...when it annoys me having to rework the threads on new manifold studs to get nuts started on them? I had to fix all four, a couple of them on both ends. Yeah, I know it's not a major job, and I'm not steaming over it, but it would be nice if parts like that were usable right out of the package. Anyway, I'll call the dealer so he can let the maker know there's a problem.
The vendor who makes them probably makes and threads the studs and then chunks them in a box and that's it.
Maybe this will be corrected like the brake shoes were a while back. Hope so.
I'm tempted to say that "the squeaky wheel gets the oil", but then it would probably start all kinds of arguments about....what weight of oil, what brand, how often to apply, proper way to apply, how oil will affect torque values (of which there are none), and on, and on,.......and probably end up with a "tirade" about how lucky we are that somebody makes them (even tho' it's in China) which would probably be the start of a political thread that somebody will object to, and then.........yeah, you're right; I probably need more to do, but I'm stuck here in this motor home without my Model T friends and my three Model "T's that are at home!
The best parts are made and/or supplied by vendors who are hobbyists themselves. They, like Steve, don't like having to essentially re-manufacture new parts either.
Happy 4th everyone.
I hear ya, Steve. A lot of the parts we get are made overseas in places where labor is cheap and as a consequence, quality control is not a primary consideration. If all the metal Model T parts imported from over there were made over here, most of us couldn't afford them, so we have to accept a certain level of imperfection. Yes, there are a few manufacturing outfits like Fun Projects that produce top-notch parts at reasonable prices, but they're rare.
I recently spoke with a parts dealer of sterling reputation about buying a good-quality wheel-puller and he readily admitted that no such thing was now being manufactured. While he was willing to sell me one of the cheaply-produced, modern wheel-pullers, his frank recommendation was that I try to find an original, vintage tool that had been manufactured in the USA.
We've all heard the proverb, "You get what you pay for," but that was back in the good ol' days. Nowadays, it's more like, "You ONLY get what you pay for—and that's assuming you're lucky enough to get your money's worth."
In my experience, you're lucky if you actually get what you ordered. I get the same part, for a different vehicle year with almost every order. That's annoying.
No I don't think your critical, you should get what you pay for.