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

[Louis R Godena]

Steve;

Wow, some horror story.  Why didn't you have Jim K or his brother do it?

The same thing happened to me with Simplex in Providence, Rhode Island. 
They quoted me I think $325 but I ended up paying close to $600 with all the 
"well, we had to take this off" and "there was an extra charge to do that" 
and "well, we really couldn't use the ___ that was on there" and so on. 
The difference is they did ONE HELL OF A JOB on my engine and last spring 
when I dropped those two bottoms into gumbo and heard that rebored block 
with the cast .45 overs pick up, it was well worth it.

Louis Godena

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Treimer" <steelerhawk at yahoo.com>
To: "Antique John Deere mailing list" 
<antique-johndeere at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2005 1:36 PM
Subject: [AJD] Cold manifold for D, rant, 730D fuel filters


> 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
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