[S10 Racer]

Has anyone had experience with the Pro Comp named parts? These seems to be much cheaper than everything else which has me wondering about quality and workmanship. Their parts look nice. I was looking at buying some heads and rods but I want something that will stay together. It just seems Brodix & Darts are way over priced.

Thanks

[Denny]

Any time you are checking out parts, try to get all the specs, and info on them. They can make anything look nice, but if the hardness is weak, that's all it takes. They say you pay for what you get. That's pretty true, how ever, you do pay for name brand names, and they make a lot of it from the same place, with the same specs.

[Stroke]

What heads, and what rods would you be interested in? Exactly what are your intentions for the motor application? Pro Comp stuff (name Brand???) is made in China. Some of it is sold to companies in other coutries and it winds up here with all sorts of names. There are some posts, one by a marine engine builder, where the heads are not up to snuff. You;ll be far better off using tried and true products.

[cool rockin daddy]

Dammit! Don't buy that crap. What is with guys that want to buy the cheap stuff instead of the good quality stuff made in the U.S.A.? Is it because guys want to brag how they got their car to run with cheap crap or do they like constantly replacing cheap import parts?

[Stroke]

$$$
Americans are going broke. The influx of all the Free Trade Crap into the country gives some the impression that it is all the same. To some, a head is a head, an H-Beamrod is an H-Beam rod, 4340 is 4340 etc etc etc. The quality issues are not so visible to the unscrutinizing. Some folks don't have the experience in dealing with junk and have no way to know the difference. Some junk is portrayed as some hi-tech something or other, and is cheap. When you don't have the $$$ to spend on high dollar parts, the el cheapo is enticing. You buy the junk, let her rip a few times and you'll have more junk than you started out with. Good used parts are better IMO than new junk. Does the word chintzy ring a bell. All that glitters is not gold!

[k-star]

All the stuff is basically junk..

I will say that in the next 2 year years the only thing they will be selling is intakes.

I just did seats on a pair of there heads. The first head took about .005" per seat to clean up.Not bad, the second head had one seat clean up with .006" but the seat beside it took .025". I would have called someone a liar if they told me a seat could be out of round that far, but it was. The next 2 took about .015" . It looks like who ever cut the seats at the factory had the head set up out of parallel..

Till it's all said and done your better of staying with a better know brand..

What exactly are you thinking about buying???

Keith

[bigbadbowtie]

I'll reply to a few of the posts. Not all of us can afford a top of the line Callies Magnum XL crank or Carrillo H beams. As most all hobbies, hotrodding is done by alot of people on a budget. The guy asked a simple question and gets ripped apart for it. There are MANY MANY high Hp engines running round with import cranks,rods with NO failures. Trust me,I get the "Buy USA". I do in most all cases as we all should.

Ditto to what Keith said about pro-comp
They were also sued by MSD and lost. I would not touch any of their stuff.

FYI... even Callies has a line of cranks that are IMPORTED.

[barnym17]

Not going to get into the war over where it's made,but the truth is most Chinese paets including Eagle and Scat(exept for the high end made in USA cranks)are junk.Ever look inside an Eagle H-beam rod and see the grinder marks? These are stress risers which will cause rod failure.Most need to be machined after you buy them due to out of round, taper etc.Also just because it says 4340 material means nothing that is an American standard not worldwide.I have ran over many eagle rods spit out by other cars while dirt tracking.You are almost always better off with stock rods that have resized, magnafluxed and shotpeened with good bolts installed.Oh yeah they are only about$120.00 for a much better piece.As far as cranks go a stock gm cast crank is far superior to the so called cast steel stuff you can buy.The truth is these people don't fatigue test this junk they just sell it.Where as all the oem's will dyno test engines at full song for 24 to 48 hrs to see if they can break it.

[bigbadbowtie]

Originally Posted by barnym17

Not going to get into the war over where it's made,but the truth is most Chinese paets including Eagle and Scat(exept for the high end made in USA cranks)are junk.Ever look inside an Eagle H-beam rod and see the grinder marks? These are stress risers which will cause rod failure.Most need to be machined after you buy them due to out of round, taper etc.Also just because it says 4340 material means nothing that is an American standard not worldwide.I have ran over many eagle rods spit out by other cars while dirt tracking.You are almost always better off with stock rods that have resized, magnafluxed and shotpeened with good bolts installed.Oh yeah they are only about$120.00 for a much better piece.As far as cranks go a stock gm cast crank is far superior to the so called cast steel stuff you can buy.The truth is these people don't fatigue test this junk they just sell it.Where as all the oem's will dyno test engines at full song for 24 to 48 hrs to see if they can break it.

Truth..... I guess you better tell at least 1/2 of the guys I race with they have JUNK in their engines. Can you say with 100% accuracy that it failed because of the part or do to assembly or oil starvation? I don't think so but if you can tell that by just driving over it your gonna be a rich man.

[S10 Racer]

Originally Posted by k-star

All the stuff is basically junk..

I will say that in the next 2 year years the only thing they will be selling is intakes.

I just did seats on a pair of there heads. The first head took about .005" per seat to clean up.Not bad, the second head had one seat clean up with .006" but the seat beside it took .025". I would have called someone a liar if they told me a seat could be out of round that far, but it was. The next 2 took about .015" . It looks like who ever cut the seats at the factory had the head set up out of parallel..

Till it's all said and done your better of staying with a better know brand..

What exactly are you thinking about buying???

Keith

Not thinking about anything special, just browsing eBay and seeing all this new Pro Comp stuff being sold cheap. I knew there had to be a reason, that's why I asked. Thank you all for the info. Keep it coming in. It helps us all.

[Sinister]

I have one of their HEI's in my '69 C-20, seems to work O.K. and the fit and finish was very good. I don't think I would get their heads though...

[xxllmm4]

When people complain and and tell people not to buy parts made in China. Yet their on the internet with a computer that I guarantee is not made in America makes me Laugh my *** off.

So just so i'm clear on this... Its ok to buy your TV, radio, computer and toaster from china but not your car parts! ummm ok what ever lets you sleep at night.

Jordon

[BOBCRMAN@aol.com]

As I read these replies I really have to laff at the mis information.

Virtually all of the affordable stuff is made outside the US. I don't care who has their name on the Re-BOX..

Much of the stuff marketed as Pro comp is a good buy for the money. As for sportsman cranks MOST are imported, As cores or completes. Fed-Mogul various brand Forged pistons are all made overseas. Keith Black pistons come from Mexico. Virtually all the stainless valves are made in China, Israel or Argentina. Clevite brands are now made by Mahle, an across the pond co. And the list goes on..

Oh, by the way, I have done NEW Chevrolet aluminum heads (made by Edelbrock, in the US.) That had BAAAD! seat runout. Also had a set that the seats and guides were on two different planes! Looked like a tooling error that got out the door.

So you have to watch out..

[S10 Racer]

Originally Posted by BOBCRMAN@aol.com

As I read these replies I really have to laff at the mis information.

Virtually all of the affordable stuff is made outside the US. I don't care who has their name on the Re-BOX..

Much of the stuff marketed as Pro comp is a good buy for the money. As for sportsman cranks MOST are imported, As cores or completes. Fed-Mogul various brand Forged pistons are all made overseas. Keith Black pistons come from Mexico. Virtually all the stainless valves are made in China, Israel or Argentina. Clevite brands are now made by Mahle, an across the pond co. And the list goes on..

Oh, by the way, I have done NEW Chevrolet aluminum heads (made by Edelbrock, in the US.) That had BAAAD! seat runout. Also had a set that the seats and guides were on two different planes! Looked like a tooling error that got out the door.

So you have to watch out..

Great info there. My concern is that you do not know how bad anything is until it's time to work on it. With that in mind, how would a person tell if the quality and workmanship is good before you buy? Especially getting something on eBay where you only see pictures?

[Gladis]

pro comp = pro crap