Jerry,
I too keep worrying about the quality of repro parts offered by companys.
I have purchased a pair of wing mirrors and had the chrome backs of the
mirrors turn rust brown in a year. There are the silent blocks that are
missing a minor detail that the originals had. The result is that they
disassembled during use. Moss sells an external cooler adapter for the TR2-4
engine that is a disaster! The last water pump I purchased from Moss worked
about 3 months before it started leaking big time. Last weekend I went to
install a set of new two ear knockoffs I got from the Roadster Factory.
They all looked good until I first hit the fourth knockoff with my copper
hammer. A big strip of chrome pealed off the knockoff. Of course, the
knockoffs have sat in their shipping box long enough for TRF's warrenty to run
out. I'll have to give them a call to see if they will replace it.
I know a person who sources parts for Moss Motors. One of his jobs is to
check supplier parts quality. His biggest problem is that he needs to get
his bosse's approval before rejecting a supplier's parts, and his boss,
a VERY old time Moss person if I remember correctly, has the belief that if
a customer cam make a part fit with a little filing there's nothing wrong
with it. He hits me with that every time I call him about a substandard
part I get from Moss. It seems a big point of frustration with him. He
has owned Triumphs for a long time and is quite knowledgable about them.
Unfortunatly, he is not allowed to provide us with the parts that he and
me as a sometimes customer think that customers should get when we plunk down
our $$$$.
I recently tried to install a new MGB windscreen washer pump. It would fit
fine if I wanted to drill new mounting holes. It is too tall to fit into
the original space. I'm going to call around to see if I can get a new one
that has a new original or if the original is not available, something that
would fit. If I find one, the pump goes back to Moss!
Whenever I purchase parts from TRF, I feel that I will get parts made by the
original manufacturer to original specs whenever such are available. When I
orger parts from Moss, I think I will get the cheapest part that they can
purchase, that may need filing to fit. Unfortunatly, a very high percentage
of the parts that I tried to get from TRF this year are out of stock & I Moss
had them in stock. I just have to do my own QA :*(
May I suggest that when you need TR engine or suspension parts, check with
Ken Gilanders & CO first. Since he is into supplying parts for the crowd
still racing TRs, he provides stronger that stock parts. I think he
carries hardened studs and nuts for the TR2-4 head.
If you want an Oil cooler adapter for the TR2-4 engine, contact Greg Solo
at the Engine Room. Since he is into racing Morgans, his adapter works.
Even without filing. On the otherhand I have a Moss adapter, pre filed,
and with custom machined hardened mounting hardware I can sell you (Thier
mounting hardware is soft steel and is shaped to provide a possible oil
leak pathway).
Oh well, I suppose that Moss manager would say, "At least you have parts to
gripe about"
TeriAnn
|