Looking for Advice on Replacement Parts

[Jkb242]

I do most of the maintenance on the three vehicles we have GMC Envoy 2006 and 2002 and 2013 Equinox LTZ.

Historically buying Autozone brand parts mixed results for sure. Two years later I’m doing the water pump and fan clutch AGAIN for the 02. I use Dextron and keep it changed as needed, but it looks fine. I would certainly like more reliability in replacement parts. Durlast ugh more like Dura-Die. Suggestions are desired from those who know on this great forum for the most reliable source for after market parts with reasonable reliability and longevity. Autozone and their competitors aren't exactly cheap but especially considering a repeat of this repair in 2 years! Sure saving money is important but not having to repeat this so soon is fun either. I don’t mind paying for quality if I can get it.

Got to get the 02 running ASAP.

Appreciate recommendations for suppliers on line or not. I’m looking for quality primarily.

Thanks looking forward to suggestions.

 

[xavierny25]

I think the majority of us here stick with factory OEM parts. 1 exception is the fan clutch most who have used the Hayden have said it works just as well as the original.

My OEM water pump lasted about 80k. I put in a autozone special and it only lasted 2yrs so I went back to the an acdelco and it's been great for the last I'd say 3 or 4 years.

EDIT: As for suppliers Rockauto.com, Amazon, Ebay. Do watch out for fakes, some of us came across a set of acdelco plugs on Amazon that turned out to be fakes.

 

[Jkb242]

I think the majority of us here stick with factory OEM parts. 1 exception is the fan clutch most who have used the Hayden have said it works just as well as the original.

My OEM water pump lasted about 80k. I put in a autozone special and it only lasted 2yrs so I went back to the an acdelco and it's been great for the last I'd say 3 or 4 years.

EDIT: As for suppliers Rockauto.com, Amazon, Ebay. Do watch out for fakes, some of us came across a set of acdelco plugs on Amazon that turned out to be fakes.

Thanks so very much for the super fast response! I understand that some third part suppliers to the primary “on line vendors” are offering fakes.

I ordered all AC DELCO parts for this repair water pump, fan clutch and even the serpentine belt from Amazon where fitment for the 2002 was confirmed. I’m sure there are 3rd party suppliers involved here but hope not since I’m in a time crunch and have not experienced this yet with Amazon. I also wondered about AA1Auto. Thanks especially for the tip about Hayden, did not know about them.

Thanks again!!

 

[Chickenhawk]

Most parts today are made in the same few factories in China, regardless of brand name. AC Delco, NAPA, Autozone, etc. do not make their own parts. They buy them from the suppliers and relabel them. So you can ignore any brand name, part description ("Duralast" etc.) and always look for the two different tiers in quality. (There will be an even lower tier of parts, usually sold at the cheaper discount places such as Autozone. Very few of them meet the minimum standards for quality established by the big name brands, so AC Delco and places like NAPA won't even touch them.)

With research, you can soon learn the labels added to the brands to define the two tier levels. For example, AC Delco sells the "Advantage" line, which are the cheaper parts, and the "Professional" line which are the higher quality parts. The thing to remember is that in many cases, all the different brands use exactly the same part, relabeled and usually constructed to meet the brand's minimum quality standards.

This is why saying one should buy only AC Delco may not meet your own personal level of quality or satisfaction, because there are two different lines of AC Delco.

Because AC Delco was also the OEM supplier for a lot of parts for GM vehicles, there is actually a third tier with some AC Delco parts. This is the "OEM" or "original equipment " parts, as originally supplied to the manufacturer. They are theoretically the highest quality possible - if you can find them in the category you are looking for - but not always. Sometimes the aftermarket improves upon a design, and the top tier parts may be better than the original OEM parts. But that is rare. Usually AC Delco OEM are the best.

Keep in mind, many companies describe their parts as OEM, plus there is even a brand name "OEM," but they are NOT the original parts. As long as they are not counterfeit, and you can find them from AC Delco, they are usually the best.

Just to complicate things further, there are a few companies such as Delphi who USED TO supply the parts to the manufacturer. They make parts in several tier levels too, and you will often find them labelled as "original supplier." But they are not the original parts. (Check out the photos of Delphi coils versus factory coils, and you will see what I mean.)

This is why forums such as this one are invaluable for getting good advice on a case-by-case basis. Most other forums are the home of people who are looking for solutions to problems, and are being advised by people equally ignorant - if not more so. The blind leading the blind, so to speak.

This instead is an ENTHUSIAST forum, and there are some VERY experienced people in here who can help on a part-by-part basis.

As for suppliers, many of us trust Rock Auto, as they are very clear in labelling the two tier levels "economy" and "daily driver." (They will sometimes also carry the OEM parts, and even "performance" or "upgrade" parts - which most of us avoid as being a waste of money in some categories.) I use both Amazon and Rock Auto a lot, but I also do a lot of research and I always go for the top tier AC Delco Professional line of parts. (I even go AC Delco OEM in some cases if they are not outrageously expensive.)

 

[TollKeeper]

I got 8 years out of my NAPA Waterpump that I bought at Advanced Auto Parts. When I got the box, it said ACDelco by NAPA. Was weird, but worked great. The waterpump didnt fail either, I was replacing the fan clutch, and did it while I was there. Advanced honored the warranty, and the new waterpump came with just a NAPA waterpump. So far so good, but its only been a year.

 

[Jkb242]

Thanks so very much for the super fast response! I understand that some third part suppliers to the primary “on line vendors” are offering fakes.

I ordered all AC DELCO parts for this repair water pump, fan clutch and even the serpentine belt from Amazon where fitment for the 2002 was confirmed. I’m sure there are 3rd party suppliers involved here but hope not since I’m in a time crunch and have not experienced this yet with Amazon. I also wondered about AA1Auto. Thanks especially for the tip about Hayden, did not know about them.

Thanks again!!

The AC Delco water pump I received has a metal gasket instead of the soft composite material I’m used to seeing. Is this indeed a gasket for intended as a stand-alone not requiring some additional gasket?

Thanks

 

[Mektek]

MOOG wheel hubs are made in Korea. The cheap chinese ones keep failing for me, so I may have a chance to see if the Korean factory is better.