Original Porsche parts vs aftermarket parts

[spinnaker]

Hi folks,

Some background first. I am having clutch pedal issues and want to replace the clutch master cylinder (the slave cylinder was replaced with an aftermarket part a year ago by the previous owner) but the original Porsche parts seem to be unavailable/back ordered well with no knowledge of next availability. My heart would tell me to replace with an original part but I can get an aftermarket replacement no problem.

I guess my query is whether there is much difference between original parts and aftermarket versions. Should aftermarket be every bit as good (or even better) than the original? Have these companies tested the parts on actual cars? Will the longevity be as good or better? Who knows!

As an example see the clutch slave cylinder options from Design911 in the photo below. There appears to be extra plastic fittings on the original Porsche part on the right than on the aftermarket one on the left.

Do you tend to go with original parts or trust that aftermarket parts will be good enough/close enough?

 

[MisterCorn]

That plastic part is just a bung on the hydraulic port. Many parts are not made by Porsche.

MC

 

[spinnaker]

Thanks MisterCorn, looking at the close up shot that does seem to be the case. I guess I am intrigued whether underneath they are backward-engineered parts that should be expected to work in the same way or whether there is a lot of scope for difference (less movement of the actuator in the cylinder, narrower cylinder, etc, etc) or if we can be confident that it should be a direct match?

Any personal experiences or gut feelings?

 

[FZP]

With a bit if snooping around, you can get to the bottom of who makes what for Porsche. For instance, the door lock mechanism for 9x7 platform from porsche was approx £200, from vw £15. Identical units, just the cardboard box changed. I want to say they were bosch made, but can't be certain.
Piersbug are the manufacturer for the tandem pumps, identical to Porsche, again, just the box changes. This list is endless.
Autodoc are good at finding the more cost effective, yet in a lot of instances, exactly the same part, from the same factory.

 

[deMort]

I for one would be interested in what parts Porsche ACTUALLY make themselves ...

I would guess at body panels , interior trim , especially with all that leather but other than that ???

Wiring looms were made in Ukraine .. hence the supply issues .. control units are a mix of siemens , bosch , vw , continental ..

Suspension parts .. many manufacturers and so on .

Engines hmm .. the case halves perhaps ?

In essence .. if Porsche don't make a part and you can source it from the same manufacturer then its OEM .

Things like a/c condensers .. cheap is certainly not always the best but it's obvious you are buying third party so it's your choice then .

For a slave cyl .. i would go with the cheapest ... obviously that's me and not where i work , they offer alternatives so that the customer can decide .

 

[Martini Turbo]

I always start looking here: https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/porsche,2006,911,3.8l+h6,1431914

 

[Luddite]

A bit of a ramble....

When much younger, long before the invention of the interweb, and running an old Lotus Elan, I bought a track rod end from the Lotus parts department, I later found out the identical part was used on Triumph cars and if bought from Triumph dealerships would have cost much less, and if bought in the after-market as a Quinton Hazell part, (the likely manufacturers for Triumph and Lotus) I could have saved even more cash. Being young and foolish and thinking this to be sharp practice I wrote to Lotus complaining bitterly... At least they took the time to write back. (-:

If you have ever read of the history of Lotus in the Chapman years, you would come to learn that there were all sorts of "stunts" involved while trying to keep the company afloat..Such is business..?

I think it was perhaps in the late seventies or early 80`s that Porsche ran a series of adverts which depicted an x-ray of a forged copy of a Porsche wheel which showed a hairline crack to highlight that there could be a problem buying non- O.E. parts. Around that time there was a growth in poor quality parts appearing in the marketplace for all marques and causing problems. I suspect buying a fake pair of Ray-Ban Avaitors has less chance of creating unfortunate outcomes, than brake pads that take longer/more pedal pressure to stop the car, wear out in jig time, perhaps unduly damaging discs in the process, and even create wheel damaging dust bighting into the finish... OK, OK so a bit OTT but you get my drift..?

I guess somewhere between the two paragraphs above there lie the specialist dealers who in time know what they are buying in, and while it may be of the same manufacturer and spec as O.E. may not carry the exact same I.D. as O.E. parts.... or alternatively might not match exact O.E. spec as seems to be the case in the hydraulic cylinders depicted being minus the blank which ensures no ingress of dust dirt or possible corrosive atmosphere during storage... There can be a world of difference in parts quality, though hopefully specialist dealers will have gained enough experience to judge the quality and serviceability of that which they buy in..?

It seems in the manufacture of ball bearings there can be a percentage to match design ideals and which end up in engines causing issues, despite whatever checks and balances might exist in the bearings manufacture to try to ensure quality control..?

My first Porsche was an old rot box of a 912 where the cost of an O.E. exhaust system would have been around half the value of the car..! My 912 resembled a patchwork quilt by the time I had cut all the rust out and had welded in patches to get it through an MOT.... For sure it was definitely not up to Porsche standards once up and running, but it provided a lot of pleasure as an introduction to Porsche possibilities at a price I could afford and was the basis of ensuring a lasting appreciation for Porsche`s over many decades.

Today I run a 45k mile 991, and I jumped through hoops to get it on to the Porsche extended warranty, given the hopefully "remote" possibility of engine or gearbox failure, which may not have been as remote as I would have expected in times past for some earlier water cooled 916/917`s...My C4S is OPC maintained as required by the warranty and I am comfortable with that at this time. Apparently a respected dealer on the forum determines that an OPC full service history may only be worth £500 more in the market than that of an indy maintenance history...Though what price piece of mind in terms of insured risk..?

Were my Porsche old enough to be excluded from warranty as a result of age and/or mileage, definitely showing signs of age in a variety of areas and as in times past, I might be working on a tight, even a very tight budget, I suspect non-O.E. parts might be thought worth whatever risk if any might be involved, though it is perhaps best to be well aware of the possible downsides, given it seems even as "simple" a component as a non O.E. drive belt can lead to spending thousands of pounds on parts and skilled mechanics time to try to find whatever might be causing the car`s electronics to disable performance and register fault codes ..!

By the time I was on to my second and third air cooled Porsche I was more inclined to buy O.E. parts even down to O.E. nuts bolts and screws to replace items showing their age, back then even screws came in Porsche branded packaging and were anodised or plated dependant on the task they performed.. Thus in some circumstances there can be reason enough to stick with O.E, especially for the OCD inclined...?

At least today you have the benefit of the interweb, and thus unbelievable access to information on parts quality and alternatives that I could only dream of when I worked on my Porsches way back when..

Good luck in your choices..