Thread: I've had it with Chinese crap..Rant!!

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I know it is a generalization to say the items coming in from China are junk, but I think we have to admit a good percentage of it is pure crap.

Case in point. My Son Don ordered a new oil pan and oil pump pickup from Summit for the engine in his T. He wanted to go with a rear sump pan, so he ordered a 5.0 double sump pan. When we went to install the pickup tube we found it had been welded crooked, so that the tube was too close to one bolt in the pump to get a wrench on it. It was so crooked that the tube was sticking out of the center hole on an angle. To make it worse, the support in the middle was about 1/2 inch off of lining up, and the screen at the end was cocked at an angle because of the crooked welding job.

The box had Made in China on it. He didn't ask for cheap, but they just sold him this one. Also, he bought a Ford Motorsport dipstick and tube setup, and it had Made In Taiwan on the box. It didn't fit either.

We tossed everything back into the box and are shipping it all back to Summit tomorrow. There was no way we were going to risk blowing up his engine because the oil pickup tube didn't fit right and sucked air instead of oil. I really have had it with buying what you think is a good product only to find it came from a country where they can't even weld straight.

Don

It is amazing this stuff gets past quality control and sent on to the consumer! I understand no quality control in China, but I would think the people selling it over hear, esp. Summit would filter out the junk from the functional. Sorry to hear this. I've been eyeing a new pan for my engine build. They are expensive. You would think the parts would be quality from Summit!

look into the Australlian Ford parts. they will fit the US engines but everything is higher quality than what we can get here in the US, because of the china parts. there are small time companys that import the stuff. it's expensive tho.. My roller rockers for my 200 I6 came from a company called Yella Terra and even tho they were close to $600, they fit awsome and the quality is top notch... there is an oil pan company called Venom, check them out

I agree with the "CRAP" designation. It has proliferated almost every market. Poor quality makes everybody look bad.

Ah yes - Chinese crap. Taiwanese is usually acceptable, but, Don, it looks like you got some bits and pieces that wasn't .

My oil pan is a Ford Motorsport unit from Taiwan, but a front sump unit and the fit is fine. The pickup is whatever came with my Melling oil pump, and of course fit fine - and it all came from Summit.

Too much after market specialty stuff is Chinese, but it's that old problem - cost. How can we make these items to sell at a reasonable price and remain competitive? And can the Joe Blow Oil Pan Co., Podunk Holler, Any State, USA stay in business when his profits are taking a licking every time he sells an oil pan just to remain competitive with the Summit's, Speedway's and Jeg's of the world. He makes less then a break even return while the others make 4-6%(maybe), but rely on volume for their bottom line. Summit used to have a $2.95 handling (and shipping) charge. Now it's $9.75 to $11.75 depending on the value. This can be a good or bad deal depending size. I think they charged me $6.95 for shipping a Ford crate motor to me a few years ago .

So - Economics 101 = supply and demand. And sometimes it ends up being junk

I got used to substandard parts when my Son was playing with VW's years ago. All the repopped parts came from places like Brazil and were cheap copies of the originals. Nothing fit right, were made of thin steel, and had flash chrome plating that chipped off quickly. I always said that the parts we bought for hot rods were of much better quality and fit for the purpose they were intended. But that has been slowly changing to the point that all the major suppliers are supplying this junk.

It is also hard to "Buy American" anymore, even if you want to because major companies are outsourcing parts from other countries. No wonder 250,000 Americans have lost their jobs since January 1st. (heard that figure on the news the other day )

Don

I'm ready for some of that cheap Chinese gasoline.

Originally Posted by Corvette64

I'm ready for some of that cheap Chinese gasoline.

What, the stuff labeled 91 but is really only half that octane level....

The Chinese can't build buildings that stay standing after a ground shaker, why would you expect them to build quality auto parts

I know it is getting nearly impossible to avoid Chinese stuff, but I still try. I lay some of the blame on the US companies who are more interested in profit than they are on quality. They're the ones selling us down the river.

You know this is putting me in a philosophic mood. We are in a unique point in time with History in the making. With the right decissions and smart moves, we have the ability to pull ahead once again as a country. I worry, here in California, because we have lost sight of the future with reguards to education. We are now ranked around 48th in the country. People continue to cut our education budget, so this probably won't improve. The irony is our property tax system that goes toward our infra structure, is protected by a law, so if you have a home your property taxes only go up when you add on to it or when a new person buys it. The problem is, new buyers are paying house payments just in property tax, and old home owners are paying next to nothing proportionally. This system was set up to protect people who retired, on fixed incomes from losing their houses from property tax fees. Unfortunately, it is a system which is killing our state. Benefits are also killing us and every one.
Where does this all lead, ah back to cheap chinese parts and the ability to keep jobs locally. With poor education, and lack of discipline and manors(for the vast majority of kids) we are killing our future prospects of responsible leadership, by denying them the fundamental education opertunities that will enable them to critically think!
Don there just doesn't seem to be a way to pull out of this. I only see it getting worse. Just look at the three candidates running for president. None of them have me excited about new beginnings and hope for a strong future!
My suggestion is build your hot rod now, build it fast, so when the time comes to rapid gettaways we'll be smokin our tires!

Don,

Chinese stuff is junk....not a generalization. Think of one quality product that China is famous for....it sure isnt parts or even Chinese food!

The process of getting something built in China does not start with some Chinese guy thinking "I'll build a SBC part for sale in America." It actually starts with some round eye contacting a broker in China with the specific request to build a part...say an oil pan. The American guy sends the oil pan to China with the instructions to duplicate it with a low price. The Chinese guy has zero clue that it is a SBC oil pan.... he is talented at making an "appearance copy" not a "functional copy." They are very good at making something that looks like their target product...a fake Rolex is a good example.

However, since the metallurgy or the tolerances may be important and the Chinese guy has zero clue about these details, the Chinese copy doesnt work right....but it was cheap.

The entire situation is our fault....we demand cheap products and turn our back on quality. From cars, to tools, to clothes, we buy on price first and appearance second. Quality is somewhere way down the line.

mike in tucson

This is very true mike. Sometimes the product is great for a small end user who doesn't need quality. Other times it is a blatant rip off that is made to undersell a good product, or even be passed off as the same brand! Ken has posted this very thing happening to his trailer business. Very frustrating!

You are right Mike, we have done it to ourselves. The Mom and Pop stores where we used to shop are now pretty much wiped out by the Walmart's of the world. Those were the stores where you could actually find a person who knew how to use the stuff he or she sold and who were willing to share that experience with their customers. Try to find someone at Walmart who can tell you how to use anything in the store...........in fact, just try to find an Associate to help you AT ALL in Walmart!!

I do it just like everybody else, I shop for price first most times, and that habit is now coming back to bite me in the behind.

Don

To quote a famous person.....................

[QUOTE=Itoldyouso].....pretty much wiped out by the Walmart's of the world. ..

Don

....and the next time you are in Wally World, just check to see if you are really getting a better price. I'm starting to find, locally at least, that many of their prices exceed the local stores plus are made even more cheaply then the Chinese crap that the mom and pop stores are now forced to sell to remain close to competitive

I still challenge everyone to name one item (currently made..not Ming vases) made in China that is known for its quality. If you go to China and watch them cook, you would never want to eat Chinese food again!!

IF (and only if) an American company set up operations in China AND controlled the QC, the product might include quality.... any more, you look at the "name" brand and cant tell if it is made in the USA still. Go try to buy an American flag.... China.