NH parts rant

Bern

Well-known Member
Location
Mount Vernon, WA
Many of you know how I like to complain about the prices that NH likes to charge for parts. Well, it gets worse - check this out:

So on my 6000 engine rebuild, I thought I'd throw my dealer a bone and order the engine block cup plugs from him, since they're kind of an odd size (2-1/16"), and NAPA doesn't make them easy to find in their catalog system. I believe that this is the same plug that is used for the 134 and 172 engines, NH part # 7HA6266A. Even though I paid almost $7 each for them, I bought them out of a sense of loyalty to my former employer. Plus, they help me out once in a while with the occasional manual or special tool. So, I didn't mind too much paying that price for 6 plugs.

I go to install these things today, and the press fit on the first one was extremely light. I've driven in literally hundreds of soft plugs over the years, and I immediately knew something was not right. I grabbed my calipers and measured the OD of all of the remaining new, uninstalled plugs, and they were all pretty much exactly the same diameter as the hole!! (2.062"). I then ran down to NAPA and bought some from them, and they are all about .013" larger in diameter, which seems about right if they are to be a press fit.

Now for the worst part: Not only did I pay 7 times as much for the "genuine part", the ones from NAPA are made in the USA, while the ones from NH are made in China. But it gets even worse - the Chinese plugs have the NH part number stamped right in them! So, it appears that NH decided to contract with the Chinese to make plugs for them for about 20 cents cheaper than they could have bought them straight from Sealed Power for! Not only did they charge me 5 times as much, they give me inferior quality to boot, while saving themselves a few cents a piece on the part.

In a worst case scenario, if I had not caught this, one of those plugs could have popped out while I had this thing on the dyno under full load. How many of you want to bet that NH would never have stood behind that little boo-boo. My opinion of New Holland has dropped even lower than it already has been - I think Henry Ford would roll over in his grave if he knew about this.

Rant over now, back to work.
cvphoto15856.jpg
 

My pet peeve is paying full list price, and then they say, "oh yeah, you need to pay shipping too." Thats... when I give them the third degree...

NO.. I explain. For list price, I expect you to go to the back and pull the part. Or tell me to come back in two weeks as you will get it in on your regular parts order. I absolutely will not pay LIST price and Shipping both. AND you refuse to ship to my address to insult me more.

Then I simply go order it off the internet for about half price wondering why the heKK I even bothered to go to the dealer.
 
Bummer, must be the NAPA plugs were new old stock. They will probably have China on them soon too. The last new Stanadyne pencil injectors I bought for a JD engine were made in China too, as they now have a plant there. What ever happened to QUALITY CONTROL?? LOL
 
Shipping, yeah, I forgot about that in my rant. My dealer wants to add $15 shipping, even for the smallest of parts if he has to order it. Never mind the fact that it will come in a box with 10 other customer orders at the same time.

NH is dying a slow death in my opinion, which was very much avoidable.
 
The shipping deal is a DEALER problem, not a NH problem. Too many dealers view shipping charges as a profit center, clearly yours does. The tote of parts was probably ordered on his daily stock order and shipped to him freight free with a nice discount to boot..
The worst NH Parts snafu I?ve seen was a batch of hydraulic filters for Class II compacts that were clearly labeled ?Fuel Filter? as well as Made in China.
 
I realize that the shipping problem is ultimately a dealer issue, however it originated as a NH problem because too many guys like me started buying their parts elsewhere because they refused to pay 3 times (or more) what a part is worth. A dealer has to keep the lights on somehow, and charging freight, even when it doesn't cost them anything, is one way to dishonestly get that done.
 
Bingo, DT.

No longer much of an issue for me as I no longer do any work for anyone but myself, and well know the ropes at my dealer.

That said, it's a cutthroat business out there, and dealers must keep their doors open.

Consider your options if all dealers closed.

Dean
 
Ya that 7HA-6266 A is a Ford auto p/n. Fits 215/223/239/256/272/292/312 and miriade of other engines. NH is part of Fiat Groupe. Dorman is major supplier of lots of small parts for automotive applications
 
CNH is the last place I'd even look for any Ford Tractor parts. The name FORD has been gone since the early 1990's for one, and they only supplied parts made wherever like everyone else anyway -they never made any parts themselves, just one of the myths some believe. I know a guy who worked at my local CNH dealer for years. He told me CNH wants to phase out all the old Ford Tractor parts and concentrate on their newer stuff like the Boomers. I buy all my Ford N-Series distributor parts at NAPA as they are all made in the USA except the ECHLIN points which are made in Mexico but still beats Cheena.

Tim Daley(MI)
 
The automotive industry started handing the responsibility for QC over to the suppliers in the 1980s. Just about everyone has since followed suit.

Kind of like putting the fox in charge of guarding the hen house.

Dean
 
All of us hate to see this kind of stuff happening.
Will you return them as defective?
I would.
A guy could save them if he had to.
Put them in a small 3 jaw chuck and give them a tweak outward in a couple of places.
Use some #1 permatex for insurance.
 
After calling a long time ND dealer for axle seals and making the 35 mile trip to pick them up they weren't in stock (he said they were). Needed the gasket kit for the lift cover too, also not in stock. Another counter guy gave me one for a Fergy and said "This one will work." and they'd ship me the seals. The kit wasn't even close and they sent the wrong seals. I called and said "How many times do you need to get it right?" He answers "Sometimes ten or twelve times." The finally sent the right parts and I never returned the wrong ones and nobody seemed to care. BTW, the gasket set was Tisco and the seals were made in Taiwan. Five years ago and they're still on the shelf. If anybody needs them let me know and I'll check the numbers for you.
 
Bern, hopefully this will make you feel better. I once had to replace a block plug on my 1600. Couldn't find the correct size anywhere but the dealer. They robbed me for $20 for 1 plug. I tried my hardest to make the dealer feel guilty for charging me that price. But he knew I needed it and had no where else to go. I've never been so nervous installing a block plug before!!!
 
The only way I'd use those NH plugs is if I had absolutely no other choice. I'd use the old ones before I put that Chinese junk in. And yes, they are definitely getting returned, along with the parts guy getting an earful from me at the same time.
 
the last time i was at my nearest NH dealer the counterman was at the computer ordering parts for me fortunately for me i could glance over at the computer screen and read the A&I logo on the screen!!!!!

so much for genuine N.H. parts..
 
CNH isn't any nicer to international I ended up with a IHC 340 went to dealer for thrust bearings for front axle $149 found some at BRC for $16.49
 

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