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For those of you who work on their own vehicles, what has been your experience recently with aftermarket replacement parts? To me it seems the quality has gone down the tubes in general. Some of my experiences go back quite a few years (like 20) with solid state ignition modules. They might last several hundred miles. Since then it has been carburetor parts (yes I am old) that will stand up to ethanol (E10) for about 3 days. Keep the ethanol out and it will run for years. Most recently it has been water pumps, fuel pumps for carbureted vehicles, and starter relays (Ford type, on the fender on the side.)
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I have a 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 that I just bought the third replacement water pump for. The original was replaced probably 50,000 miles ago due to what I suspected was a slow coolant leak. That replacement lasted probably 30,000 miles and the next one about 20,000 miles. It is now noisy like dry bearings, but is not yet leaking.
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The fuel pump issue has been at least 3 pumps that are the mechanical type that run off the camshaft on Fords. Not all are of the same type. Some, if not all of these, have not had ethanol in them. When pulled off of the engine the lever that runs the diaphragm is very very stiff and the pump will not hold. Putting slight air pressure on the output port will simply cause air to leak back out the input port. These pumps might last 6 months to a year.
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The starter relay issue has happened twice now on two different vehicles. I need to look closer to determine if the are identical but the symptoms are exactly the same. If you try turning the starter, when you release the ignition switch back to run, the starter keeps on turning. It is NOT an issue elsewhere on the vehicle(s) because disconnecting the wire at the relay that is fed from the ignition switch makes no change. The starter keeps turning. A quick bang on the relay might release it, but I have had to disconnect a battery before.
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Folks used to blame foreign made parts (not made in the USA) but I am not so sure. I think its everywhere.
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I have a 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 that I just bought the third replacement water pump for. The original was replaced probably 50,000 miles ago due to what I suspected was a slow coolant leak. That replacement lasted probably 30,000 miles and the next one about 20,000 miles. It is now noisy like dry bearings, but is not yet leaking.
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The fuel pump issue has been at least 3 pumps that are the mechanical type that run off the camshaft on Fords. Not all are of the same type. Some, if not all of these, have not had ethanol in them. When pulled off of the engine the lever that runs the diaphragm is very very stiff and the pump will not hold. Putting slight air pressure on the output port will simply cause air to leak back out the input port. These pumps might last 6 months to a year.
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The starter relay issue has happened twice now on two different vehicles. I need to look closer to determine if the are identical but the symptoms are exactly the same. If you try turning the starter, when you release the ignition switch back to run, the starter keeps on turning. It is NOT an issue elsewhere on the vehicle(s) because disconnecting the wire at the relay that is fed from the ignition switch makes no change. The starter keeps turning. A quick bang on the relay might release it, but I have had to disconnect a battery before.
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Folks used to blame foreign made parts (not made in the USA) but I am not so sure. I think its everywhere.