Re: OEM or aftermarket water pump for 8.3 cummins
Reply #16 –
Brian, your post triggers some memories. 1) Early 60's worked for Western Gear Corp (Owned by Jesuits), Belmont CA., subcontractor for FMC, maker of the Bradley Tank. My job, age 18, thread grinder on final drive hub for Bradley tank (told it was a $450 part) If it was case hardened to hard, my thread gage would not pass, and this made the steel brittle and weak. Gov't inspector would say put that or those on that pallet, they will get rejected on the next shift. In the morning they would be gone. A couple years later the tanks are failing in the field, final drive hub breaking. I knew why. Never did I see a rejected part, which was suppose to have the threads marked with red dye by the inspector. Someone was paid off. Greed sucks! A huge lesson for me. 2) As a Volkswagen dealer I was told quality control depended on upper mgmt, not what country it was made in. In the 80's they were building product in over 20 countries. 3) Worked as Gen Mgr at a Toyota Store, I was shocked their part sales were so low and I found out why. At VW starter motors, alternators, fuel pumps, etc., lasted about two years. Went to Japan as a dealer and learned how they sourced parts, paying incentives to mfg for 0 defects while under warranty. A lot of life lessons in my past. I wish Toyota built rvs, not really, probably would not be in my budget, extremely pleased with my 20+ year old FT. And yes Brian, I also owned part of an after market VW parts company. We specialize in buying overruns from German mfgs suppliers. We would buy an alternator in Germany for $20 as an overrun from Bosch for the same part we would have buy as a dealer from Volkswagen of America for $65.
For my rv I buy replacement parts based on mine and others experiences. I lean very heavily on rv technicians that see a volume of replacement parts that most of our forum members can not.
Topic: OEM or aftermarket water pump for 8.3 cummins