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Rubbish gearlever gaiter.


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Just received a new gearlever gaiter from Moss.

Packaged differently with both the invoice address and the delivery address showing, guess which one it went to, yes the invoice address. Different invoicing and no return label, which is a shame because it is going straight back to them.  Shoddily made with one side paper thin and the small hole for the lever badly finished and looking like it has already had a repair with some black silicone. It seems there is no quality control anymore.

My last one came from Chic Doig and was a perfect fit and well made, so I have ordered another from them. Interestingly they state that they are made in the US., I wonder why Moss don`t buy from the same place.

Ralph

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17 minutes ago, Lebro said:

Hi Ralph.

I could do with a new one also, looking at the web site (Chic Doig) I can't see where you would order spare parts from ?

Bob

Hi Bob,

i don’t believe you order via the website - I have used his eBay shop (seller I’d is 948s) or phoned (01592 722999). The sales email address is sales@chicdoig.com if you prefer that route.

.......Andy 

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The Chic Doig one probably comes from TRF.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/352978821643

 

Raise a PQI for the gaiter.   Something might get done, like Moss discontinuing the supply.

 

Edited by BlueTR3A-5EKT
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I bought a TR3 gear lever gaiter from Moss in July 2019 and fitted it when reinstating the gearbox in May this year.  Unlike that received by Ralph, it seems well made - perhaps Moss had received a new batch after I had purchased?

Why do I fit a TR3 gaiter?  Because the Works' TR4 Rally cars don't use the TR4 gear lever, which leans backward.  They have a gear lever with an S-bend in the middle, which brings the knob closer to the driver's left hand and keeps it clear of the handbrake lever, which is mounted on the prop. shaft tunnel (because the sheet of protective steel on the underside of the chassis would prevent access to the bottom end of the standard handbrake lever).

Ian Cornish

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Bad Moss, name and shame them, no excuse for shoddy repro's, passing them onto the buying public not having checked the quality themselves, again **** Chinese goods, that is my guess, about time we in the western world boycotted buying from these dictatorship country's. Harrumph. 

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still nothing beats actually going and buying at the store at least you can at least unwrap and check yourself, i did go to MOSS to buy an Austin Healey rear shroud panel (needless to say a very expensive panel) it rather looked like some fat bloke must have sat on it at lunch break, they still tried to sell it to me like nothing was wrong with it, Cheek.

Edited by R.M.
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My car got a gear lever boot from TRF ten years or so ago, and it split where the rubber gaiter meets the chrome shift lever about six years ago.  The grass may be a little greener over here, but not a lot.  I'd be shocked if this were made in the US.  TRF has had a longstanding relationship with a Mister Geppetto workshop in Taiwan to make rubber bits.

i-4Tm3dnf-X5.jpg

 

I've had another bought from TRF on the shelf for three years or so, waiting for a chance to put it on.  

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11 minutes ago, james christie said:

I think they all split there, Don. Like all of us they become less supple with age. The heat rising from the gearbox can’t help things either.

james

Yeah, hoop stress is sometimes a tricky one to engineer for in polymers.  

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In defence of repro….

I bought a genuine gear stick boot many years ago and it failed within 6 months of use.  The gaiter around the stick split like Don’s.  
As I have stated before. I fitted a MGB dip stick seal to my gear lever and pushed it over the spilt part of the original Gear stick boot.

Been there a while now perhaps 20 years and still okay 

 

image.jpeg.3d171eebfe810c54ae98529d09d9cd5e.jpeg

Edited by BlueTR3A-5EKT
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I have the original gear lever boot from my TR3B, and after some good cleaning it really isn't too bad.  My options when I replace the split one will be (1) putting the original back (always my preference) or (2) cutting back the very top part of the new boot by just a little bit to open the diameter and reduce the hoop stress on the rubber.

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I wonder whether it is realistic to expect the supplier to inspect every single item in a batch of components, such as this gaiter?

The gaiter is priced at about £19 (currently less in Moss's sale) - how much extra would be required on the sale price if each were checked and then bagged?

Usually, one would expect some sample checking when a batch is delivered to a supplier such as Moss, but that cannot catch the occasional defective item.  It's fortunate that a gaiter is not a safety-critical part.

Having been alerted to a problem (I take it that Ralph has done this), one would expect Moss to undertake a more rigorous check and to reject the whole consignment if a significant number are duff.

Ian Cornish

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6 hours ago, ianc said:

I wonder whether it is realistic to expect the supplier to inspect every single item in a batch of components, such as this gaiter?...

It's *perfectly* reasonable to expect a supplier to check quality on an item like this.  The profit margins on a £19 selling price on something with probably less than £2 production costs are enormous.

Over here one could buy a road tire for about twice the price of that little gaiter.  It has probably twenty times as much rubber in it, plus the steel and synthetic reinforcement.  It will last (over here) for about 50,000 miles of driving with *seriously* high quality.

No need to make excuses for poor work.

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22 hours ago, Lebro said:

Hi Ralph.

I could do with a new one also, looking at the web site (Chic Doig) I can't see where you would order spare parts from ?

Bob

Tends to sell bits on ebay, where I found the gaiter (only had 2 left so be quick), but I have heard good reports from him for years, started with small chassis Triumphs years ago.

Ralph 

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My replacement was responsible for poor or no reverse gear selection due to being too stiff and too thick in the wrong places. Refitted original, split at the lever like those above, and I used heatshrink to bring the split together. Solved my gear selection problems and I can live with the slightly more difficult process of removing but as the gear lever is tapered not an issue. You need to look carefully to see the fix and know what to look for, so works for me.

No idea what I'll do when this one finally dies.

I suppose that we should be grateful that we have any supply at all for spare parts after this length of time. How will you run a eurobox 20 years from now let alone 50 years on.

Rod

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1 hour ago, Lebro said:

Ordered one from Chic Doig Ebay page (thanks Peter)  will see how long it lasts.

Bob.

The item illustrated in 948s's eBay listing is exactly the TRF part, down to the item number sticker.  Only about a 1£ premium to TRF's price, so as good a value as we'd get over here.

https://trf.zeni.net/TR2-TR3GB/index.php?page=249

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10 hours ago, Don H. said:

It's *perfectly* reasonable to expect a supplier to check quality on an item like this.  The profit margins on a £19 selling price on something with probably less than £2 production costs are enormous.

Over here one could buy a road tire for about twice the price of that little gaiter.  It has probably twenty times as much rubber in it, plus the steel and synthetic reinforcement.  It will last (over here) for about 50,000 miles of driving with *seriously* high quality.

No need to make excuses for poor work.

Thanks, well said, too many excuses made for the likes of Moss for poor workmanship they are there to serve the classic car community no the other way round.

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