[AJD] Cold manifold for D, rant, 730D fuel filters

[Steve Treimer]

List,
Anyone know if a cold manifold is still available for a D?
Got the head and block back from Midwest Cylinder Head in Nevada, IA.  Mark my words here, I am willing to give $5 to anyone who ever makes me eat these words:
I will never do business with Midwest Cylinder Head again.  I hope Neale is listening.
Here are the facts: Quoted $350 to clean, check, bore, and hone block.  Tried to charge me $528.  Spent several phone calls and a couple hours haggling to get my parts back.  Turns out they have now implemented miscellaneous charges since Arnold's bought them out.  One of these charges - an automatic 5% (tax) HAZMAT fee.  Since I'm sure really nasty chlorinated solvents must still widely be used for degreasing.....doubt it.  The head, got that back finally after them having it for 7 weeks!  Yep, still $520, but hey, at least my valves, springs, and guides were all just fine!  I just love it when a guy like Rex Baker (the owner) looks at me and argues "A quote is just a quote unless you specifically ask for an absolute cost...." hmmmm, I know I look young, but not that young to be treated like that.  The last time, ~3 years ago, I did business with them, I gave them a perfectly reasonable looking "H" block that Shorty Dear sent up to me.  I had them crack and bore check it ju!
 st in
 case.  But it really wasn't that bad.  When I called to check, they said the block was cracked.  When I went in, obviously confused, as was Shorty, the block that they called mine had a crack from the top of the cylinder down to the bottom and about a 1/16" wide to boot.  You couldn't miss something so obvious if you were blind, deaf, paraplegic, and dumb.  You can imagine me looking 3 years younger and asking the same owner, Rex, what happened to the block I brought in because that was not my block.  I think he said something to the effect of did you stamp it or take pictures?  I now have learned that a mechanic at Midwest has an H that he finished just in time for the tractor ride 3 years ago.........
Anyway.... got the block and head on the tractor.  So far so good...big, heavy parts.  Wish and will probably regret not pulling the crank and re-doing the rods, but I just don't have that expertise and knowledge.  
Fixed a leaking fuel filter problem on the 730 D last night, hoping to be able to plow this weekend.  Only took 4 hours.  I wonder how many people wish JD packaged like 5 of those rubber gaskets with each filter.  What a nightmare trying to tighten them up squarely and evenly!  Amazingly enough it wasn't that hard, apparently, to get the air bled out.  I was finally able to start it up without leaking and run it 15 minutes, even at rated speed, with no hitches.  Why didn't they use or retrofit a spin on fuel filter........
Hope EVERYONE on this list gets to plow this month or at least put around.  It is perfect weather here in Iowa!
Steve