Rock Auto's

[LO 2 US]

BUYING PARTS FROM THIS LOT??? ....... Just be aware that they dont "DO" anything like "Customer Service" if the parts THEY SUPPLY are wrong (especially if you are in England)... they have a guy who "replies" under a guise of "customer service"... "we have no Technical Manager, technicians or mechanics" ..... utterly farcical ... its just a waste of your time

[lotos]

I've done several orders from them and I think many others here have too. Once, they shipped me cracked rotors and I didn't open the box for many months, and they still replaced them. Overseas I can see that being more of an issue due to shipping costs. But - they don't provide tech support, they rely on you to order the right items from the info they provide on the website. Sorry you had a problem - did you order the wrong item or was there a defective issue?

[Fredjohn]

I've done several orders from them and I think many others here have too. Once, they shipped me cracked rotors and I didn't open the box for many months, and they still replaced them. Overseas I can see that being more of an issue due to shipping costs. But - they don't provide tech support, they rely on you to order the right items from the info they provide on the website. Sorry you had a problem - did you order the wrong item or was there a defective issue?

I along with 3 others ordered the cambelt, tensioner, idler and waterpump set as a mini group buy. Everything arrived as promptly as transatlantic shipping will allow and all the bits fitted perfectly. And my car is running very well 18 months later, despite fitting it all myself (not a job I would recommend!) and I had no problems with the parts.

Rock Auto generally come very well recommended on LEC, but, unlike lotos, I have not had a problem with wrong or faulty parts, so cannot really comment on their follow up service. But if you are buying something from them, then put a post on here and see who else wants that part: with careful planning it is often cheaper per unit to ship 4-5 parts than just one. (eg one may cost £30 total to ship, but 5 may only cost £80 total).

[LO 2 US]

Hi all, Thanks for your responses.

To hopefully answer your questions:

(ordered correct parts?? Yes I think so) I bought/imported to the UK (for my S2 which I bought in Nov 2012) ... Dayco WP169K1A cambelt kit from Rock Auto's back in Feb 2013 (on the basis that everything in the kit should be compatible) and received this Dayco kit.

Having got around to fitting it about 6 weeks ago (havent had time or intent to use my car ~ other than a new owner 400 mile shakedown~ as I was worried about the age of the cam belt).

I found that I had in the kit the correct Dayco Timing belt, Tensioner and Idler BUT a Dayco (GMB) square base toothed Water Pump that wasnt (in my opinion) compatible with: the original 1989 Isuzu cambelt on my car (half round belt teeth), the original Aisin water pump on my car (half round pulley teeth) (please bare in mind that 1995 S2's actually had 1989 engines!...sorry if you know that bit) nor the new Dayco (half round belt teeth) cambelt ....... Having now searched around on LEC I have found that others have had this square tooth water pump problem

please see my other recent post in "problems" re Dayco Cam Belt Kits

Rock Auto's think this is Dayco's specification issue .. and because they "havent had any other complaints".. and have sold 70+ kits to (I assume predominantly Isuzu owners or garages + a few Lotus Elan owners) assume its not an issue and just my "dislike" of the round toothed belt running potentially in a square base toothed water pump pulley.. The square toothed water pump will run with the round tooth belt... but with how much noise and with what effect on cambelt life??

Dayco say its Rock Auto's problem... because my purchase contract was with them

So I think I bought the right kit but that it was supplied with the wrong water pump in it....

Is it cost effective to send this back from GB.... no.... you just end up buying (also on import) a Beck Arnley water pump or a Bosch one

[lotos]

Oy, that is a bad situation, sorry about that. That said - even if RockAuto accepted an exchange on the part, which they well might, you'd be responsible for shipping which would cost as much as the pump. I'm guilty of this a lot too - but the moral might be to check these things out the day they arrive and not wait 17 months

[LO 2 US]

Elapsed time isnt really the issue BUT Yes... you are quite right...... I should have checked it but knowing that I wouldnt be getting around to be fitting it for a year plus (due to work committments) I didnt want to open the 3 sealed plastic wrappers. I checked the external box parts list numbers with the internal numbered parts wrappers. Its also only on unwrapped "reasonably close-inspection" that the mis-match of Cam-belt to Water pump teeth is apparent. I am sure quite a lot of these kits have been fitted it may also be a bad batch issue so some or most of the kits may be OK (i.e. supplied with correct pumps). BUT from some of the historic responses I have recently found on LEC here re Cam-Belts & Water Pumps its been found as a sq tooth pump issue by a few "observant" other LEC users... but I dont think anyone else has pursued it with (in this instance) Rock Auto's or Dayco... (pity as potential cam-belt failure is bad news for a Lotus Owner .. or an Isuzu Owner) it would be good if they did. Which is why I have provided UK/Europe Dayco contacts under my Dayco Water Pumps and Cambelts notes on here. I am fairly new on here and still finding my way around....

Given the distribution of Isuzu Impulses (1.6 and 1.6T (RS)) running around in the USA I wonder if any of the Isuzu Impulse (RS???) Owners Clubs in the USA are aware of this issue ... Do LEC (USA) users have any contact with USA Isuzu 1.6 / 1.6T people or owners clubs??

SNAFU...... "Ultimately Trust No-One" ..... Dayco Kit (deliberately bought as "matching kit" for assumed quality assurance and that parts compatibilty within the kit should be covered within a major USA specialist companies "Quality Systems" and "Quality Assurance Inspection and Testing" yet: Batching (no-batch markings), "WWWW" Packing slip (none) and parts lists trace-ability (external packaging parts list matches contents parts wrappers) ...... & (correctly selected Isuzu engine application by the "customer") bought through Rock Auto's an American motor factors where you would expect a "Customer Service" culture.... yet Rocks say its a Dayco issue and Dayco say its a Rock issue....

[lotos]

Elapsed time isnt really the issue

Maybe, Maybe not. www.rockauto.com/lang/en/policy.html#Returns
If you had noticed immediately you may have been able to get them to accept a return and cover shipping. Who knows, it's long past the expiration on that chance.

[LO 2 US]

Thanks for all your input and time Randy..much appreciated.

I have also now imported a Beck Arnley 131-2115 pump... from a different US motor factors (to replace the Dayco kits wrong pump) so I am now after a 5 week delay back onto cam belt system re-assembly... hope the English summer continues.

Thanks again