401

[73hornut]

Hi Jerry, my sister and brother inlaw, live in Elmira. I just went through eugene last weekend going up to the auto parts swapmeet in portland. You still wanna sell the 401? I'll give ya $250 for the engine. I don't have any use for the trans. I'm available to pick it up anytime this weekend. Let me know. Jim

[jerry]

I sold it. Sorry, JMSII bought it yesterday. where dose your brother inlaw live and who is he I probly know him.

Jerry

[jeepsr4ever]

Wow that was a STEAL!!

[73hornut]

I sold it. Sorry, JMSII bought it yesterday. where dose your brother inlaw live and who is he I probly know him.

Jerry

My loss, glad to here ya sold it. Their name is Hammontree. They live across the street from the elementary school, off territorial hwy.

[jerry]

I am sure they know me . I was up at the locker across the street today.


jerry

[73hornut]

I am sure they know me . I was up at the locker across the street today.


jerry

The buther shop on the corner? They live straight across the street in front. I think the street is watkins, but I'm not 100% sure. I know it starts with a w, and is about the second left.

[jerry]

It is not a 401 but a 360 I did not know It had a 401 air cleaner on it and the paper work on the truck said 401. the post owner thought he had replaced the engine with a 401. that what he paid for. but it say 360 on the side of the block.

Jerry

[JMSII]

Ok folks, here goes.

All of you that were watching this thread should know what happened today when my buddy and I drove about 680 miles (round trip, spending $148.00 for diesel and killing a whole day in the process!) to pick up the "running 401/turbo400/Q-Trac" for $350.00

I had talked to "Jerry" on the phone several times about this item. I asked him if he was sure it was a 401. He repeatedly told me it was even after I told him to look at the number cast on the block. We came to an agreement on the 401 where he would hold it until today when I came to pick it up. Hell, I'm sure a lot of you might have tried to buy it out from under me! (Even MC posted saying "It was a steal!") I actually PM'd Jerry praising him for his honesty and sticking to our agreement - I was that impressed. He told me that others had tried to buy it.

Naturally, I was excited to get this project going so I rolled out of bed at 4:30am this morning, jumped into my buddie's truck and we headed down to Oregon.

We arrived at about noon or so. The engine/trans/trans case was sitting on the back of a flatbed truck. Another transmission/transfer case was sitting on the forks of a forklift next to the flatbed. A young guy who said he was Jerry (more on this later) and an older gentleman (who's name I didn't catch) met me.

Something caught my eye immediately about 30 feet from the flatbed - the motor had a 2bbl carb. Naturally, I immediately proceeded to the side of the block where the displacement is cast into the block. The mount and bracket were removed, so it was quite obvious that it said "360"

Also, the engine was of course filthy, but the trans/transfer case that was obviously VERY recently bolted to the motor was clean as a whistle, and even had a junkyard part number painted on it in yellow. It was my impression, given the fact that the motor was so dirty and that the other trans/trans case on the forklift was dirty as well, that it had been removed from the motor just prior to my arrival.

When I said it was a 360 the younger guy (Jerry) dissapeared with the forklift and came back with empty forks. They both acted suprised and one of them pointed to the yellow emission sticker on the air cleaner that did reference a 401. Evidently they put a 401 aircleaner on it.

I know this is long winded, but here is my beef:

1.- I had several conversations with a person on the phone who said he was Jerry, yet the young guy I met today who told me he was Jerry didn't sound anything like the person on the phone. Furthermore, I went over the whole casting number issue with the "Jerry" that was on the phone, and he told me is was a running 401. (I asked this question several times)

2.- Judging from the number of posts that Jerry has on this forum, you would think that somebody that posts that often here would know the difference between the two motors - particularly since there was a CJ-7 parked right by the truck that had been modified, so somebody knew the truth here.

3.- Jerry called me around 6ish this morning to make sure I was on the way, which of course I was. Why didn't he tell me then that is was not what we had agreed on? (And please don't insult my intelligence by saying "we really thought is was a 401") That WON'T wash!

4.- I am REALLY PISSED OFF that I drove down there under false pretenses, and had to waste a whole day of mine and my buddies time, and if that wasn't enough, to have to piss away $148.00 for nothing.

This of course, leads me to a few possible scenarios:

1.- Neither one of these guys really knew the difference between a 360 and 401 (highly unlikely!) and this was a simple honest mistake. (Despite the fact that I told him how to ID a 401 several times and he assured me it was and of course, that "Jerry" is a regular contributor to this website - where this topic has been discussed time and time again.)

2.- They either kept the 401 for themselves and or sold it to somebody else for more and then thought they could scam me into buying a 360.

3.- The clean junkyard marked tranny/transfer case was bad and they pulled the good, albeit dirty, one off this engine and kept it.

One more thing, I noticed that on several of Jerry's post's on this site, he mentioned being in Viet Nam (I believe in 68 or 69, and I was there in 73-74) There is NO WAY this young guy could have been there.

"Jerry" did offer a very quiet lame apology that we had to drive all the way down there and all, but it just didn't all add up. First, they didn't even act suprised when I pointed out that it wasn't what was advertised on this site. Second, most people will still try to sell something, even if there is something wrong. These two guys couldn't wait to see us leave.

I know we are all cut from different bolts of cloth, but if that were me and I had screwed up like that, I would have at least offered to split the guys fuel bill him or tried to make it right some way.

My gut tells me that they either decided to keep the 401 or sold it to somebody else for a higher price. They then came up with a 360 which can be had in almost any wrecking yard up here in the Northwest for less than a $100 and slapped it on the flatbed, pulled the good tranny/transfer case and swapped a clean (but probably bad) unit on it and just hoped against hope that I was an idiot and didn't question the validity of the item. I hate to think the worst of people, but in this case I have been given little choice.

Guys, the REAL thing that gets my goat here is the PRINCIPAL of the issue! Sure I'm pissed as hell about shelling out $148.00 and wasting a day of my time, but what I am MAD AS HELL about is the principal of the whole thing. If you sold it to somebody else, or changed your mind, then buck up, act like you have a pair and TELL the other person! Speaking of principals, if somebody on this site DID actually buy the 401, would you be kind enough to let me know? I really want to know what happened here.

Everybody I have had the pleasure of meeting though this website had been awesome! MC, you make incredible products. You and your buddies on this site have been a Godsend to those of us with the "Jeep Disease"
Up until today I would have trusted anybody on this site. Now I guess I'll have to follow the old creed "buyer beware" (And no MC, I am not talking about you or your site - just certain people on it.)

Thanks for letting me rant and rave - it is appreciated. MC - thank you for providing this site and the products you make!

[/i]

[73hornut]

It would have taken no effort to post digital pics of the motor here.

[jerry]

I was not going to make a dime on the deal It's scrap Iron to me. If some one would have said what to look for I would have done so. I don't know anything about a 401 360 I do have 258. and lot of Chevy part John talked to my son not me I had to go do a job.

I was just trying to help Bo, my friend ,get some junk out of his place and if someone what a 401 to get a good deal. I had no clue what it was or is wreath. to me and Bo it is junk.

The person Bo bought the j truck from had recites that said he paid for a 401 to be put in the truck. and it had a 401 air cleaner on it.

I am realy sorry that Jonh made the trip for nothing.

Jerry