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Re: Substandard counterfeit-copy parts?

PostPosted: Sat Oct 02, 2010 5:25 pm
by Robbie693
Good pics Leslie, most interesting.

I'm looking to buy a new slave soon as I have some clutch problems and my slave looks very similar to the 'dodgy' one in your pic. Also from a classic Lotus supplier.

I have emailed Girlingauto to see if they still manufacture them. There is no mention of clutch hydraulics on their web site :?

Cheers

Robbie

Re: Substandard counterfeit-copy parts?

PostPosted: Sat Oct 02, 2010 6:40 pm
by paddy
My suspect m/cyl looks nothing like the fake one in these pics. The lettering is not as crisp as an original period part, but not very different, so I'm feeling a bit more confident now.

Paddy

Re: Substandard counterfeit-copy parts?

PostPosted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 4:23 pm
by Jeff@Jae
I think we're really splitting hairs here on new and old production Girling supplied master cylinders. The ones supplied for many years have less distinct markings but otherwise the same. Probably just much used casting tooling. The originals were supplied with a metal cap, not plastic, had finer markings and a smoother finish. They also haven't been available in decades that way, really since they switched to the plastic(better?)cap. Re sleeving can also be done in bronze in addition to stainless. It's not usually cost effective unless the part is either no longer available or your going for a 100 point restoration.

Re: Substandard counterfeit-copy parts?

PostPosted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 5:02 pm
by summerinmaine
I consider myself lucky that I purchased a complete set of clutch and brake master/slave cylinders about 20 years ago, along with virtually every other suspension wear-part for the S2, and wrapped them for long-term storage. Looked them over after reading the first part of this thread and the casting marks are as crisp as can be.

If I ever get to the point where I must use one, I'll deal with inspecting/replacing the seals at that time, and then I'm pretty sure that the parts will out-live me. There's got to be SOME benefit to growing older. :D

Re: Substandard counterfeit-copy parts?

PostPosted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 7:30 pm
by elansprint71
Why be coy about naming the folks who are selling suspect goods? You owe them no favours and might just save someone here aggro; or worse.

Re: Substandard counterfeit-copy parts?

PostPosted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 8:10 pm
by summerinmaine
elansprint71 wrote:Why be coy about naming the folks who are selling suspect goods? You owe them no favours and might just save someone here aggro; or worse.



I may be wrong, but my impression is that the take-home lesson here is that any of the parts suppliers can fall victim to a shoddy source. In my case, I'll continue to deal with all those I have in the past, but will be extra vigilant about checking parts received, and letting my sources know right away if we've been ripped off.

Re: Substandard counterfeit-copy parts?

PostPosted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 9:36 pm
by bcmc33
summerinmaine wrote:
elansprint71 wrote:Why be coy about naming the folks who are selling suspect goods? You owe them no favours and might just save someone here aggro; or worse.

I may be wrong, but my impression is that the take-home lesson here is that any of the parts suppliers can fall victim to a shoddy source. In my case, I'll continue to deal with all those I have in the past, but will be extra vigilant about checking parts received, and letting my sources know right away if we've been ripped off.

From my point of view any Chinese back street producer can make perfectly good machined castings for things like master cylinders (I could in my back yard workshop if it suited me), but when it comes to the seals - that is another question. From my experience, the manufacture of seal materials and the moulding of seals is a very, very specialised subject.
So when it comes the sellers of such things where we would normally buy from would have to ask the right questions of their suppliers to know if the seals were of the right quality for the job. I doubt they do this -- someone please prove me wrong.
It could be that in the case of Chinese made parts they go through about three or four hands before we receive them, so there would be no real chance of finding out what the true quality is. :cry:

Re: Substandard counterfeit-copy parts?

PostPosted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 7:38 am
by 512BB
Why be coy about naming names Pete? As most of you know, I am not averse to speaking my mind on the odd occassion, but you never know when you might need that classic car parts supplier, and if you trash their reputation on a public forum, however well founded, it could have repercussions. However, a PM is a different matter. And thats why I swear by original old stock, so long as its been kept correctly.

And whilst we're on the subject, watch out for the Ebay dealer selling items as NOS, when they have been bought new recently, from a classic Lotus supplier, FACT! A PM will suffice here too. I have never heard of a GOOD reason why ebay sellers hide their feedback, or bidders identities. Something to hide? If you have something that might fetch big money, then MAYBE list the one item as hidden identity, but everything?

Be careful out there in Lotusland peeps.

Well okay, we were'nt on the subject, but hey.

Leslie

Re: Substandard counterfeit-copy parts?

PostPosted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 5:44 am
by gerrym
Hi guys, a little bit off subject but....

Performance Braking in Monmouth (tel 01600 713117) is run by an ex Girling R&D engineer and really knows his stuff on these old brake systems/cponents. Plus he knows where the stuff is being manufactured, ie what factory and what QA/QC, that he sells.

Highly Recommended
Gerry

Re: Substandard counterfeit-copy parts?

PostPosted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 9:29 pm
by Robbie693
Dragging this one up again to report my clutch master cylinder has given up the ghost after less than 4000 miles. I am assuming it's another case of poor quality parts, or could it be lack of use?

Robbie

Re: Substandard counterfeit-copy parts?

PostPosted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 10:19 pm
by kstrutt11
I think it will be the parts, I've just had similar problems with my s2 landrover, the new seals available nowdays just don't seem right, I fitted new ones and the piston would not retract properly as it had a larger outside diameter, eventualy I cleaned up and fitted the old (probably 40 years old!)main seal to the newly honed bore with new not black fluid and it now seems to be working OK. Despite the potential ageing issues there is so much rubbish out there I think old stock seems the only way to go.


kevin