It’s Never Too Late For Quality: Choose Suppliers Wisely Part V By Bob Thomas Get a group of rebuilders together and ask them what they believe is the number one cause for warranty retums. Most will probably answer the failure of new component parts they have used. I sincerely doubt they are cor- rect in this belief, but if they are, the rebuilders themselves are partially to blame. Those are harsh words per- haps, but we choose the components we put into the alternators and starters we rebuild. If our desire is to turn out a quality part, we have to choose qual- ity components in our work. I admit that this is not always as easy as it sounds, but I would like to share what Ihave learned on this subject. If you have been in this business for a long time, I’m sure you remember when there were only a few suppliers to choose from. Much of what they had to offer came from the same source manufacturers. Ninety percent of the cars on our roads were made in the USA. So were the vast majority of auto parts. To give a specific example, the needle bearing used in nearly ev- ery alternator on every Chrysler, Ford and GM product was the Torrington MNJ-671. In those days it was easy to shop price because virtually all sup- pliers were selling the same exact Torrington bearing. Whatever supplier offered the best deal was in fact the best deal. Like it or not, this is no longer true. Today, the rebuilder can buy parts from what seems like an infinite num- ber of suppliers and the origin of those parts may be anywhere in the world, anywhere. From strictly a price point of view, this can be good. More com- petition means lower cost and a better margin for you. From a quality point of view, this can be bad, very, very bad. Far too many of us are buying on price alone and have no idea of the quality of what we are buying. This is a seri- ous mistake with dire consequences, namely the future of our livelihood. When a component fails, your rebuilt part fails and the customer looks back at you, not some guy in Katmandu who sold you the bearing, rectifier, solenoid or starter drive. When you choose the component, you must accept partial responsibility for any failure. We must choose wisely. How do we know what we are buy- ing? First, we must ask. Ask questions every time you buy any part. Where was it manufactured? How long have you been selling this particular part and have you heard of any problems? Have you changed sources since the last time I bought these? Ask for specifications and compare them. Let your suppliers know that quality is more important than price. Tell them this, over and over and over again. One reason so many inferior components reach the market- place today is that too many of us are buying on price alone. The suppliers and manufacturers are looking for mar- ket share and we have been giving it to the lowest bidder. We need to stop doing that. I recently had a conversation with Ron Kennon of A3 Supply about bear- ings and he offered some insight on the problems we all face in finding quality parts. “Rebuilders need to take the extra time to locate quality conscious ven- dors,” he explained. “Convenience of one-stop shopping is nice, but you MARCH, 2001 have to ask yourself if you are getting the best quality available. I would avoid surplus ‘special buys’and ‘closeouts’. If the price seems too low, there is probably a reason. Consider the coun- try of origin and the reputation of the manufacturer.” Bearings offer a good example. Why do so many rebuilders risk the fate of their rebuilt parts to save what amounts to only a few pennies on the bearings? If you know you are getting quality bearings for a lower price, there is nothing wrong with saving a few pen- nies. However, too many of us seem to be willing to risk it. The “it” you are risking is the reputation of all rebuilt parts, yours and mine. Be sure you know what you are buying. Bearing specifications can look like mumbo jumbo to most of us. After all, it is easy to deceive and confuse with numbers. Kennon offered some guid- ance. “Internal clearance should be ‘C3’ which is ‘larger than normal’ fit. This allows for heat expansion, an impor- tant consideration at today’s operat- ing temperatures,” he said. “Also, grease should match the expected tem- perature range, like Chevron SRI-2, which has a range of —20 to 350 de- grees F. The term ‘electric motor qual- ity’ or EMQ is thrown around a lot. Be sure your vendor can back up this claim. Not all bearings can be catego- rized as EMQ.” The bottom line is to look for a vendor who knows his busi- ness and is willing to share some of that knowledge with you. Be wary of those who boast how much money they can save you, for they might just cost you more in the end. Everyone deserves a second chance, but when the same supplier’s name turns up in your warranty log book more than once for the same Page 1 of 2