Counterfeit Parts, be an informed buyer.
 

Counterfeit automotive parts are a major problem and every one of us needs to be aware of the issue. Here is a good article that explains the situation and what we can do to help.

http://www.enginelabs.com/engine-tec...-knock-it-off/

I urge everyone to read it.

Thanks for posting that Steve. I actually almost got scammed a few times of coarse on ebay. A fake Momo steering wheel, Fake blow off valve, the other was a set of Aerocatch hood pins. I immediately contacted ebay and the real manufacturer.

The seller had the nerve to ask me to send back the fake Momo steering wheel to sell again and to remove my feedback calling him out on selling fake goods. I refused and cut up the steering wheel and trashed it. I hate when things like this happen.

This is why I always tell people to only buy their parts from licensed vendors. I witnessed a lot of this first-hand when I worked the parts counter at a local shop. I made it a point to explain to people the significance of making sure you buy from a reliable source, even if it wasn't the shop I worked for. Sure, it may cost a little more, but you're guaranteed the legitimate product that way. In my experience, trying to cut corners by going the eBay route has almost always cost more in the end when you have to replace a part, or you find out it's not what you thought it was.

One thing this article doesn't touch on that it should, is when domestic companies use chinese manufacturers for their parts and just slap their name on the finished products. Ironically that Aeromotive regulator is made in china and sold under several different brands. Same with many of the aftermarket in tank fuel pumps sold today. Holley, FAST, Aeromotive, AEM, all use the same pump with their name on it and its originally a copy of a Walbro pump. Then you have places like On3 selling turbos made in china using the same internals as Turbonetics (rumored). Or Precision selling turbos supposedly made here in America that have a very high failure rate with zero customer support.

Once these manufacturers start producing parts here again and stop slapping their name on whatever chinese part they can find and upping the price because of the name, I will start caring that they are losing money and business from it. You can't manufacture (or relabel) parts from another country and not expect those same parts to find their way on to the market under a different name.

It's a Shame that eBay doesn't do more to combat this as it seems like a large percentage of this Crap is being sold through eBay

That's the problem..."as long as it's being sold." Which, in turn, makes them billions and that's all they care about is if it's selling or not.

Met a guy on Racing Junk selling an RHS block for a damn good price. Called him and something just didn't sit right with me. Although, I would have loved to get the ultra, low, cost-saving price, but he could barely answer any of my questions I was asking about the block....mainly the part number. He may have very well been an honest guy and just a little dumb and not knowledgeable about the block, but I wasn't about to find out at the expense of my coins. So, I'll just pay the price from Jegs, Summitt, etc when I'm ready to buy. Simple, easy and above all else....a warranty.

This is the moral battle I'm fighting right now with my engine build. The only stroker cranks out there for the Pontiac V8's are all from the same place in China, and Eagle/Scat/Ohio Crank all use the same supplier.

I don't want that crap in my car, but what to do when it's the only option?

You have to suck it up and buy it. If people don't like China products then we couldn't use our phones, computers, tvs, cars, toilets, refrigerators, shoes,car seats for babies etc etc. There's no going around it. I know it sucks but it's the world we live in. The masses don't want to pay American production prices which is why jobs are shipped overseas. ...

I see your Point, but the Companies that are making the ^ Above ^ Products are Designing and making those products under a minimum of Quality Control and have some type of support after a sale. They are just using Cheap Labor & Tax Loopholes.

You can't really compare that to Counterfeit Parts or Parts that are Copied & Sold. Who knows what you bought!

The last thing is we aren't the Masses - we should be the last Hold-Outs since we are driving Old American Iron!

I wasn't comparing counterfeit parts to product overseas. He was stating that the product he wanted to purchase was a Crank outsourced by the vendors to China. If he wants the product from those vendors and they're built in China then there's no way around avoiding buying from the China supplier. They get our business regardless if we like it are not.

I do agree to try to buy American whenever possible but it's definitely not always possible.