More cheapened parts

[NDL]

I ordered them on Rock Auto, but the problems aren't Rock Auto's fault. The order came from Factory Motor Parts in Concord, NC.

The Mahle valve cover gaskets for the EJ25D are now made in China instead of Japan. I feel cheated because I only paid the higher price because they still came from Japan. The job is VERY difficult on the DOHC motors, as they are wider than the SOHC versions.

It still says Japan in Mahle's catalog

Fel-Pro is Chinese now, but at least they're cheaper! Apex is even cheaper, half the price of Fel-Pro and Mahle, and they even come in a snazzy blue color, so at least they look cool

The Denso TT spark plugs were made in the US instead of Japan, but they are probably OE on some US-made Toyotas or other Japanese cars.

The NGK wires are still made in Japan

The Wagner drums aren't coated on the inside like they were supposed to be. I have a separate thread about those in the brakes section.

I strongly agree with you: if your argument was based on emotion/ethnic pride/prejudice, you wouldn't be opting for Japanese made gaskets: you would be a "US ONLY" guy.

Sorry/not sorry: I see overseas quality control as being inconsistent. I am not going to do a job for myself, and put in all of the labor that comes with it, to have a part fail. Nor will I do a job for someone else, have a part fail prematurely, and look like an idiot.

Last year I purchased a Gates water pump, after being assured that Gates has strict quality control measures in place at their Chinese plant, only to have it fail at 30k. A buddy of mine had one blow up on him in the middle of nowhere, after a short time as well: totally different pump/engine than mine.

I see Chinese quality control as being inconsistent: there was a time that junk came out of Taiwan, but they've stepped up their game, and now that isn't the case. I'm sure China will get there at some point too.

Right now, I see them as more of a roll of the dice: more often than not you'll get quality, but sometimes not.

 

[dfarr67]

I strongly agree with you: if your argument was based on emotion/ethnic pride/prejudice, you wouldn't be opting for Japanese made gaskets: you would be a "US ONLY" guy.

Sorry/not sorry: I see overseas quality control as being inconsistent. I am not going to do a job for myself, and put in all of the labor that comes with it, to have a part fail. Nor will I do a job for someone else, have a part fail prematurely, and look like an idiot.

Last year I purchased a Gates water pump, after being assured that Gates has strict quality control measures in place at their Chinese plant, only to have it fail at 30k. A buddy of mine had one blow up on him in the middle of nowhere, after a short time as well: totally different pump/engine than mine.

I see Chinese quality control as being inconsistent: there was a time that junk came out of Taiwan, but they've stepped up their game, and now that isn't the case. I'm sure China will get there at some point too.

Right now, I see them as more of a roll of the dice: more often than not you'll get quality, but sometimes not.

I have no problem with Taiwan, Korea and Japan. I'm quite sure the Chinese can built 1st tier quality as well- but it will cost, this is just reality....and if it is similar cost to the other proven known quantities I'll go elsewhere. There is no other reason to have the Chinese build your part other than lower cost..I've never gone out of my way to buy crap unless it's maybe an anvil- tough to screw that up. My idea of cheaping out recently was instead of buying a set of Bilstein's I had to go KYB Gas-adjust, $250 vs $1k is a big difference- for this project I'll defer the cost a couple of years.

 

[Trav]

B/A can be a dice roll. Sometimes they rebox the OE part but you never know

B&A were before 2016 almost a sure thing for repackaged OE manufacturer parts but then came 2016....

2016​

Beck/Arnley joins the Federal-Mogul Motorparts, LLC family of brands.

In 2018 they were bought by Tenneco and in 2022 Apollo a company well known for bleeding companies dry then dumping them. The brands owned by Tenneco by default B&A is in with lot of lost causes, every single one of these has suffered a loss in quality, some more dramatic that others but non have improved.

Tenneco owns the following brands:

• Axios<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenneco#cite_note-31"><span>[</span>31<span>]</span></a>
• Champion
• Clevite Elastomers<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenneco#cite_note-32"><span>[</span>32<span>]</span></a>
• DynoMax<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenneco#cite_note-33"><span>[</span>33<span>]</span></a>
• Federal-Mogul
• Ferodo
• Fel-Pro
• Fonos<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenneco#cite_note-34"><span>[</span>34<span>]</span></a>
• Fric-Rot<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenneco#cite_note-35"><span>[</span>35<span>]</span></a>
• Kinetic<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenneco#cite_note-36"><span>[</span>36<span>]</span></a>
• Monroe<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenneco#cite_note-37"><span>[</span>37<span>]</span></a>
• MOOG
• National Oil Seals
• Rancho<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenneco#cite_note-38"><span>[</span>38<span>]</span></a>
• Sealed Power
• Thrush<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenneco#cite_note-39"><span>[</span>39<span>]</span></a>
• Wagner Electric
• Walker<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenneco#cite_note-40"><span>[</span>40<span>]</span></a>

 

[14Accent]

Cheapening of parts is exactly why I prefer to buy NOS parts from eBay that show pictures of the actual item being sold. Using valve cover gaskets as an example, here's two different Fel-Pro VS50524R sets:

Set #1
Set #2

Same price, same part numbers, completely different COO's (save the camshaft end seals). If my engine needed valve cover gaskets, I know which set I'd purchase regardless of how long it had been sitting in a warehouse.

@slacktide_bitog: Fel-Pro Made in Japan Valve Cover Gasket Set

 

[The Critic]

The blue chewing gum gaskets for K24’s are Made in Japan now.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Cheapening of parts is exactly why I prefer to buy NOS parts from eBay that show pictures of the actual item being sold. Using valve cover gaskets as an example, here's two different Fel-Pro VS50524R sets:

Set #1
Set #2

Same price, same part numbers, completely different COO's (save the camshaft end seals). If my engine needed valve cover gaskets, I know which set I'd purchase regardless of how long it had been sitting in a warehouse.

@slacktide_bitog: Fel-Pro Made in Japan Valve Cover Gasket Set

Here's the Beck/Arnley set from Japan that I found

 

[D60]

The blue chewing gum gaskets for K24’s are Made in Japan now.

View attachment 313723

As a result, would you use them?

 

[The Critic]

As a result, would you use them?

Only on a disliked family member's vehicle.

 

[dfarr67]

As a result, would you use them?

Not Fel Pro- I've read too many issues. How much was OEM?

 

[dfarr67]

Still cheaper to buy whole set rather than pay Toyotas price for X8 valve seals...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/186033045062

 

[UNC174]

Gates are garbage. It used to be a decent manufacturer. This belt was Part of a Serpentine belt kit I installed on my k24 crv. It lasted 2500 miles... Belt was too tight. It was just a hair shorter than the oem ( bando) belt. I confirmed with gates that this was the right belt. Gates tech support ( useless). Was sure it was the correct belt. His computer told him so. Struggled to get the belt on due to short length. Long story short I went to Honda, got an oem belt and it fit like a glove. Gates is garbage now. Can't be trusted.