Re: [Amc-list] Re; F('ing) ailing parts too

["Swygert, Francis G MSgt 436 CES/CECM" <Francis.Swygert3@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The biggest part of the problem is the source of manufacturing. Auto
manufacturers will only continue buying spare parts from the OEM source
(may not make it themselves!) for a very short period. Once a part falls
out of general use it's usually second sourced. Such as Chrysler now
carrying Crown timing cover for AMC V-8s and reboxing/numbering them as
Chrysler parts. They'll get a few samples from the outsource supplier
and test, then give the go-ahead. Quality control is usually less than
new car standards -- the manufacturer isn't as concerned in most cases. 

The part will eventually fall to third party manufacturing -- not enough
to keep the bigger second source company happy, but still enough volume
sales for a smaller company. Quality usually takes another hit.
Sometimes it goes to a fourth level -- the second or third level
manufacturer out sources overseas and goes with the lowest bidder who
can supply an "acceptable" level of quality. That usually means it
passes a tech inspection for specs, but not any rigorous testing. So a
case or surface hardened rotor will pass, but it won't last much past
20K miles before the hardened surface has worn off. That's fine for a
collectible or "Sunday cruiser", the part will still last at least 4-5
years and no one will complain. Well, us daily driver types will --
replacing rotors after a couple years is not acceptable to me! It's just
something we have to deal with. Ultimately the solution is to upgrade to
newer parts when practical, like replacing the pressure type brake light
switch with a normally open momentary switch on the brake pedal. 

The real sad part is that sometimes, more often than not now, the second
and/or third level is skipped. The OEM or second level source goes
straight to cheap overseas parts with no durability checks -- they let
the consumer dictate by not buying the parts any more. Sometimes that
works and the feedback results in a better part, other times it just
results in no more being made. If some real durability testing was done,
and or quality checks regularly performed, there wouldn't be such a
problem. Even the 3rd and 4th tier manufacturers would improve quality
if it meant no business! That's why the quality of Chinese many goods
has improved over the last 10 years or so -- that and the fact that many
are made of recycled US steel! That cheap socket set you just bought
might have been a Rambler or Concord in a previous life...
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