Participation required please

Post by **leyther8008** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 3:21 pm

Heater valve bigger than originals I cant get my rocker box off anymore (altough it is an alloy one it came off with the original valve fitted). Plus my Stainless Steel exhaust also hits the hole in the bulkhead and is very close to the main cross member sometimes hitting when engine rocks ie not fully warmed up at idle, bought off fleabay so maybe a lesson there for me.

Post by **Stig** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 3:35 pm

Judge wrote: To provide the evidence mentioned, I would suggest that everyone retains invoices and faulty parts for further investigation.

I sent my last brake light switch back to the supplier (as they requested) after they'd supplied a replacement. I may well be doing the same again within 12 months of the original purchase as this one seems to require a strongish shove on the pedal to work already.

Post by **aupickup** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 6:59 pm

falcon stainless steel exhausts do not fit properly , but the walker mild steel one does

a member on ebay sells an exhaust that i have bought and it fitted perfectly

Post by **Peetee** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:56 pm

Radiator hoses cracking (perishing) within weeks
Windscreen rubbers hard and inflexible
Large bore exhausts - poor fit at manifold and both sections too long.
Braided fuel line with ineffective clamps

Post by **Mogwai** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 8:28 pm

The top grille chrome trim is a poor fit & not made very well the studs didn't line up & cracked the chrome before tightening . The quality of the materials that most chrome & rubber parts are made from needs improving my headlamp rims are going rusty after 1 month. As my car lives outside & is in daily use I need parts that will last

Post by **leyther8008** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 9:16 am

Lifted directly from an on line catalogue
'Oil Pump (Pattern) May Need Modification To Fit
[10M230A]'
as opposed to:-
'Oil Pump - Original Type (Fits Properly !)'
their actual entries. brackets included
MAY need modification? suggests some fit some dont, I dont have time to fettle replacement parts, I have to ask why sell them then?

Post by **rayofleamington** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 12:08 pm

Brake Master Cylinder (non pattern) faulty and failed completely at 18 months old

Rear brake shoes fouling the snail adjuster.

Mirror sucker completely useless did not fit mirror and was too distorted to hold itself to the screen for more than a few days.

Rear brake cylinder boots made of stiff material that held handbrake slightly loaded (safety issue).

Rear brake cylinder with some swarf still inside.

Can't get propshaft grease nipple extension (so I'm told)

Propshaft UJ seals slightly too large therefore impossible to assemble without splitting the seal (had to buy a replacement as supplier didn't care - replacement part also not fit for purpose)

Trunnions sold full of swarf and not deburred. Come with PVC top seal that is fairly innefective instead of a proper rubber seal.

Front lower trunnion supplied with small grease nipple hole (unable to fit the original grease nipple elbow making it impractical to grease with a jack under the suspension) therefore not fit for purpose. Had one trunnion with no thread in the grease nipple hole - I rectified that myself.

Black rubber suspension bushes that fail in less than 2 years (eyebolt rubbers tend to fail the quickest).

Non-stainless windscreen wipers for a 1098 that didn't even fit the wiper arms (supplier said it was my fault for buying them). Stainless ones bought as replacements wouldn't clear the screen and had to be fitted with new rubbers before they worked properly.

Mild steel exhaust tolerances very poor - last one I bought was 3" too long.

Heater valves - as mentioned before, poor operation (low flow when open and not able to close properly). Tend to fail within 5 years.

1098 sidelight assembly that can fail in 2 years because the boot is not fit for purpose (badly moulded PVC item that has a relatively large opening for the wires). The boot needs to seal the wires as this is a direct wheel spray area - the PVC boot is just for show as it doesn't seal.

and one of my favourites: SILLS WITH NO DRAIN HOLES!! The Minor sill was neer intended to be water tight therefore can not function properly without drain holes - Ive seen these shoddy replicas rot through in approx 2 years, as most are fitted as they come, as the average person would expect that the pressing is correct

Post by **FrankM83** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 12:13 pm

What about the kick plates??? they don't fit at all!!! I scraped my new paint trying to fit them! They're rusting outside badly mangled from the kicking I've gave them!

Post by **aupickup** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 7:10 pm

so obviously loads of items sub standard, and particuarly safty ones like brake cylinders, swarf etc

so where do we go from here

did not know about the graese nipple on trunnions

Post by **ASL642** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 7:52 pm

I thought the kickplates were stainless steel - but mine keep getting a rust bloom on them which needs cleaning off - and they were so sharp that you need very thick gloves when fitting them which makes doing up the bolts interesting

Post by **pgc520** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 8:37 pm

Lou,

The original kick plates were aluminum hence the silver colour, which most steel plates are painted.

Post by **FrankM83** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:30 pm

oh that's new the orignal kick plates where aluminium not steel painted silver?

Post by **ASL642** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:35 pm

Yep - if you want to "upgrade" your car or dont want to have painted ones you can get stainless steel kickplates and sill finishers - just showing under the door on my car above. They look really good and don't need repainting all the time due to chipping.

Post by **FrankM83** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:39 pm

but they don't fit!

Post by **ASL642** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:43 pm

Dont forget that they are made for left and right sides - its very easy to get them the wrong way round - we did at first - failing that use an angle grinder, some tin snips and a big hammer

Post by **jackkelleher** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:45 pm

Chrome at the top of the grille, completely useless.
Incredibly out of shape grille panel. (Reproduction).
Inferior chrome (lasting a few months at the longest) especially bonnet hinges.
Generally unfinished studs and nuts that actually started rusting within two days of being installed!
Boot seals that need reshaping with a knife...

Post by **ASL642** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:52 pm

The only was i can see of protecting the rather substandard chrome that we can get these days is to spray it with clear varnish carefully before putting it on and in the case of things like bumper bolts touching up the varnish after they've been fitted Also a tiny smear of vasoline if its going to stay outside in the winter.

Post by **FrankM83** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 11:41 pm

I thinkk the best way is to find good quality chrome like the one the goes on the Merc Benz the mini and others!!

Post by **Kevin** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:17 am

I thinkk the best way is to find good quality chrome like the one the goes on the Merc Benz the mini and others!!

Or possibly to ask a local biker community as they dont seem to suffer from poor chrome as much as we do.

Post by **KirstMin** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 4:26 pm

I fitted boot and bonnet hinges and they were pitted after the first rainfall (1 week). I sent them back and had them replaced . The replacements lasted 3 weeks!

I dont understand how supplies can offer 'superior' Chrome products and still sell the standard ones. Either the chrome corrodes rapidly (in which case it shouldn't be sold) or the parts are more expensive!