Bad "New" parts frustration.

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It's not just NAPA and it's not just auto parts. I've had so many call backs on heat and air parts that I refuse to buy from some suppliers. Just because they make more money selling a cheapo commie chinese piece of crap to me for $1 less than a quality US made piece, I have to go back to a pissed off customers house and change it for free! That keeps me from serving another paying customer and costs me big $$. I'd much rather pay more (even double!) for a quality part that lasts, and I'd rather keep another American working!(no offense Canadians) The vendors are now only able to source parts from china, the US factories are closed. Get out your hammers and sickles boys, we're in for a long hard ride.
 
If Im not in a hurry or need a part "today" I typically order from Rockauto. Yes you pay for shipping but I always compare prices to the local stores. If Im saving $5 or more I will order thru them. Plus you get to pick what brand you want to go with. If I need something right now I still go to Napa. I have some good ins with the people at my local one so I usually get a good price break, never have to pay for shipping if its a special order or what ever else. I agree with others that there quality is going down hill, but i guess Im a loyalist.
 
Damn 68 seen a ton of this in t-stats, the last couple of years. (Parts guy,warranty replacement on stats,a few). Had one cook a fresh head,(mine)on a 22R Toyota overhaul. It's not systematic,quality stats are downhill. As for domestic cars,I like the Robert Shaw/Mr Gasket "fail safe " stats. The others,I check in boiling water everytime.
 
Here's a good one

About 10 months ago I replaced the Starter Relay on my D50 (uses a regular Mopar Starter Relay) because the 40+ Year Old Relay was going bad, had to smack it sometimes to get it to work.

Last Month I had to tow a car with the D50, my best friend was in the passenger seat. As I turned into a parking lot I hear a noise and I say to him "Did you hear that weird noise?"

"I think it was your door speaker on this side making a racket."

Of course I'm hoping that's not true, because those were fairly new Alpines.

Pull up to the car we had to tow, and I shut the engine off. RRRRR-RRRR-RRRR, The high torque mini-starter was spinning full tilt with the key off (that was the noise I heard a minute before). Quickly opened the hood, pulled the Start wire off the Relay, no change, kept cranking, so I disconnected the battery.

The relay welded itself open out of the blue. Fortunately I still had the 40+ Year Old Relay in the glovebox, threw it on, started the truck and we towed the car.

40 year old relay still works most of the time, a new relay that was less than a year old crapped the bed...
 
Bad Sport said:
There's the key.
Click to expand...

Not always. Someone on another board went through four fan clutches (Hayden, US-made) on a Dodge B250 van trying to get a good one. He tried all four (all he could find, 3 different stores), and not a single one worked! (He wound up re-installing the old one and zip-tying the fan so it always spun.)
 
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