I'm sorry if it seemed as if I were cutting down Comp Cams. That wasn't my intention. As a matter of fact I have used Comp's products in the past. I still have a Comp flat tappet cam/lifters/rockers running in a sbc for over 18 years now. Lord knows that they have had some serious abuse, but all of the stuff was bought in the 1980's.
The quality of things made in the USA isn't what it used to be. Of that I'm certain. I see one of the reasons in the place I work. I run a CNC drill/router designed to manufacture printed circuit boards. It's been adapted to machine most all components for in-circuit test fixtures made mostly out of a material called G10(think super fiber-glass) up to 3/4" thick. The programs run are originally designed using Solid Works(think super autocad). Then a custom software converts the solidworks drawing into code that the CNC will run, but it has flaws. I have to edit the code so that it will run properly. For instance all of the drill/mill bits in the cnc have a 1/8" shank, but the flute length of anything smaller than 1/8" diameter is only about .400" in long, meaning that a hole in 3/4" material has to be drilled about halfway thru from both sides.
Thing is, no mater how many times I tell the designers not to try to set-up the code so that it will not try to drill all the way thru from one side on anything over 3/8" thick, it happens all the time. I catch it in the code most of the time but sometimes when I'm very busy I miss it too, and end up scrapping something, or at least causing a lot of re-work and delays. Gets old!
Like I said, I try to give the designers feedback to stop the errors, but it seems a waste of time. In the middle of an intense, in-depth, thought provoking conversation, someones cell phone rings. They return 5 minutes later and say "where were we?" I know they lost their train of thought about issue that I brought up and it seems that in reality they could care less.
I go to meetings about quality and see people texting something on the phone. Many times at break/lunch time it seems no one speaks to one another. Everyone is on the cell phone. Texting twitter, surfing the web, or just playing games with someone they have never met in-person halfway across the country. Every one leaves without saying much of anything to one another in person. Not all the time, but more than you would think.
I suspect its all over the country like this. Besides stuff made mostly of chineseium, cell phones are a big part of poor quality issues in the workplace in this country, just like they are a big part of poor driving. It seems no one cares or has any respect for anyone else.
Sorry to vent, but I wouldn't be surprised one bit if someone was on the phone when those pushrods were made or going thru QC.
I know if it were my own company, I would have a policy that no cell phones were to be used unless it was break time, or you don't work here. I'm sure there are people that would give it up to keep a job, just like I know some would be spending more time on the crapper.
ssmonty
PS: Sorry last week it was a bad week at the shop.