Better understanding OE parts runs

[BullStandsAlone]

Recently I've run up against another set of parts only available from Porsche, but "out of stock" from the OE supplier (in this case Bosch). In this case it's Fuel pressure dampers and regulators. The Bosch OE part is 1/5 the cost of the Genuine Porsche part.

What I'm wondering is: What constitutes a new production run from Bosch? Retailer/consumer demand? Does Porsche request they no longer make them? Spending $400+ on a fuel damper seems insane... Just trying to understand this better - and hoping parts mfg's keep making items to keep the cost of ownership somewhat sensible.

[2jmotorsports]

Im willing to bet the OE part sits on the shelf due to the price and the Bosch one simply runs out due to demand. The tricky part is not knowing when there is enough demand (from all retailers of this part, not just Pelican) for Bosch to turn on the production line for another run of the cheaper part.

[Matt Monson]

A lot of the Bosch stuff is tricky because Bosch no longer has the old tooling. Porsche Classic has struggled with this on some things that they want made. It’s why you see remanufactured alternators, startersand fuels pumps, etc. Bosch doesn’t want to tool up for what will be limited production runs of things. Many of these OE replacement parts will not be made by Bosch again when stock runs out.

[sugarwood]

What are some parts that Bosch will not be making anymore ?

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by sugarwood

What are some parts that Bosch will not be making anymore ?

They don't make the Lucas EGR valves for the 1978 Jaguar XJ12L anymore. However they do make the fuel pressure regulators.

I am sure there are thousands of examples like this.

Is there something specific you are interested in?

[ian c2]

Remember companies like Bosch make parts that are used by many different auto makers .

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/bosch/677427

[2jmotorsports]

Anyone know of an online resource to cross reference part numbers and see if parts are common between vehicles of several models and/or makes?

Like this Porsche fuel pressure regulator also fits this Mercedes and this BMW, etc.

[gtc]

Bosch does that on their website.
Product Search - bosch.com

You can often see this on a vendors website by clicking the vehicle fitment section of a specific part listing.

You can then go search for the part on ebay - for instance some Volvos use the same ICV that the 3.2 Carrera uses, but people only ask $20 for the ones that come off a Volvo, whereas they ask $75 for one off a Porsche.

[JasonAndreas]

HERE is the Bosch FPR catalog with specs.

[BullStandsAlone]

Thanks for the link, GTC. Even that site results in limited options (the damper/regulator doesn't show up). Looks like I'm going to have to use my old one and cross my fingers.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by sugarwood

What are some parts that Bosch will not be making anymore ?

For the last few years if you went to the Porsche dealer or Pelican and ordered a genuine Porsche coli for a Carrera, you receive a total POS silver coil made in Brazil, and 50-50 odds that it will even work out of the box. There are no good aftermarket alternatives. I had to find a good OEM black coil from a dismantler.

The Bowden cable for the cruise control is no longer available anywhere, any any cost, except in the used market place. The steel cable can be replaced with a guitar string, but the plastic clip that goes in the square linkage holder is always broken. You have to use two or three zip ties to hold it securely in place. If it comes loose, it can cause a wide open throttle.

[ian c2]

Originally Posted by BullStandsAlone

Thanks for the link, GTC. Even that site results in limited options (the damper/regulator doesn't show up). Looks like I'm going to have to use my old one and cross my fingers.

It doesn’t show up on a search as it’s discontinued .
But it’s still there ...

[lvporschepilot]

I have a few parts made due to Bosch or whoever deciding not to ever make them again. It is incredibly difficult getting a larger company such as Bosch or ZF to do anything when the number when the number is under 5000 units with a guarantee that size run every 12 months for the next 5-6 years. Some 10 years ago I actually did convince ZF to do a run of synchros even after they told me the min order was $100k. ZF ended up not contacting me, ignoring calls, emails, and this was many months after they took my investment. I ended up getting the state department involved who marched over to ZF. The run eventually happened but it was pulling teeth for what was a PIA small order for them. They have since advised they're never doing that again anyway.

This is the nature of the market for classic Ferrari/Porsche components. Lots of good alternatives out there now that Asian quality control has been much better.

[spuggy]

Originally Posted by 2jmotorsports

Anyone know of an online resource to cross reference part numbers and see if parts are common between vehicles of several models and/or makes?

Like this Porsche fuel pressure regulator also fits this Mercedes and this BMW, etc.

I posted links in 2007 to the Motorsport section of the Australian Bosch website; I found much technical & cross-reference info there that didn't seem to be anywhere else. But all those links are long-dead now. Even the Wayback Machine doesn't seem to have snagged it.

Luckily, I backed up a little corner of the internet - try this: You're welcome

[UROParts]

Our minimum production run quantity is smaller than the industry giants, so we're regularly approached to make OEM runs for NLA items that the original OEM doesn't want to bother with. The automaker provides us with the original engineering drawings and material specifications, then it's several years of making and refining samples until final approval is granted and production begins. Some items are exclusively for the automaker, others we're allowed to also sell under our brand name. If a URO-branded item appears to be exactly the same as OEM, it probably is.

[JasonAndreas]

Have you supplied any parts to Porsche?

[175K911]

Having run a large automotive aftermarket manufacturer and distributor, I can share from the other side of the supply chain. Several points to consider:
With the proliferation of more and more vehicles, and the complexity of newer vehicles, manufacturers get spread very thin trying to keep up with the ever increasing volume of part numbers.
As URO has said, small production runs are not in the bandwidth of most large manufacturing organizations.
Production runs are based on forecasted demand. If 5,000 pieces is forecast as a 2 year supply, a manufacturer might produce 2500 now and 2500 in a year. If the demand exceeds forecast, it's costly and time consuming to reset tooling to ramp up out of planned sequence.
When production is overseas, there are significant lead times to procure materials, schedule out of sequence production, package, load in containers and ship into the US. My leadtime for most products was 3-4 months from releasing a purchase order to receipt of product.

On the distribution side:
Lean inventory is the key. The cost of goods with the constantly increasing number of SKU's grows every year. It's hard to be profitable if you've got too much inventory.
As a manufacturer we did not sell direct to parts stores, we sold to large warehouse distributors who then sold to parts stores. It's then up to the WD's to forecast their customers' demands and order from us knowing that larger than usual orders could be subject to the 3-4 month lead times.
The trend these days from the large retail companies- think Amazon, Advance Auto Parts, AutoZone- is to inventory less on their end and rely on the manufacturer to stock more and more. Obviously that's extremely expensive so a company like mine could not maintain the breadth of SKU's at any given time. Compound that with each of those just mentioned dictating payment terms of 365 days! So we have to manufacture something that we won't get paid for until a full year later. Factoring, the act of borrowing against accounts receivables, is an added cost of production even with interest rates as low as they have been.

So the fact that a Bosch part for a 35+ year old limited production car isn't on the shelf is hardly surprising.

[UROParts]

Originally Posted by JasonAndreas

Have you supplied any parts to Porsche?

We're an OEM supplier for several automakers, but unfortunately non-disclosure agreements usually don't allow us to reveal those relationships, and definitely not part numbers. If potential buyers knew which OEM items they could buy at a lower price in the URO box (from Pelican, for example), it would negatively affect sales of dealer parts.

No doubt some savvy techs and DIY guys have identified several of these items though, lol.

[BullStandsAlone]

Originally Posted by 175K911

So the fact that a Bosch part for a 35+ year old limited production car isn't on the shelf is hardly surprising.

I've started and run a healthy sized consumer goods brand, and definitely relate to the inventory/distributor/direct dilemma. Lots of parts sitting in inventory is not good for anyone's cash flow.

It's also how smaller specialty suppliers get a foothold. If I could buy that $100 part for $200 (instead of OEM $400), there's a good chance I'd bite.

I'm already making key blanks though... I'm not quite ready to jump into parts mfg.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by UROParts

We're an OEM supplier for several automakers

Do larger OEM suppliers approach you to make parts for them?

I can't see this as out of the question.