Repeat After Me....

Attention all auto part and assembly rebuilders: Thank you very much for deciding that marginal core might make it a few months so you can gamble on making a few extra bucks when the assembly craps out just outside the warranty period.

Unfortunately for me, your gamble didn't work out. More importantly, I get to repeat the same time-consuming job over again.

A couple of days ago, I installed a rebuilt steering rack from NAPA Auto Parts into my '87 Honda Accord. I flushed the system, cleaned up all the surrounding area, used my flare nut wrenches on all the hydraulic connections, clocked the steering wheel perfectly, got the alignment spot on, and followed the directions for bleeding the system. In other words, I did the careful, attenton-to-detail job most of you would do. My reward was a passenger side rack boot full of fluid and an accompanying puddle under same.

Of course, everyone at NAPA apologized and they're bringing in another rebuilt rack. Unfortunately, no one gets under my car and does the remove-and-replace for me. A law should be passed requiring all persons responsible for reconditioning a part to show up on their days off and replace units that don't even last ten minutes while making the offended party a salami and provolone sandwich to enjoy during a World Cup match while they replace the offending unit.

I enjoy working on cars. However, I do not enjoy wasting valuable time and good work. There's no getting that back.

Rant over.

(EDIT) for some reason, this post went up before I finished it.

+1

Reman units almost always suck. On almost anything, I prefer to buy a used (junkyard, craigslist, etc.) unit before a remanufactured unit.

Bryce

Nashco wrote: Reman units almost always suck. On almost anything, I prefer to buy a used (junkyard, craigslist, etc.) unit before a remanufactured unit. Bryce

Hard to find used 23-year-old power steering racks that don't leak like sieves. Then again, this one leaks worse than the one it replaced!

I had the same experience with NAPA "rebuilt" steering racks on my '93 Trans Am.

I went through two of them within three months. They seemed to leak from everywhere. I finally took the POS back and demanded a refund from the manager. I got my refund and ordered a used rack off ebay and it was perfect.

My experience led me to believe NAPA probably didn't actually rebuild them. I think they just spraypaint junkyard racks and resell them.

seals are the hardest thing to get right and the worst thing to go bad.

I've had good luck with POS parts (eBay wheel bearings etc) but I've also been stuck with some terrible reman'ed parts. It usually is because the part they give me in the box isn't the correct one, but I've had parts go bad early too.

miatame wrote: seals are the hardest thing to get right and the worst thing to go bad. I've had good luck with POS parts (eBay wheel bearings etc) but I've also been stuck with some terrible reman'ed parts. It usually is because the part they give me in the box isn't the correct one, but I've had parts go bad early too.

Mazak makes a nice rebuilt rack because they sleeve the rack tube with stainless steel and use standard sized seals. Unfortunately, they're very expensive and I don't need the rack to last for 20 years. Two or three years would be fine because the rest of the car will be ready for the boneyard at that point.

IMO, when the only options for replacements for essential parts are reman junk, that model car is done as a daily driver, and its time to move on to something else. For things that are important to the car being operable, junkyard original parts, or factory stuff are the only ways to fix it reliably. That was a big part of why I sold my Shelby charger.

racinginc215 wrote: In reply to Jerry From LA: Wait you want the same people that rebuilt the rack to come work on the car. ROFLMAO. boy you really are asking for punishment. As Bill Engvall would say. "here's your sign"

I think they are supposed to deliver a replacement part and make him a tasty sandwich.....not do any actual work on the car.

I have never had any problem with anything I have ever bought rebuilt. CV axles, calipers, fuel pumps, etc. Everything has always been as kosher as a dill pickle.

To be honest ,watching the world cup is kind of a waste of time. Isnt it ?

For things that are important to the car being operable, junkyard original parts, or factory stuff are the only ways to fix it reliably. That was a big part of why I sold my Shelby charger.

talking about a shelby charger and connecting the words 'factory' and 'reliable' seems odd to me.. you make those things more reliable by getting AWAY from the factory stuff.. like vacuum harnesses.

Travis_K wrote: IMO, when the only options for replacements for essential parts are reman junk, that model car is done as a daily driver, and its time to move on to something else. For things that are important to the car being operable, junkyard original parts, or factory stuff are the only ways to fix it reliably. That was a big part of why I sold my Shelby charger.

Truth.

Reman jobber racks are garbage, without fail. Reman oem racks are only garbage about 50% of the time. I hate to say it, but a thorough scavenging of the junkyards is the best option.

Repeat After Me....

Somehow when I saw this I thought this can't be good. Nothing good usually happens when you hear this.

I try to stay away from reman parts after a reman waterpump cost me an engine in my Miata. Failed miles away from anything and no cell phone reception there. Limped it to the next exit and rolled into a gas station, about 10 miles, and the engine was toast.

In college, I had more time than money so cheap remans were the order of the day... The starter fried in my toyota truck and i needed a new one.. Ughh. Took 4 starters in the span of 6 months to find a good one. One starter was replaced in less than 3 hours.

Time is more valuable to me than money now(not that I am frivolous). Parts are bought new from reputable companies. The alternator for my daily civic was a new denso unit. I don't just don't have time to screw around anymore.

Similar experience with the wife's 02 VW Cabrio last year when it needed a water pump.

Water pump replacement #1 was a NAPA unit. I did a very careful, meticulous job replacing it properly. It lasted three weeks (!)

Water pump replacement #2 was the NAPA warranty replacement unit. Again, clean, careful intstallation. This time with more cursing! It lasted five weeks.

Water pump replacement #3. Bought the damn thing directly from the VW dealer. The VW parts guy laughed at me as I bought a third thermostat and a third set of seals & gaskets.

He asked, "Are these for the same car or have you had to fix three 2.0L VWs?"

Me: "Same car"

Parts Guy: "Let me guess...NAPA pump? They're made in China. Last about a month"

Me:

Jerry From LA wrote: A law should be passed requiring all persons responsible for reconditioning a part to show up on their days off and replace units that don't even last ten minutes while making the offended party a salami and provolone sandwich to enjoy during a World Cup match while they replace the offending unit.

Plus Eleventybillion

Good luck with your accord. I still miss my '88

Only aftermarket reman part on my RX-7 is the brake master cylinder, and that was because I hadn't been approved for the Mazdaspeed Motorsports discount yet. It did leak at first from a sensor fitting for the auto-adjusting suspension (thing sticking out the bottom), but some Teflon tape fixed that. Otherwise, it's holding up good so far.

I got really good at changing reman axles in a Honda.

Yes I did want those boogers to do the work on my car. Of course they'd be under my supervision as I eat my sandwich and watch the match. Didn't say I'd be in my living room while it was being replaced.

Of course, the two most important words in my original post were "Rant over." Just venting a little...

Meanwhile, I've had uniformly good luck with the remanufactured parts I've purchased. A couple things here and there didn't pass muster but 97 percent of the stuff I buy is good.

Hey, sometimes the new stuff is junk too. Bought a new GMB water pump for my wife's Camry. Lasted a whole six months. Went to the Toyota dealer for the next one.

Had the same issue with an alternator from Kragen about 10 years ago while in school. Mine went out, bought a remanufactured one from the local Kragen put it in. Drove for a few hours and while out, it started to die. I could smell it and drove home making only 12 volts. Replaced it and drove to bakersfield from SLO over 58 (no cell service, no cars, nothing) and it went out about 1/2 way there. Thank fully I have overdone the size of the battery because I was able to drive the rest of the way on the battery. Replaced it and the 3rd one went out with in a week. Took it back for another and they said I had a problem with my truck and refunded me the core only. They were right, I kept putting crappy alternators in the truck. Bought one from an autoelectric shop that rebuilt them. Sold the truck 9 years later with the same part in it.

I always check to see if it is rebuilt or remanufactured. If remanufactured, I run away.

Makes me wonder if the dude could even make a decent sandwich..

NYG95GA wrote: Makes me wonder if the dude could even make a decent sandwich..

Yeah, I might have to walk him through that too.......

In reply to Jerry From LA:

If it turns out you need a new rack again, I think I have a few of them in my back yard. Let me know if you need one.