Customer service that's second to none.

[BC847]

Struck out to the beach late this afternoon and perhaps 25 miles from the house, just as I was merging into traffic on I-95, the truck went down on power and began a loud tapping. The truck was clearly missing on one cylinder and the tapping was consistent with the engine rpm.

I'm embarrassed now to say I drove the truck back home (ask my wife how fugggin angry I was ). Threw the beach-tack in the daughter's truck and went on to the beach.

While I was waiting for the wife to get back with the girls truck, I started pulling valve-covers off. Found #5's exhaust valve-spring retainer has shattered. Perhaps a quarter of the retainer is missing with the rocker-arm in it's place, else it's all still on the spring. One of the locks is sitting on the head adjacent to the spring.


Equestrian-pies!


I've got the whole weekend to think about what I'm gonna do with this mess. Shoot, while I'm small-fry in the scheme of things, I've done a lot of business with Zach and respect what he has to say. So I went ahead and sent him a PM asking what he thought and what I might look for once I get to tearing into it.

Friends, that fella called me within 30 minutes of sending the PM. At his insistence, come Monday morning, he's over-nighting:
- A compression tester so I can verify the valve / head are OK.
- A valve-spring tool.
- A complete replacement set of titanium valve-spring retainers with hardened locks.
- A complete replacement set of push-rods.


WOW!

[cmann250]

I've never bought anything from him, but I respect the way he conducts business. I watch over on CompD and even under fire, he always makes things right. Should I ever need valvetrain products, I know where to go.

[oldestof11]

If you think he is awesome at helping with his products, you should meet him in person. I did not feel like he was talking down to me when I asked a bunch of questions at a "seminar" he held up here. There are some things you cannot read over the phone like facial expression and I am glad to say it is the same on the phone as off.

[BILTIT]

Pardon my ignorance but who is Zach?

[dazedandconfused]

Pardon my ignorance but who is Zach?

Hamilton Cams

[BILTIT]

Thanks!

[PToombs]

Dave, you going to put a big ol'

HAMILTON

sticker on your truck?
Sounds like you should!

[BC847]

Welp, got the parts and tools. Swapped the retainers using a Hamilton valve-spring compressor tool that is as slick as snail-stinky. I told Zach "That valve-spring compressor tool is as slick as snail-stinky!" His response was "Keep it."

I confess I fired that boy up before performing a compression test. Runs smooth. Going back and doing an absolute basic compression test has the cylinder's presenting with 340psig (+/- 5ish psig). I did not perform a leak-down test.


Looking back, I'm glad our engine's are not like the typical engine with the valves looking at the pistons from an angle. If they were, I'd surly be looking a new block, head and piston(s).

Know what I mean when I say: "Whew!"


Pete, putting a bunch of stickers on the heap would, IMO, give it a look of other than sleeper. After all, it's just a grocery-getter.

[PToombs]

Oh yeah, I forgot, "basic farm truck"