What has happened to quality on parts!

I had put in a brand new heater core and heater hoses back on February 16, 2011, started the Grabber up today and as soon as it reached operating temp. whooosh!! water and antifreeze everywhere under the hood, one of the new heater hoses split open about two inches away from the intake connection, new hose didn't even make it for one year!! is quality falling off that bad on parts, these were not cheapo hoses either, I had not long ago replaced the water pump on it also, but these hoses should have lasted longer.

 

When I got my Maverick back in 2008 one of the first things I did was replaced the original heater hoses with Napa's best black colored hose (didn't want the red hose). Here is a scan of the Ford hose on the left and Napa replacement hose on the right.

 

If it isn't gates or upper line goodyear it was cheap hose

Quality left with with parts outsourcing

 

Might have been a defective hose, or might have been cut unknowingly. I do agree w/ Joe Dirt -- I like Gates and GY stuff. I have not had any exp. w/ Napa so really comment on it. When I first saw this thread I was under the impression that ur heater core connection had burst "bummer for sure". Glad that was not the case - thou u wud'nt expect a new hose to go south so fast, regardless of who made it..

 

Looks like the left hose has thicker walls or is it just swollen?

 

china and wallmart.

napa brand hoses and belts used to be either goodyear or gates. i dont know if they still are.

i also prefer goodyear or gates belts and hoses but i am finding that the brands that i used to be able to trust for quality are also cheeping out. so i dont even know if gate or goodyear are still as good as they used to be.

i thought when i first started to read your post you were going to say the new heater core failed. i see that allot these days. i havent done it yet but plan on making a pressure tester for heater cores out of a cooling system pressure tester so i can bench test new ones before i install them.

good luck on getting quality hoses and be glad it wasnt the heater core.

 

You're right quality as gone down. When I built my 205 I went through 3 gas pumps to find one that works. I got them from napa. I also had to fix a distributor off the same engine. I got it from rockauto the ignitior was bad. I just bin having bad luck with replacement parts know matter what brand it is.

 

The OEM hoses on most of our newer cars/trucks made in the last 10 years have a MUCH higher quality than any aftermarket replacements I have seen. Same for belts. The belts last at least 100k in most cases and I don't even sell hoses anymore unless they are physically damaged or suffer from contamination damage. The thicker wall is your first indication of a better coolant hose. My upper radiator hose is a takeoff from a 97 Explorer, not a new replacement. It was in good condition when I found it, (on the floor in the engine shop) so I tested its fit and, well, I just don't see any reason to replace it.

 

The Ford hose is thicker/heavery than the other hose. They were still holding up but I thought because of the age I should go ahead and replace it. With the new hose the worm clamp will cut into the rubber and start leaking. I now have the old factory style tower clamps. Last week I replaced the rear end carrier and it still had the original paper gasket. The old gasket was about 3 or 4 times the thickness as the aftermarket gasket that you buy today.

 

Been there too. 3 pumps in a 50 mile / two month span.

 

It's not just you! I've had two master cylinders that were " new ", junk right out of the box! There is no quality control anymore because there is no Made in the U.S.A. anymore! It might say on the box it is, but they lied! The company might be in the U.S., but the parts come from God knows where. I remember when heater hoses had several layers of wrap! Now you see only one. Belts are the same. I bought two new belts for my Maverick and they weren't even the same size! They're the same numbers, they're supposed to be!
Sorry for this long rant, guys, I just had to get it off my chest.

 

That's all I use, even though Gates closed a plant here and moved it to Mexico..

 

Are Cardone reman parts still US-made?

I have had the worst luck with their parts lately. Most recently a reman Duraspark distributor for my 351w, which you may recall was not that long ago. It lasted maybe two months before it came apart inside and ruined the reluctor.

Before that I got a shoddy Cardone water pump. Didn't even install that, it was junk right out of the box.

 

I bought a Doorman brake kit, when I compressed the spring that holds the shoe on, it stayed compressed, the whole kit was total junk!!
I like Napa, a lot of their parts are new, and seem well built.

 

Same at Chrysler. We dont stock a single rubber hose for cooling systems. Havent for years. Only ones Ive changed were contaminated. HEad gasket etc. I bought an aftermarket for my Durango from Gates. Picked it up from the Gates factory in town. Nobody had one. It was comparable to our OEM hoses which makes sense since Gates makes them for Chrysler.LOL. Thought it odd a hose failed. Turns out it had a small damaged spot near the water pump. Looked like someone slipped with a screwdriver. Only One Ive seen blow a leak in years and it was my own. Go figure.
I learned years ago not to use no name hose of any kind. Canadian Tire taught me that lesson with fuel line that turns to mush when exposed to fuel. Aftermarket hoses have been crap for decades in the trade.