocks were "fairly good" he claimed and others had major "Core shift" with 3/8 thick cylinder walls on one side and 1/8 thick on the other side.
No way to tell unless you spend the $$$$ to have one SONIC tested in all the holes.
This is not a cheap endevour, especially with 8 holes.
The stories and such with these 6.5 blocks is a real Payton Place for sure.
The backdoor deals that surround the blocks that got loose from Navistar is a real mess too.
Just really hard to believe much of anything.
If you buy a complete engine (6500) from GEP and it comes from them Or one of their outlets your pretty well assured of what your getting.
Beyond this, the waters get really muddy, and quick.
I dont believe I have ever seen such a murky mess of stories and BS concerning any engine parts since I have been swinging a wrench (40 years)
Missy