That's the ticket, McMaster stocks good product, not sure about the eBay sellers...kinda like buying from Harbor Freight, their sandpaper generally is not worth the money Most of their tools 9n the other hand are adequate. Things that need precision tolerances for good use or proper life or excellent hear treat are not their forte. Their torque wrenches I wouldn't trust to anything other than big bolts that you can safely be in the ballpark without concern...things like engine building, better to spend more, Project Farm has a good review of big torque wrenches but nothing suitable for any precision and he included a Harbor Freight 1/2" drive torque wrench. Interesting review. I want someone to do a inch pound torque wrench analysis...
So, odds are the eBay stuff works OK but it depends on the price difference between them. Call McMaster Carr and ask them to tell you the manufacturer to find out if they are known quality like Norton and 3M and similar companies. They likely are a big abrasive maker they are buying from. The Cheap Chinese Crap (CCC) is what you usually want to avoid, but in this case if the price break is enough it might be fine. But yes, that it the cats meow for working between fins. Make wooden tools to slot the cord between so you can hold the cord and you aren abusing your fingers and even lattice strip you can sandwich a piece or plywood to hold it. Then you have to get creative in tight areas you cannot easily draw the cord through. Paint stripper will kill the paint and the cord and remove the bubbled material stripped but aluminum oxidation is not fun to remove between fins and 8n tight areas on assembled motors. My CX came off an island in Rhode Island and the paint and clear coat are compromised so the cases which have the bites built in as a lump really need time at a vapor blaster but the danger of pushing abrasives into the assembled motor are too great. So SS brushes and sand paper and other things have been used and it 8s a royal pita. Same issue on my mini Cooper S that lived in Wisconsin...the block and tranny being aluminum the aluminum oxidation is not pretty. I spent 30 minutes with a wire brush knocking back quite a bit on the oil pan and underside of the motor. I just took used oil and coated the area I scrubbed back to cleaner aluminum knowing it will collect dust, dirt, better that than more white corrosion to grow. The salt melting chemicals it had been exposed to had pitted the aluminum alloy in some areas. It bugs me. The cast aluminum areas are hopeless. I just need to let it go and not be bugged by it. But I wanted a 2 door hardtop hatchback with manual transmission Cooper S Gen 3 with the reliable BMW designed and built '14 and later motor so I found a CarMax 2 door in Wisconsin and since it hasn't sold they offered to bring it from Wisconsin to Bristol TN near where I was living for $99 and I knew in 2019 finding a white 2 door hardtop was gonna be tough. I also wanted a Harmon Karden sound system option and it has the heated seats which help my back when I am having back issues. It was average milage to near high at 59k being 4 yrs old and single owner and never wrecked. So, I got a good deal as it had been marked down. Wish I had bought a 16 as I didn't know the 16 had broader seats as the 15 seats are too narrow for my big frame and the side bolsters cause issues and I have had to supplement the seat with a pad to fill the area or my sides of my back really start bothering me. The things you learn owning a car or bike...
Not regrets but just things you know having owned them.
