[Fot] County Pistons Taiwan Quality Control Issue

[Glenn Franco]

Correction County Pistons are made in Taiwan.

On 1/11/2013 4:14 PM, Glenn Franco wrote:
> FYI
> I am in the midst of a TR6 Rebuild with an engine that is .020" 
> overbored.
> While fitting up the pistons and checking clearances everything 
> checked out and the bore was concentric and to specs.
> With the piston installed in the bore I noticed increased drag with #1 
> piston installed.
> With rings gaps, skirt clearance correct I pulled the piston and 
> didn't see any  issues.
> Further inspection showed that the piston was cocked in the bore and 
> had score marks on the bottom of one skirt with the same wear just 
> below the oil ring on the other side.
> After inspecting it with the machine shop we noticed that the ring 
> grooves were not fully machined on one side of the piston.
> The rings would not move far enough in the groove and was proud of the 
> surface causing the piston to cock in the bore.
> We collectively have not seen this before and have a new set of AE 
> pistons not County on the way.
>
> Having spent many years in Automotive Engineering at one of the former 
> Big Three, these events are usually not one of's.
> There likely are many more out there that ran down the line in the 
> same batch at the same time before it was caught.
>
> These are new County Piston sets (I think made in Israel now).
> I would inspect their parts very closely before you install them.
>
> I also noticed machine chips in the machined groove of their Tri-Metal 
> Main Bearings (Israel).
> The chips were in the machined groove and were plated over with the 
> babbit and copper.
>
> I have had very good experiences with their parts in the past.
> Just thought I would provide a heads up.
>
> Glenn