griffipaul Posted January 27, 2020 Report Share Posted January 27, 2020 ..........of keeping our precious cars with the ever declining standard of replacement parts. Even the easiest parts are seemingly difficult to get right nowadays 2 gaskets as an example of todays fun. For the uninitiated gearbox extension gasket should have 7 holes not 6 , and to make matters worse for some reason I bought 2 and they were both the same hole positioning on the other leaves a lot to be desired . Also needed to significantly rebend overdrive switch bracket that mounts on gear selector housing and redrill cross hole for cam mounting in selector shaft extension as hole in cam had been drilled in totally the wrong position. These parts came from a selection of all the usual suspects. They all sell the same rubbish , some just charge more for them than others. Thank you and goodnight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulfc Posted January 27, 2020 Report Share Posted January 27, 2020 I have a friend who has, for as long as I can remember, and I am 73, had Alvis cars as his passion. He maintains there is absolutely nothing, in terms of parts etc., that he cannot get. It is just a matter of being prepared to innovate, restore, adapt, make or pay to keep the marque running. Let’s keep the faith. It’s 25 years since my GT6 was last on the road but it will return. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted January 27, 2020 Report Share Posted January 27, 2020 Why are you complaining here, griffipaul? I'd be on the phone to Rimmers, with pictures! JOhn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted January 27, 2020 Report Share Posted January 27, 2020 yes have a go even the rimmers picture shows 7 holes the front gasket was probably cut in the damp and its dried and shrunk i never use gaskets on hard faces just a smear of loctite 574 or 573 works for me and tests /introduced into gearbox manufacture solved all leaks Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griffipaul Posted January 27, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2020 I' ve given up complaining to Rimmers , only get bs response , and lose postage costs, Why do J D responses always seem a bit terse ? yes I could have complained to them all but gets a bit difficult when you buy things when you can for that big job your gonna do sometime in the future , when offers are on or to minimise postage costs .... sorry sir they are out of warranty cos they are more than a year old ... I was making a general point and also informing others of things to be aware of , my powers of modification and fettling have come on leaps and bounds in the last few years thank goodness. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorkshire_spam Posted January 27, 2020 Report Share Posted January 27, 2020 At the moment I'm looking at getting a local company to make me some AJM670/AJM671 inlet manifold gaskets for the 1850, the ones that everyone are selling at the moment are way too thick and it makes it harder to get the water port to seal. NOS thickness 0.55mm, new gaskets 1.65mm thick! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Horner Posted January 27, 2020 Report Share Posted January 27, 2020 I agree with Griffpaul - you lose the will to complain with these sort of parts - and you get them from all major suspects. If you,work full time and have limited time at weekends life's too short to return and complain. Even if you do, they just shrug and and send you the same shit again. I try and buy second hand these days. I recently bought a revotec fan kit for a gt6 - you know the laser cut brackets etc - only problem was the laser cut them in the wrong places. Response- loads in stock all wrong. Revotec said not worth re doing them. "Make your own holes in the right place - we wont". Similar examples on TR4, sptfire and more recently GT6. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Truman Posted January 27, 2020 Report Share Posted January 27, 2020 Recently fitting a well known and reputable make of exhaust gasket I was going to damage it trying to fit/push it over the studs, as it was very tight pushing it down. I fitted a 3/8in dia rotating grinding stone in the Dremmel and very gently no pressure exerted, pushed it through all the gasket stud holes running it back n forth till it was loose in the hole then the gasket slid on perfectly. done the same carefully on thinner gaskets successfully. The point re gaskets shrinking appears to be valid and somewhere I read about soaking the gasket prior to fitting presumably petrol I assume so it dries out and you can still use a sealer (aviation non dry out in my case, old school) Peter T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Twitchen Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 13 hours ago, JohnD said: I'd be on the phone to Rimmers, with pictures! John is right, as usual, and however frustrating it can be if you do not complain and get resolution then the problem rolls on and there is no improvement. Highlighting the issue more widely eg Practical Classics, and with specifics (names, items etc) that cannot be challenged would shake up the suppliers; similarly the much derided 'we would welcome your feedback' may help if it goes public. I stopped using Rimmers 15 years ago after two exhaust manifolds did not fit the head and since then have been a Canley Classics fan or if possible the club shop; likewise somebody who worked on Triumphs eg Jigsaw, Chic Doig. 10 hours ago, Bob Horner said: "Make your own holes in the right place - we wont". Certainly, and forewarn them in which case I will be submitting an invoice for the remedial work which I expect to be settled within 14 days! Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerH Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 On a sister forum a two man group was formed to tackle just this sort of issue. A member has a problem. The member sorts the costs out with the supplier but the two man crew swing into action and ask the question of the supplier 'what is going on' Not everybody reports their junk and the system works on an attrition basis so is naturally quite slow. But!!!! we have had pretty good success. Too long front dampers causing the steering to lock up, TR6 GB layshafts not hardened etc etc. The suppliers are happy for us to get involved. But it is up to the member to report the issue. I appreciate that not every club can or wants to get involved. But in the absence of a club scheme the member MUST report it back to the supplier and possibly follow it up with an Email to head office. I'm not a great Rimmers fan but sadly ALL the suppliers have issues. Some more than others. Regarding the usual 12month waranty. If you go out of date then state it is not fit for purpose and your club will be notified. Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 i wonder if more premium marques have the same problems is this down to low volumes .we want cheap ,what quality are you expecting to pay for deep pockets gives more provision for quality control and customer service cheap gets you neither, no excuse for crap its just as easy to make it right as it is to make it wrong but do aston martin or whatever have the same difficulties in accurate reproductions Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 griffipaul, Me, terse? I'm speechless. Bob Horner, "Revotec said not worth re doing them. "Make your own holes in the right place - we wont". " Clearly Revotec hasn't heard of the Sale of Goods Act, 2015, and neither have you. Goods sold must be "Fit for purpose, of satisfactory quality and as described" The fan kit you bought failed all three tests if it was said to be for a Triumph. See: https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/consumer-rights-act Yes, we're all busy and have limited time, and that's what scoundrel sellers rely on. "Oh, well it's only money!" and you give up. Yes, and quite alot of your hard earned money! Complain! In writing and recorded delivery! Point out the SoG act! Threaten the Small Claims Court! Which would throw the book at a company that sold such shoddy! John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 5 hours ago, Dick Twitchen said: John is right, as usual, and however frustrating it can be if you do not complain and get resolution then the problem rolls on and there is no improvement. I think I posted this somewhere else recently (on this forum) but I complained to two companies that their parts were wrong and they told me a) no-one else has ever complained before, but b) I was right, and they would correct their stock asap. Sometimes it's not the fault of the companies, as when they deal with a lot of different vehicles and hundreds of orders they can only assume, in light of no-one telling them any different, that all is in order. You don't have to rant and rave, just enlighten them, and in many cases I'm sure they'll do what they can. When they don't - re Revotec mentioned above - then you do have redress through the Sale of Goods (Distance Selling) Act, but I'm wondering if their reply was more along the lines of 'no point in returning it as we only have the same, so can you modify it?' - in which case I'd expect some kind of financial adjustment if not a partial or full refund. I bought two O-rings recently for a speedo drive and they were a third of the thickness of the old one, with the result that there's not a hope in the hot place of them sealing; I just reused the old ones. Did I complain? Wasn't worth the bother... so I'm as guilty as the rest. Re Pete and premium marques... well if I had the deep pockets to afford an Aston Martin I'd probably be able to shell out over the odds for a properly-made replacement part, but as I don't... well, there are dealers I go to every time, and some I only use as a last resort since no-one else has the part I require, and then of course when it arrives, it's rubbish... AND: as a just-this-minute update, I opened a packet of seals for type 14 calipers that I've had in my stock for about three years, and the piston-chamber seal is about 2mm longer than the old one, so if it fits at all, there's going to be a massive loop... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Horner Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 I am vaguely aware of the Sale of Goods Act (its previous incarnation but a lot of it still stems from well worn principles 19th century commercial law) after spending a few wasted but enjoyable years in the late 80s getting a law degree...but there is a world of difference between being right in law and the actual practicalities of enforcing your rights. Where more significant sums were at stake, I've been to hearings in the Small Claims (positive result generally where you are dealing with a simple debt) and also acted as an expert witness in the High Court where even more significant sums were in play. One thing that the latter teaches you is that legal action is rarely worth the candle - generally its the depth of your pockets not the soundness of your case. I could have returned the fan at my expense and requested postage costs back and got a full refund (mind you, the Sale of Goods Act has a lot to say about remedial action - there is not often an unassailable right to return as many new car customers have found when wishing to reject a bit of a lemon - though distance selling is, I admit, a recognition that you don't always know what you are getting) had a load of hassle etc but I would not have a fan kit for my car so the path of least resistance is to fettle it yourself and get on with things. I was fitting it myself so just my time really. I've had loads of issues in the past where I was paying for the time of others to fit a non fitting part but then you're stuck the middle - "their part didn't fit" vs "yes it does, your mechanic's an idiot". I think the motor trade is pretty good (bad) at ensuring whatever happens the customer pays... I agree we should all complain but I'm not 100% sure, for a lot of minor issues, that it ever results in any improvement... Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerH Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 I have a serious concern. Many members of car clubs attempt to fit/fix brakes, steering, you name it. In the same breath we use the word cheap. Cheap does not equate to quality. A bargain could be good quality but is not common place. As for the argument if they can make it bad why not good for the same cheap price. Simply quality usually takes time and possibly cost in raw materials. I know what I would buy if I had a choice between cheap and quality. But then we also have more variables. Take for instance a front wheel bearing. On Ebay you could probably get a pair of bearings for most of our cars for £10/15. But the same bearing from a bearing supplier may cost £50 for one. Could it be that virtually all bearings are made in different grades for different applications. So would the £10 bearing be any good - very possibly. But if it is fitted by a twerp and not maintained then it may fail early. Then we have the cry 'bloody cheap parts' So the answer is not easy but can be made easier. Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain T Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 After a protracted altercation with an ex Triumph 'specialist' I found out the SoG Act also gives the purchaser 6 years of warranty providing the item is unused or very lightly used. The 'goods of un-merchantable quality' is a catch all phrase for shoddy goods. It does not matter what the sellers T&C's are the SoG Act trounces them. Iain 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain T Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 My company used to make trim tools for headliners, heat shields etc and they are cut with shaped blades set in the top part of a die set with a disposable sacrificial base. The blank is put into the tool the press cycled and trims and pierces the blank. These blades, basically a thin metal strip with a sharpened edge like a bendy razor blade, are easily broken so if the operator doesn't notice or compare to a master sample as a first off and in process then you get holes not pierced or not trimmed. Normally the blades are broken by over use/bad maintenance or the operator having a bad day and putting two blanks in the tool!!! Most of these manufacturing errors can be overcome by basic manufacturing techniques and quality control which is not necessarily expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 50 minutes ago, RogerH said: But then we also have more variables. Take for instance a front wheel bearing. On Ebay you could probably get a pair of bearings for most of our cars for £10/15. But the same bearing from a bearing supplier may cost £50 for one. ... but when the same bearing from a Triumph supplier costs £16 or £17 do we trust them to supply a suitable, safe and well-made part? We do, of course. And when the bearing I bought for my TR7 from a trusted supplier fell apart on fitting, before the car even saw the road, I never went back to them for anything else, which is the best way to hit them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daverclasper Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 1 hour ago, Colin Lindsay said: And when the bearing I bought for my TR7 from a trusted supplier fell apart on fitting, I guess it's a minefield. Have a front bearing (£10) from Canley that's lasted 15,000 miles and still ok (I know originals would have lasted longer mileage) so watch this space?. 1 hour ago, Colin Lindsay said: I never went back to them for anything else, which is the best way to hit them. Yes, though let them know your thoughts on why, if they weren't receptive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave.vitesse Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 If you had one or two problems with a supplier over many years and they were easily resolved then no problems. But when 75% of the parts supplied are problematic then as Colin said walk, use another supplier. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerH Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 Hi Dave , that is the point I am making. The £15 bearing may well last forever but something bought a month later from the same supplier may not even work properly. It is a mine field. The suppliers should get the feedback. Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerguzzi Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 24 minutes ago, RogerH said: Hi Dave , that is the point I am making. The £15 bearing may well last forever but something bought a month later from the same supplier may not even work properly. It is a mine field. The suppliers should get the feedback. Roger Hello All With bearings I always try and buy NOS off Fleabay etc(and wash out and replace the old grease!) or buy from a proper bearing supplier especially if it is fitted in the bowels of the car! But for the lawn mower or lightly used things cheap and cheerful will do probably! Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyman Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 And at least with fleabay and using paypal you do have some protection. Tony. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted January 29, 2020 Report Share Posted January 29, 2020 Wouldn't life be simple if there were just 2 options when buying bits :- 1. Cheap & cheerful 2. Quality at a fair price Ah, I feel the pills wearing off and reality kicking in 🤯 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted January 29, 2020 Report Share Posted January 29, 2020 28 minutes ago, Chris A said: Wouldn't life be simple if there were just 2 options when buying bits :- Just one option will do me: good value, and fit for purpose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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