Remote Transmission Dip Stick Aftermarket Support?

[Msfitoy]

Ah you s#!t head, you beat me to it, I come on to give a update and I find you spilling your popcorn while stirring the pot.

I am up to the 8th and final drawing revision, finally.

Ha, I seem to remember.......


Brother, I wish, whew, I went down this rabbit hole with a jet pack strapped to my ass, but I think in the end it's a decent result, hopefully some people here are about to find out in a few weeks.

I got local quotes and international, no wonder people have China make stuff, there is a $29 difference each for the brackets between USA and China, and that's without chamfers, isn't that great, I was hoping to source mostly U.S. stuff, I have one last guy to try here (CNC in his garage) after that it's overseas.
I have to add, one part, not 60, just one test part, made here over $250, ouch, not sure on that one, gamble the aluminum ones will fit just like the plastic printed ones? and order 60 of them? they are from the same file, this is where it gets bonkers, I will have to sell a lot of dipsticks to ever come clear of the cost to get here.


Anyways, Ive been running one on the truck for quite a few miles, still haven't seen any heat show up on the temp test strip, but it's been cool here, I need a 106 degree day.

I should add.... no disrespect intended to the popcorn spilling individual, just sarcasm

Totally get where you're coming from, Mike...jokes aside, we all appreciate you taking on this project with such diligence and professionalism...we support your effort and keep up the great work! Take your time...

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[Fitzmotor]

Thanks, it started as a stick for my truck, then it took off.

I wont have many in the first batch and I haven't sorted out any price yet, but I'm past the hard part, now it's the second half of the process, the Mfg of a quantity.

As I've said before, thanks for the support and interest.

 

[Racket]

Is the problem of getting a component made in China a loss of control over quality?

I get from a manufacturing perspective cost control, but if the issue is minimum orders vs. projected sales and being stuck with unsold inventory I'd be thinking you'd move more than 60.

 

[TJC]

It is never as easy as it seems.... "it's just a dipstick, how hard can it be? I'll never pay $200 for a dipstick... that's crazy!"

Famous last words....

Ford should never have let this truck (or ANY truck!) out of the plant without an easily accessible transmission dipstick.

Ford proclaiming to me it is not needed, as "the fluid will last the life of the transmission", is simply subterfuge.

Ford is playing very loose with the truth."

I can drain 5 quarts out of the transmission and make EXACTLY the same claim... and be technically correct... just like Ford did! The fluid will last the life of the transmission, but the transmission life will be considerably shorter.

And yes I know Phil stated that the Ford test goal objective is for a 95% survival life at 150K miles. But what the engineers test for, and what Ford states are two different things. The Ford warranty tells the story - 5yrs / 60K miles for powertrain is the reality. Right about the time most mechanics advise you to change the transmission fluid.

Show me a Ford document that guarantees anything more.

FWIW, I applaud "Fitzmotor Mike" (it's got a nice ring to it! ) for taking this project on. It is a real need, and he knows it. I like that he is all about quality. And I am rooting for him to be successful. Not simply for delivering a needed part, but for having the "verve and nerve" to try to make a successful business from it.

- T

 

[Fitzmotor]

China quality is actually on par for the most part on this kind of simple bracket, it's just that I would prefer to spend my money here if possible.

The initial batch will be only about 25 pieces, if feedback is positive, the next batch will be a higher quantity.

Thanks for all the positive input, great motivation.

 

[TJC]

China quality is actually on par for the most part on this kind of simple bracket, it's just that I would prefer to spend my money here if possible.

The initial batch will be only about 25 pieces, if feedback is positive, the next batch will be a higher quantity.

Thanks for all the positive input, great motivation.

I've seen pretty good quality on intercoolers and turbos from China. A friend in the business had samples sent over.

I actually held in my hands an exact replica of a Garrett Turbo from China, the only discernible difference other than a remarkable difference in price -- the G was removed from the casting.

It was an "arrett" brand turbo!

 

[Fitzmotor]

That's the thing, they have the same machinery, they can turn out the same part, and if you ever get something made in China, it becomes the intellectual property of China, nothing you can do, they own your design rights.

I'm hoping to keep it here, I'll know soon.

You know what else cracked me up, in both quotes, U.S. and China, they were both the same 10 day lead time.

 

[TJC]

Yep Fellows Paper Shredders learned that lesson the hard way. They built a plant in China and the Chinese partners then built an identical plant and began competing with them. identical machine at less than half the price. Fellows pulled out but left behind their intellectual property!

 

[2020FX4]

Paying more to buy as "American" as possible... is not fun, BUT I will suck it up and do it to support businesses here every chance I get.

Thanks for doing your best to keep this project on American soil.

 

[Fitzmotor]

Well the guy with the CNC in his garage bombed out on me, (you know, if it sounds to good to be true, it's not) so unfortunately it's off to China, it's sad, to do business here is double the cost.

I still am considering trying one more shop here, but it's not looking very promising, I lost over a week waiting on this guy just to say "sorry", this is where the project gets really frustrating.

 

[Racket]

That's the thing, they have the same machinery, they can turn out the same part...

You know what else cracked me up, in both quotes, U.S. and China, they were both the same 10 day lead time.

It makes me suspect companies posing as domestic are subcontracting to 'chinese' mfrs.

Can't prove it of course but gee it seems oddly coincidental.

 

[Fitzmotor]

I can almost prove it, I have already encountered quotes that were the same source, same timeline, same everything, except price and country of origin

I should add, I did not figure it out, the guy who is doing all of the modeling mentioned it, he's like "don't necessarily have faith in it actually being a U.S. made part"

 

[Trigganometry]

Well the guy with the CNC in his garage bombed out on me, (you know, if it sounds to good to be true, it's not) so unfortunately it's off to China, it's sad, to do business here is double the cost.

I still am considering trying one more shop here, but it's not looking very promising, I lost over a week waiting on this guy just to say "sorry", this is where the project gets really frustrating.

Send me over a drawing and let me check a few shops around here. Might get lucky

 

[Fitzmotor]

PM sent!

 

[Dr3wDrop]

Well the guy with the CNC in his garage bombed out on me, (you know, if it sounds to good to be true, it's not) so unfortunately it's off to China, it's sad, to do business here is double the cost.

I still am considering trying one more shop here, but it's not looking very promising, I lost over a week waiting on this guy just to say "sorry", this is where the project gets really frustrating.

Let me send you a DM with three machine shops I know of in Ohio

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