TedH

I bought a fresh set of R45TS plugs to install with my recent repairs (I normally install a fresh set each spring). After dropping one of them and cracking the insulator, I decided to use one of my old plugs as a replacement. I was surprised to find that the same part number, R45TS, now differs in appearance from the old one. What gives?


(Short, Old Plug on top, new Long plug on bottom...)




[Modified by TedH, 8:47 AM 1/21/2003]


[Modified by TedH, 8:47 AM 1/21/2003]


[Modified by TedH, 8:48 AM 1/21/2003]

mrvette

ONE of the two set is most likely BOGUS, china knock off and will not run well....common practice especially from mass volume discount chains...
fair copy, but the print is crooked, not clear, metal has no stampings, grooves, clean proper markings....
same thing with AC Delco oil filters....gotta watch this crap anymore...
there is a site...do a google search....

GENE

TedH

The long plugs say 'MADE IN U.S.A. -14' on them while the short plugs don't have anything printed on them.

The picture doesn't show it well but the long plug also has better print on the insulator (clearer and not as sketchy).

I woulda never believed it...

Smokehouse69

I agree that it is probably a knock off plug. There are so many bogus parts out there, that you have to be careful even buying directly from an AC/Delco distributor. The Chinese 2 Billion + rip-off artists lookinig to take the rest of the worlds money.

Shawn's 78

I noticed the same thing about a month ago on my 78. I called the local autoparts store and they stocked the shorter of the two, but had no answer. So I drove down to Chevy to see what they had to say.
Chevy stocks the larger of the two. The parts guy says the longer plugs are the "new generation". No performance differance, just a new design. He said it will take a while for the old style work themselves out of the system.
When I get home, i'll check to see if they have markings in the metal. As for the imprinted numbers - I know they were straight.
Great question!

verskel

One is a R45TS
...and the other a R45S

The "T" is for extended tip :yesnod:

PRNDL

The problem in identifying counterfeits is that AC Delco now subcontracts their parts and a lot of it is made overseas (Mexico, India, you name it... ) so the genuine parts are often so shoddy you might think they are counterfeit. I have an AC Delco fuel filter with "inlet" engraved on the outlet side. I contacted AC Delco thinking I had a counterfeit and after several weeks they replied with a "gee whiz, we thought we had caught all of those.... guess one slipped by" :( MJ

mrvette

MNJ, Delco or ford or anyone else don't want to admit to thep problem as they don't want to give you correct merchandise...even as a PR thingy....

but the problem is HUGE, and getting worse....

frankly, I think we need to stop all the freighters from off loading .....period....

we need something, we make it HERE.....

GENE

TedH

So, perhaps the short plug is stamped incorrectly as it is stamped 'R45TS' (as if it has the extended tip).

Larry B.

I had a similar thing happen a couple of years ago. I needed one plug so I went to DAP and got one. I had 5 from a GM dealer (for our van). The one from DAP was crappy looking and I contacted A/C Delco. The rep said send it to him which I did. A couple of weeks later he called and told me that the crappy plug came from an "offshore facility" He said It should perform ok but he wasn't impressed with the looks. Those usually go to dicount cheapie places. Beware..... they're out to get us. :rant:

killain

Last spring I put a set of the new AC rapidfires in my 79 and I noticed that they too, are longer and look different from the old R45TS?

rainman69

You know, this kind of crap is what made me have that nice warm feeling inside when I looked at a bunch of parts I bought and they all said "Made in the USA." The water pump heater inlet I bought is stamped "CHINA" so when I installed it, I made sure that the printing was facing the pump and couldn't be read.

My K&N oil filter says "Made in the USA." When that changes, it's time to find a new filter.