I just got an email from Steve who is the General Manager at Eastern Surplus who said that their description and part numbers on their site are correct when they are clearly not even when I corrected them with the TM. If the description is correct that it fits LDT pistons as well as LDS pistons, then tell me why they only show 4 rings when an LDS piston takes 5 rings? That’s right, they don’t know what they are selling. He clearly did not understand any of the emails that I sent them.
Early in the email chain Chris at Eastern had a guy pull apart an LDS piston kit and then tell me how my rings are supposed to go on my piston. The problem is he was looking at a 3 ring “New Style LDS Piston” when I clearly told him I have 4 rings on my piston.
I also told them that there is only 4 rings on my original LDT piston and 5 rings on an original LDS piston. The new style “LDS Piston Kits” that are part number 57K1318 only have 3 rings total. So we are talking about 3 totally different pistons! The rings on the 3 groove LDS pistons are not compatible with any other ring on the original LDT or original LDS piston, period. That being said, the ring kit they have only fits the LDT piston, supposedly. When you get the rings be prepared to not have them in any military packaging and not have any part numbers on the package at all. They tell me they are surplus but may not be from all of the same supplier and that is why the one set was different.
They still insist that they are fine to use even though that they do not all match. Who in their right mind builds an engine with piston rings that do not match?
So in a nut shell I’ll paraphrase what is going on:
Eastern surplus: ”yes, we know that they did not all match, did not come labeled with any part numbers but they are all the same and that is what you ordered. We pulled a piston off the shelf that had 3 rings and told you that the first compression ring is the light colored ring, the second compression ring is the darker one, and the third one is the oil ring. We know the picture you sent us shows 10 light colored compression rings and only 2 dark compression rings but somehow the kit must be right because we say so. We also know 2 weeks after you bought our rings that you called trying to get piston rings for the 3 groove LDS pistons which we think are the same even though you told us they are not.
We would rather get your money and well parts that are not accurately described. If its not what you ordered we will use the excuse that it’s the surplus market and you should understand different manufacturers might make parts differently. So shut up, I don’t care to educate myself in the products I sell. Ignorance is bliss, this matter is now closed and thank you for your business. ”
Me: “I gave you all of the part numbers of each piston ring on the LDT piston, I explain to you the 3 different types of Multifuel Pistons, I explain to you that the rings I ordered I expected them to be the same and will not accept a set with 2 oddball rings that do not have the same finish or markings on them like the others. No mechanic would put an engine together with unknown rings that did not match. Either send me matching rings or send me a shipping label to refund all of my money because you sent me parts that are not complete and not usable.”
I would never give Eastern Surplus a good review now. Everybody makes mistakes, yes. It's life... but when somebody tried to deceive a customer by trying to tell them they are good when they are clearly not, that is just wrong. They never called me to inform me that what I ordered is not all the same and instead just sent them anyway hoping I wouldn't say anything. The tell me I can send them back and either get my money in store credit or receive a refund and have to pay a 30% restocking fee. Why should somebody be charged a restocking fee when they send back parts that the supplier knew were not correct? There are plenty of other vendors out there that are good businessmen and do what is fair. I'm not looking for anything other than fair here, not looking for something for nothing, only receive what I order. Simple. Steve, Chris and Dave at Eastern Surplus are not good people. I have heard stories about them and this confirms it. If they change their ways and make this transaction right, then I will retract this comment. Until then, take your business somewhere else because they are not good people and everybody else has cheaper prices, guaranteed. Eastern Surplus are known to be the most expensive and there is absolutely no benefit of doing business with them unless you like burning money and being treated like dirt.
