I was doing a little adjusting today on the Satellite (it was a rainless, sunny day in Seattle).....some carb cleaner down the carb (duh), some timing adjustments, blah blah blah. I checked the distributer cap to clean up any carbon tracking on the contacts. What a surprise! I don't know how it was firing. The only place any contact was being made was on top of the contacts, partly melting the plastic (or what ever the material is) around the contacts (on top of the cap, looking from the bottem)! The rotor was black on the brass end, and under the contact on the rotor where it touches the butten of the cap was black as well (white rotor, easy to see). So, I found my old cap and rotor (Bosch) and put them back on. Said good-bye to the rough idle. I'm done with Echlon.

Thanks for the solid advice Dan. To bad I saw your post about Echlon caps the day after I put one on!

The caps really are the problem. Their rotors are fine—in particular their long-tip rotor # MO-3000 is my favourite.

I sent them one of their defective SL6 distributor caps a few years ago, with a detailed letter explaining the problem.

They responded with a form letter, blah blah Echlin products meet or exceed original equipment standards blah blah thank you for choosing blah blah if we can be of further assistance blahbitty blah blah, and a new replacement cap, also defective.

No more Echlin caps for me.

Fun fact: Accel ignition products are Echlin. And some Echlin ignition products are Accel. Here's hoping the long-tip rotor doesn't disappear from Accel, too.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I have given up on Napa. Their parts quality control seems to be non-existant, napaonline hasn't worked in months, and the store near my house that I went to for 11 years closed. Autozones are cropping up all over, but they carry mostly Fram filters (yechh) and seem top have a hard time finding parts on their shelves (twice I have stood and waited 20 minutes at two different stores while the parts clerks search the shelves for the slant six intake manifold gasket the computer said was in stock).

What parts stores does everyone else go to?

NAPA still has good stuff; the big difference is that you used to be able to walk into a NAPA and just assume you were going to get top-quality parts. That's no longer the case since the MBAs have gone in and made their usual mess of NAPA and the old-line US parts suppliers (Federal Mogul, etc.). Now, you have to actively work at getting good parts out of NAPA, almost as hard as you have to work at getting good parts out of most of the other parts stores.

And yeah, napaonline has been a real halfàssed site for a long time, but recently (few weeks ago, maybe a month) they reworked it so it finally seems to work most of the time, at least for catalogue functions. I've never tried to buy anything from it.

Rockauto runs a great site, but their batting average as far as filling orders without screwing up is...less than perfect. I have a sample size of only two, though, so I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt for now.

Autozone carries mostly Harry Homeowner garbage. OK source for oil, antifreeze, carburetor cleaner, name-brand spark plugs and such, but hard parts, no thanks. Same goes for Checker/Schuck's/Kragen and Pep Boys. They'd rather sell you pine tree-shaped air fresheners and blue headlight bulbs than sell you a carburetor that'll work for more than a week, if at all.

CarQuest and Big-A and Federated stores are often worth searching out, but the fact of the matter is that we're looking at the real-world meaning of all that gobbledegook we constantly hear from "free trade" types about "the new service economy" and "global trade benefits to profitability".

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I still use Napa, mainly because there is a distribution warehouse only 5 miles from where I live. Beleive it or not, my local Schucks is actually pretty good, with a couple of crusty old timers working there who know their stuff. Just don't go on the weekends, unless I can get the 19yr old kid that drives a '71 Ford Torino (yeah its a Ford, at least its and old car and not a Honda that the other kids that work there drive). I used to use a localy owned store (B&B), untill a new manager came in and ran it into crappyness. They do have a good selection of fasteners and fittings though. The only place I can find quart containers of Chevron Delo 15W-40 oil is a Napa in an industrial area, by Boeing field. Autozone? Only if I have to. There is a guy in there that is very helpfull, and remember him from when I was in high school (20 years ago) working at a long gone parts/speed parts store. I find Purolator filters at the Pep Boys in Everett. I only use the web sites for part numbers.

I dunno. From my experience, each store has to be judged individually, no matter what sign is out front. I've had both really good and terribly bad service from every chain. It seems to come down to the store managers.

VM

I have bought parts at all of them and I've found that especially with Auto Zone, Checker, and Pep Boys you have to be careful about what parts you let them sell you. They have really cheap crappy stuff but if you ask for it they also have or can get the better quality parts. "Remanufactured" parts are the most problematic in my experience, they are usually junk, even worse than the cheap offshore parts.

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David Kight
'62 Valiant Signet, White
'98 Dodge Dakota
'06 Jeep Liberty

Growing older is unavoidable but growing up is strictly optional.

I have always used my local NAPA, mainly because the Manager is 63 year old who drives a restored 64 Polara (413). He's retiring pretty soon and that is going to suck because his daughter is going to take over. She's hot, but god she is an idiot. A sparkwhat?

The local Advance Auto is horrid. Bunch of teenagers and 20somethings that smoke pot (couple of dealers too) and drive raggedy ass imports. Don't know where anything is at and there parts are crappy. Won't order the good stuff either, even if you ask for it. Only the cheap CarIdiot stuff.

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82 D150-225/727
02 Dakota-3.9/5 speed
87 GMC C7000-8.2 Detroit Diesel/5+2

I was in Orlando a couple of months ago

went to advance auto parts asked them for a carter fuel pump p/n p5000
well the guy at the counter couldn't help me because he didn't know that you could search a partnumber in the computer

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http://www.cardomain.com/id/lncognito

Oh, yeah, I just love that shìt. Walk into a Kragen's (or similar) and tell the Burger King reject behind the counter "I only see one Anco 12-14 wiper refill on the shelf. Could you please check if you have any more?"

Reject sez "What year, make and model are you working on?"

You sez "It doesn't matter, I just gave you the part number. Anco 12-14. It's a 14-inch wiper refill like this what I am holding in my hand."

Reject sez: "I need a year, make and model."

You: "Fine, whatever. It's a 1972 Dodge Dart."

Reject: "Truck or car?"

You: "Dart. It's a car."

Reject: "What engine?"

You: "It doesn't make any difference! They all used the same wiper! Just pick one!"

Reject: "I need to know what engine. Does it have the one ninety eight three point two, the two twenty five three point seven, the three eighteen five point two or the three fifty five point seven?"

You: "There's no such a thing as a 350 in a Dart."

Reject: "Three fifty. Ummm...sorry, we don't have parts for that car."

You: "No, I said it couldn't have a 350 because they never came that way. A 350 is a Chevrolet engine, and this is a Dodge. It has a 225!"

Reject: "OK a 225...and does it have drum or disc brakes?"

You: "It has 14 inch wiper blades. Anco 12-14s. I can see them on the shelf behind you. Over your left shoulder. Can you please just grab me another one to match this what I have placed on the counter in front of you?"

Reject: "Uhhhh...I have to check with my manager...and he's on lunch...I could take down your, like, name and number...I guess...if you really want me to. That would require paper...and, like, a writing thing...we have these really kewl headlight blackouts, they look phat if you want to impress the chizzicks and, like, stuff. They're on aisle four."

You: "<unprintable>"

Reject: "Uhhhh...like...what-EVAH..."

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

"DING! Fries are done!"

With Advance auto parts, it is the fault of the store manager. I have an Advance, 1 1/2 miles from me. The manager is a D---head. Another Advance store in town (20 miles) has a good manager, and people that know what they are doing. I have a comercial acct, at both stores, but get better pricing in town. The store in town will deliver to me, for a decent sized order, the local store will not. etc.
PS: The PEP Boys store in town, just got a new commercial manager, and is actively after my business. Is beating the hell out of other venders pricing, and giving me good delivery service (PEP and Advance, are the only ones that will deliver to me, because of distance) I am not a big volumm buyer. I am a one man, part time shop.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

I'd had great success with the new Autozone that went up near my house. The new manager was a street rod guy, and the night guy was into Chevelles ( he "understood"). after several months they were victims of their success and got promoted. After a several month layoff (I got a lot done) I buzzed in for some seemingly simple parts: wheel studs. As I walked into the store I should have been wary of the mid eighties Mustang with NO2 decals all over it and a multi hued Maxima with those goofy hubcaps that still turn when the car is at rest. One guy looked like a roadie for Ozzy ( an airport metal detector woulda coughed up blood ) and the other guy looked like a refugee from Miami Ink. I held out an example of the exact part I needed, "Ten of these, please" What kind of car? Okay, I'll humor him," A 1964 Plymouth Valiant 8 3/4 rear axle..." He furiously typed into the computer........Then, the piece de resistance: DOES IT HAVE AIR CONDITIONING ??? Unbelievable....... Luckly, I told the story to some friends and one of them put me onto a place called Stroud's Auto Parts. These guys are hardcore, they don't throw anything out, they kept all their old catalogs and parts books, and most of their counter people have been there for years. Anyhow the point to all this dribble is I suspect that every fair size town has a Stroud's, ya just gotta find it. I haven't wanted for a single part since then, if they didn't have it, they knew where to find it. Don't let the crazys drive you crazy. RICK

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If you can't be good, at least be colorful

I have to take up for the kids a little bit. I know it's frustrating but the problem is largely management, not the kid behind the counter. Agreed some of them can be lazy, indifferent, and even surly, but by and large they want to do a good job. The problem is that they are not taught to be technicians, they are taught to be appliance operators. They are largely inexperienced and get little or no training to help them to understand automotive systems. What training they do get is in using the computer to look up parts and most of that is hurriedly done in their first day or so on the job. When they are going through the screens on their parts system terminal they don't know enough to understand that climate control equipment has nothing to do with lug nuts or wiper blades. The more experienced ones know how to bypass a lot of the preliminary information and drill down to the parts or systems that they need to see. In short, it isn't their fault so a little patience can sometimes pay off and will almost invariably make the experience at least more tolerable if not all together enjoyable.

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David Kight
'62 Valiant Signet, White
'98 Dodge Dakota
'06 Jeep Liberty

Growing older is unavoidable but growing up is strictly optional.