Is this a counterfeit GMB water pump?

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Bought this GMB 140-1320 water pump on Ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/122012388871?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2648&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT It's for an Isuzu Impulse engine used in a Lotus. What I got was this:

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If you look at the last picture in the Ebay listing you see "GMB" in the casting as well as some production numbers. This pump just has "JAPAN" on it. Also, in the listing "GMB" is stamped in the center shaft which this one doesn't have. This one wasn't in a plastic bag, and the box was folded and beat up and not made for this pump. I sent a message to GMB about it, but does this look like a fake?
 
Doesn't look like a GMB pump to me. But I'm only really familiar with their Honda parts.
 
I once bought what was advertised as a DORMAN brand door lock actuator on eBay for a very good price. I got the part and it had no DORMAN markings on it. I confronted the seller and he was quite angry and claimed it was a DORMAN part and built on the same line...said DORMAN makes parts for different distribution requirements and a bunch of other [censored]. I am a member of the DORMAN repair technician council so to speak. I get emails about new products, work with them on ideas and stuff - nice support from them. Anyhow, I contacted a person I deal with at Dorman, they paid shipping for the part to them. It was misrepresented by the seller and Dorman not only went after the seller, they sent me an authentic Dorman part.

You may want to contact GMB and I bet they will do the same for you. They want to protect their name like Dorman.
 
GMB probably has different factories globally.

This might sound confusing, but I believe I once got a re-boxed water pump from RockAuto.
It was a Auto 7 brand (Hyundai/Kia supplier) that ended up being a Chinese GMB pump. I returned it and bought a genuine Korean Hyundai pump. Came complete with GMB and 'Made in Korea' stamps. Go figure.

My guess, you may have an old design with the new part number? The water pump for the Hyundai/Kia 2.0 Beta had 2-3 part number supercessions (redesigns?) in the past.
 
I looked the part number up on GMB's web page and it appears that the e-bay listing has simply used photos from GMB to advertise their product. The e-bay photos were not of the actually product offered.

I did a search for this part number and found a distributor named NITOMA that has the exact picture that you've shown. I know nothing of Nitoma but it's worth some research.
 
OK, I looked it up and you apparently got a fake. While it isn't a GMB pump it does fit the GMB application part number.

It might be fine but it isn't a GMB part.



Note: this image is directly from the companies web page - blurs and all.
 
I seriously doubt it's "fake" or "counterfeit." Likely it was just poorly listed by the seller.

If it was old stock, as the OP's description makes it seem, then I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't exactly match a new stock image.
 
If you google FowVay's brand "Shimahide" you get pictures that look exactly like the OP's pump. The Shimahide is actually more expensive on Amazon FWIW.
 
Originally Posted By: GMBoy
You may want to contact GMB and I bet they will do the same for you. They want to protect their name like Dorman.


For the part you bought, the "fake" one might have been better than a Dorman. Dorman doesn't have a reputation to protect.
 
Originally Posted By: stephen9666
I seriously doubt it's "fake" or "counterfeit." Likely it was just poorly listed by the seller.


Go check the Ebay auction. It's not ambiguous, it specifically states the brand as being GMB more than once.
 
Originally Posted By: Rylan

This might sound confusing, but I believe I once got a re-boxed water pump from RockAuto.
It was a Auto 7 brand (Hyundai/Kia supplier) that ended up being a Chinese GMB pump. I returned it and bought a genuine Korean Hyundai pump. Came complete with GMB and 'Made in Korea' stamps. Go figure.


That's disappointing. I always thought the Auto 7 brand was basically the exact OEM part being sourced. Sort of like Beck and Arnley for alot of their parts.
 
Originally Posted By: nobb
Originally Posted By: Rylan

This might sound confusing, but I believe I once got a re-boxed water pump from RockAuto.
It was a Auto 7 brand (Hyundai/Kia supplier) that ended up being a Chinese GMB pump. I returned it and bought a genuine Korean Hyundai pump. Came complete with GMB and 'Made in Korea' stamps. Go figure.


That's disappointing. I always thought the Auto 7 brand was basically the exact OEM part being sourced. Sort of like Beck and Arnley for alot of their parts.


These days BA is just chinese junk in a fancy box. Last "OEM" mount I got from them was a reboxed $12 Anchor mount for $98
 
Originally Posted By: zzyzzx

Go check the Ebay auction. It's not ambiguous, it specifically states the brand as being GMB more than once.


Misrepresentation by the seller, either on purpose or through ignorance, does not equal "counterfeit" or "fake."

If this was truly a counterfeit, it would be a non-GMB pump with fake GMB markings and other things to make it seem like a GMB item.
 
Originally Posted By: KingCake


These days BA is just chinese junk in a fancy box. Last "OEM" mount I got from them was a reboxed $12 Anchor mount for $98


Definitely not accurate.

BA still has plenty of high-quality parts. I'm not going to say everything they source is the best ever, but to claim they're "Chinese junk in a fancy box" is not accurate.

If you want to know about a specific item, you can email them with the part number and they'll tell you the country of origin.
 
Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
Originally Posted By: GMBoy
You may want to contact GMB and I bet they will do the same for you. They want to protect their name like Dorman.


For the part you bought, the "fake" one might have been better than a Dorman. Dorman doesn't have a reputation to protect.


Dorman is a hit or miss for sure and I won't use many of their parts... however, one thing they do make right is HVAC and lock actuators.

A1 Cardone is one that I avoid at all costs!
 
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Don't know why someone would want to counterfeit a GMB water pump in the first place.
 
Dorman is a hit or miss for sure and I won't use many of their parts... however, one thing they do make right is HVAC and lock actuator.


Not for my wife's Ford. I'm on my third Dorman lock actuator. The first one stripped the plastic gears and the second one had electronic issues. The good news they were under warranty but they are still a pain to swap out.
 
Originally Posted By: Lubener
Don't know why someone would want to counterfeit a GMB water pump in the first place.


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let alone for an obscure application like an early 90s Isuzu car!
 
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