jaywestfall
I'm Awesome
Got mine from Amazon, too. Love the orange!
Water pump question
- Thread starter clgodwin79
- Start date
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I learned a valuable lesson about "OEM" quality when buying a replacement outside driver's side mirror for a '92 Lumina.
Original mirror was made in Canada. Car was assembled in Canada. SWMBO backed out of the garage, knocked the driver's side mirror off on the framework of the garage door track. Mirror was ~10 years old, had a rock-chip or two in the black plastic housing. The mirror and black-plastic housing was otherwise in good condition.
I went to the local Chevy dealer, bought a new mirror in a Genuine GM box. The "new" mirror was made in China, and the black plastic faded to grey in six months. Bastages.
When she knocked THAT mirror off on the side of the garage, I went to the Treasure Yard, and bought three left, and three right mirrors, made in Canada, and wonderfully black after years of service.
The difference between the budget component and the expensive version is often nothing more than the length of the warranty, and the color printing on the packaging. In some cases, it costs too much to tool-up an actual difference in the parts, the difference is in the marketing.
But without significant experience, there's no way for a consumer to know what's what. The only thing you can be sure of is that NOBODY goes to China or Viet Nam to improve quality. They source from the third world to improve profits at your expense.
Original mirror was made in Canada. Car was assembled in Canada. SWMBO backed out of the garage, knocked the driver's side mirror off on the framework of the garage door track. Mirror was ~10 years old, had a rock-chip or two in the black plastic housing. The mirror and black-plastic housing was otherwise in good condition.
I went to the local Chevy dealer, bought a new mirror in a Genuine GM box. The "new" mirror was made in China, and the black plastic faded to grey in six months. Bastages.
When she knocked THAT mirror off on the side of the garage, I went to the Treasure Yard, and bought three left, and three right mirrors, made in Canada, and wonderfully black after years of service.
The difference between the budget component and the expensive version is often nothing more than the length of the warranty, and the color printing on the packaging. In some cases, it costs too much to tool-up an actual difference in the parts, the difference is in the marketing.
But without significant experience, there's no way for a consumer to know what's what. The only thing you can be sure of is that NOBODY goes to China or Viet Nam to improve quality. They source from the third world to improve profits at your expense.
^^^This is true but there are different levels of Chineseum. I agree with OP with maybe waterpump isn’t 3x better, with 3x the price($50/$150), but I disagree that the only difference is $100 more for CEO’s. Also, since he’s sinking a lot of dough into complete motor rebuild it’s reasonable to not purchase the lower value pump. I was fortunate to find a NOS Made in Canada OEM pump for $45.19
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GMTMark
I'm Awesome
Hard to believe there could be anything put in there that would be worth an extra $100.
98chevy2500SS
Specializes in Accessories 101
Thanks man! I plan on painting the rest of the engine orange with polished valve covers, summer just can't come fast enough, lol.
It's a simple casting with a couple bearings and seals and a shaft. It's not a $150 part. Getting you to believe that they injected some quality sauce to make it worth the extra $100 is the magic of branding. I am inclined to believe it came off the assembly line right next to the $50 part.
Yes, I can certainly understand the perspective that a $50 part is "guaranteed" to be lesser, and that there's a chance the $150 part is "better", but even if they used better bearings and seals, you're still only talking a $10 difference. Yes, I would still want the better part, but I wouldn't pay $100 more in hopes that the "better" part was $10 better. I'd be looking for the $60 mid-grade part.
The problem is that if people keep paying $150 for parts that aren't any higher quality, then the price will become $150. Don't complain about inflation if you're driving it by shopping for perceived value. Unless the manufacturer offers evidence their part is truly worth the extra $100, I'd pass. Doing some Google research, this page from AC Delco's website does claim some difference. https://www.acdelco.com/brand-details As AC Delco Professional is the mid-grade, I wouldn't hesitate to use the $50 part. It's also priced appropriately with what I expect for a Chevy water pump.
Here's a final thought: OEM is not necessarily better. GM designs vehicles to last through warranty. I'd dare say the trucks do get a little better quality because GM depends on repeat truck customers, but I don't believe that OEM is the best of the best. One good example is the coolant nipple - Dorman can even do it better.
Yes, I can certainly understand the perspective that a $50 part is "guaranteed" to be lesser, and that there's a chance the $150 part is "better", but even if they used better bearings and seals, you're still only talking a $10 difference. Yes, I would still want the better part, but I wouldn't pay $100 more in hopes that the "better" part was $10 better. I'd be looking for the $60 mid-grade part.
The problem is that if people keep paying $150 for parts that aren't any higher quality, then the price will become $150. Don't complain about inflation if you're driving it by shopping for perceived value. Unless the manufacturer offers evidence their part is truly worth the extra $100, I'd pass. Doing some Google research, this page from AC Delco's website does claim some difference. https://www.acdelco.com/brand-details As AC Delco Professional is the mid-grade, I wouldn't hesitate to use the $50 part. It's also priced appropriately with what I expect for a Chevy water pump.
Here's a final thought: OEM is not necessarily better. GM designs vehicles to last through warranty. I'd dare say the trucks do get a little better quality because GM depends on repeat truck customers, but I don't believe that OEM is the best of the best. One good example is the coolant nipple - Dorman can even do it better.
100% agree. But, since I, and most don’t have the upgraded the better seals, bearings and shaft to install on $50 pump, some choose pay up the nose for the upgrade. It’s all a gamble:
Completely understandable OP is looking for a lower gamble on a newly built engine.
Again, no one has implied this in this thread.
FWIW they have different castings as well according to RockAuto.
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Well Said!
There's a hundred "grades" of cast-iron. Grey iron is one of them.
Was only to point out that they weren’t rolling off the same assembly line.
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