As I was cleaning up valve train parts so I could assemble the heads, I discovered there were no rocker shaft end plugs included in the gasket set. It's been a long time since I rebuilt my last Poly engine, but they used to be included in the best Felpro sets and I never thought to check before the time came to replace them.
That in itself wasn't a big deal as the parts were available from Rockauto and their service is always fast and reliable. They were only a few cents apiece, but came ten to a box, so I'd have enough left over to build another engine and a half if I l live that long. True to form, the parts arrived two days after ordering, but then I ran into my second plug problem...they were too small. I verified the parts were correct as ordered and specified in their catalog, and they were, so something else was wrong. A check of the Dorman website told me that Rockauto had the wrong part number called out in their catalog. The number was one digit off, so the parts I got were for a late model Mopar engine.
The next problem came when I tried to tell Rockauto that they had an error their catalog. I wasn't concerned about less than three dollars wasted on the wrong parts, but I still wanted the right parts. I quickly found that their automated problem/return process does not work for catalog errors for inexpensive parts. More expensive parts...yes, little stuff...no! I tried a half-dozen ways to reach a human, or even an address to email the information. You can't get there from here!. I next called Rockauto headquarters and explained the problem to a lady in customer service. She said to just write the problem in the return form. I told her there is no space given in the return/problem form for inexpensive parts. She said there was, but couldn't explain how to get there, and all I had to do was follow directions. Sigh!
Since I needed the parts, I called NAPA, and they did not have the parts in stock, and to make matters worse, even though he verified that the part number I wanted was good, and that it was for a '66 318, it was not something he could order. Another call to the best engine building shop in town was also fruitless, as he didn't stock anything for Poly engines.
I finally quit banging my head against the wall and just reordered the parts by the correct part number from Rockauto. Their catalog kept trying to make me specify the make and model, but I was able to order the correct parts using only the part number. We shall see if they send the right ones.
For what it's worth, this picture shows why the inside of the shafts need cleaning. They had been thoroughly washed in gasoline and brake cleaner, and I still got a pile of carbonized sludge out of them.
This is all I've accomplished since I've been waiting for the plugs to arrive, and now I have another wait. By the time I receive the new parts, the weather will probably turn to winter again.
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