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Old 10-18-2018, 07:42 PM
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I guess it works out if you were already planning to get an external trans cooler. I wonder if their argument is that the thread types *might* not be compatible (which I doubt) and that's why it's leaking. I remember my new radiator this week came with a big sticker over the A/T connection that said it was flared and to only finger tighten and then tighten with a wrench 1/4 turn or it could damage the threads and cause leaks. I have to say, these OEM radiators are nice. I was in a pinch years ago and had to get to get an autoparts radiator that was in stock instead of ordering a good one. That might be why it failed after only 5 years. Hopefully the new OEM one lasts 17 years like the factory one.
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Old 10-19-2018, 07:28 PM
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I ordered the cooler from Summit today. Now I want to make some hard lines to plumb it in. Going to look for a good spot tomorrow. Need to find my old tubing bender.
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Old 10-20-2018, 12:00 AM
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Originally Posted by WhiteBird00
Except that this isn't a fitment issue... it leaks. He could have been buying it for a Saturn 5 rocket and it shouldn't matter for return purposes when the part is defective (and unmodified).
Yeah, but think about it from the supplier's perspective. A guy buys a part not designed for his car, tries to make it fit, it doesn't work out, and then wants to return it. How is the supplier to know how much a guy might have buggered up a part trying to make it work? So the part is returned and it's useless.

In this particular case, the core is thicker. Are the tanks the same or are they also different? If the latter, then the geometry would be off, making it possible that the connector might be crossthreaded, leading to a leak. Not saying that this is the case, but looking at it from the supplier's point of view.
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Old 10-20-2018, 07:02 AM
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Originally Posted by RevGTO
Yeah, but think about it from the supplier's perspective. A guy buys a part not designed for his car, tries to make it fit, it doesn't work out, and then wants to return it. How is the supplier to know how much a guy might have buggered up a part trying to make it work? So the part is returned and it's useless.

In this particular case, the core is thicker. Are the tanks the same or are they also different? If the latter, then the geometry would be off, making it possible that the connector might be crossthreaded, leading to a leak. Not saying that this is the case, but looking at it from the supplier's point of view.
Sooooooooooooooo.................................. .................................. I ordered a radiator fro a 1997 Camaro Z28 LT1 w/ auto trans. Mine is a 1998 Z28 w/auto trans. These two radiators are almost Identical. 97 has a thicker core. The look and fitment are exactly the same except for the core thickness, and the 97 has an extra opening on the driver side lower part of the tank that I just put a cap over. I am a very Fair minded person and if I thought that I had played any part in this I would not have posted this thread. I am not a crybaby in life, I take what life gives me and I deal with it. I am just letting everyone here on this Forum know what to expect when dealing with Crockauto. I have received a Ton of Help from you guys and just want to pass it on.
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Old 10-20-2018, 09:17 AM
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I don't dispute anything you say, but the guy on the other end of the phone line can't bank on your expertise and integrity. How does he know that you're not some kind of a goof feeding him a lot of BS about a bungled modification? Just trying to point out the other side of the story. They are of course going to protect themselves from being liable for the mistakes of installers, and they have no way of knowing that your install was in fact perfect.
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Old 10-20-2018, 02:13 PM
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Originally Posted by RevGTO
I don't dispute anything you say, but the guy on the other end of the phone line can't bank on your expertise and integrity. How does he know that you're not some kind of a goof feeding him a lot of BS about a bungled modification? Just trying to point out the other side of the story. They are of course going to protect themselves from being liable for the mistakes of installers, and they have no way of knowing that your install was in fact perfect.
I guess they could look at the list of things that I have bought from them in the last year without complaint and they would see my expertise. I am no amateur.
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Old 10-20-2018, 06:06 PM
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Originally Posted by LS1121
I purchased a new radiator for my 98 z28. everyone said get the radiator for the LT1 because the core is thicker so I did. After all the work to install it and I also bought a new heater core and all the hoses to go with it. The top line for the auto trans has a slow leak. They say they will not Warranty the radiator because it is not for my car an LS1. Buyer Beware, I'm done with them going back to summit Racing, never had a problem with them. This is bullshit!.

I put Teflon tape on the fitting to stop the drip but who knows how long that will last. The work took forever to do, and they won't Warranty this New Radiator. Terrible policies.

Any Ideas on how to fix this would be great.
Rock Auto Warranty
  • Like other retailers of branded products, RockAuto does not offer any product warranty of our own--we honor the warranty provided by the manufacturer of the product. If you have a problem with a part during the warranty period, please submit a warranty claim through our Order Status & Returns page.
Looks to me like the actual issue is the manufacturer of the radiator, not Rock Auto. It's unfortunate that Rock Auto didn't go the extra mile to try to find a solution. I can see where that would be very frustrating for you.

To fix the issue maybe you should try contacting the manufacturer of the radiator and explain the details.

Unfortunately, a lot of time in the US companies will tell a customer "NO" When the company knows it's in error. Often this gets rid of a lot of legitimate claims because the customer gets flustered and gives up. Being calm, cool, polite, consistent and persistent often pays off. Getting upset or belligerent never pays off.

Get all of your facts, order numbers, pictures of the issue, story organized and be ready to provide objective evidence of why your claim should be covered.

This normally gets me an acceptable result.
It doesn't necessarily get exactly what one wants because compromise can be needed on both sides.
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Old 10-20-2018, 07:49 PM
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Businesses have to have policy's like this to cover stupid customers trying to put parts in the wrong car. I know that in this case it's a direct swap but the only people that would know that are fbody enthusiast. I will stand with rock auto on this one and FYI they've never burned me and I buy a lot from there.
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Old 10-21-2018, 09:21 AM
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That sucks, I have always done great with rockauto.
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Old 10-21-2018, 09:54 AM
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Originally Posted by talon2006
That sucks, I have always done great with rockauto.
They lack moral fortitude.
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Old 10-21-2018, 11:20 AM
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Originally Posted by LS1121
It seems that once you start this online and they reject you , you can no longer access their site returns action. Like I said I think they suck, back to Summit for me.
They are good if you know what you are getting will absolutely fit. Like a pair of O2 sensors for example. Trying to return something that didn't fit, they will fight you all the way on it.
When I bought my Bosch starter, they argued up and down that they wouldn't return it because I had tried to install it. It didn't work because the gear was making too little contact with the flywheel teeth, causing a screeching sound. I then purchased similar starter from Summit, and that did the same thing. Both part numbers were confirmed by many others to work on the ls1 in 98-02 F-body cars. I then bought a powermaster starter and that worked just fine without shims. I eventually got rockauto to process the return but they made the entire process very lengthy, much more so than Summit. If they had any sense of customer service, they would have behaved like Summit did.
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Old 10-22-2018, 07:47 AM
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Originally Posted by RevGTO
Yeah, but think about it from the supplier's perspective. A guy buys a part not designed for his car, tries to make it fit, it doesn't work out, and then wants to return it. How is the supplier to know how much a guy might have buggered up a part trying to make it work? So the part is returned and it's useless.

In this particular case, the core is thicker. Are the tanks the same or are they also different? If the latter, then the geometry would be off, making it possible that the connector might be crossthreaded, leading to a leak. Not saying that this is the case, but looking at it from the supplier's point of view.
Having worked in dealership parts departments for much of my youth, I can completely understand that perspective. But a big telling factor when I was faced with that situation was if the customer wanted a replacement of the same part. If so, it seems reasonable that the problem is a defective part rather than a fitment or "wrong part ordered" issue (which is what they are trying to say here). The suspicion starts when a customer wants to return a part as defective but then wants a different part shipped as a replacement instead of just wanting a working replacement of the same part.

Yes, it's still possible that the customer damaged it and wants a free replacement but there are better ways to handle that situation as well... tell the customer that the replacement will be shipped when the returned part is inspected for damage or, if the delay would be a big problem, have the customer agree to pay for the replacement and get a refund on the returned part after inspection.

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Old 10-22-2018, 09:38 AM
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I started this Thread as an Informational not a debate. Mod's can close this if you Please.
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Old 10-22-2018, 11:38 PM
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Originally Posted by LS1121
I started this Thread as an Informational not a debate. Mod's can close this if you Please.
Yes, but the information was "Rock Auto sucks." That's an evaluation - not information - based on your personal experience. Nothing wrong with that. What some of us have tried to do is introduce other perspectives that might balance out your evaluation. White Bird's comments in his most recent post show the discussion to be healthy, I think. We could close it, but I don't see the discussion as contentious or unhelpful.
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Old 10-24-2018, 09:22 PM
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I ordered some hub covered from Rock Auto this week and they shipped by FedEx. They are going to be delivered to my house and I can't stop it and have it held like every other package sent to me. Rock Auto forces the ship-to-address and locks it so I can't change the shipment. (It will probably be stolen off my porch while I'm at work...) Then, when I go to Rock Auto customer service, I see that they are 100% virtual and the check boxes they provide me for my order don't even remotely allow for the possibility of conversing about this issue and releasing the lock on my package.

I agree - Rock Auto sucks. I will be using them MUCH less in the future. :Z
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