Don,

Chinese stuff is junk....not a generalization. Think of one quality product that China is famous for....it sure isnt parts or even Chinese food!

The process of getting something built in China does not start with some Chinese guy thinking "I'll build a SBC part for sale in America." It actually starts with some round eye contacting a broker in China with the specific request to build a part...say an oil pan. The American guy sends the oil pan to China with the instructions to duplicate it with a low price. The Chinese guy has zero clue that it is a SBC oil pan.... he is talented at making an "appearance copy" not a "functional copy." They are very good at making something that looks like their target product...a fake Rolex is a good example.

However, since the metallurgy or the tolerances may be important and the Chinese guy has zero clue about these details, the Chinese copy doesnt work right....but it was cheap.

The entire situation is our fault....we demand cheap products and turn our back on quality. From cars, to tools, to clothes, we buy on price first and appearance second. Quality is somewhere way down the line.

mike in tucson