O-Reilly Auto Parts and Fuel Pumps

[Bruzilla]

Just a heads up on a problem at O'Reilly Auto Parts. Their inventory system is hosed, and they list the same pump numbers for small and big block. They sell two makes of pumps for small blocks, and one for big blocks, but the big block listing is for the small block pump.

Nothing like waiting a day for a pump to come in only to find out their system is wrong. :angryfire:

 

[moparnation74]

Bru,

You are not having much luck in the parts vendors arena!

 

[Bruzilla]

Well, I look at as I'm doing a stress test on them. Most of the time I'm using them maybe once or twice a year. For the past couple of months I'm hitting them up a couple times a week, so I'm seeing who holds up.

This is strike 2 on O'Reillys as the same store hosed me last week when they said they ordered some header gaskets and it turned out they didn't. I let them hear about that one!

 

[moparnation74]

Well, I look at as I'm doing a stress test on them. Most of the time I'm using them maybe once or twice a year. For the past couple of months I'm hitting them up a couple times a week, so I'm seeing who holds up.

This is strike 2 on O'Reillys as the same store hosed me last week when they said they ordered some header gaskets and it turned out they didn't. I let them hear about that one!

Every year it gets more and more challenging at local parts stores....It is getting phased out.

BTW, I just bought a carter fuel pump through Amazon with free shipping on 2day Prime.

I have found it is better waiting a couple days and ordering from a known Mopar supplier than the local boys. However, that depends on urgency of course.

 

[idrivemopar]

Its hit am miss really, but my local Oreilly store has gone through 3 managers in the past 4 years, the entire crew has turned over at least that much as well, and its a shame, because they had a really great and knowledgeable group there about 2 years ago, now there is only 1 person that really knows anything about old cars. That's why now, if I buy locally, I just check online, then take the part number in for what I need.

 

[Moparsmitty]

Up here we call it "Oh Really". Just about any retail part store is a crap shoot anymore. I may be a little prejudiced because I worked at a friend's NAPA store for a few years, but I'll take my chances with them first. Finding a parts counterman that knows what he's doing is like finding gold. Just about any store will have newbies working there (they have to start somewhere), and that's fine if you already know what you need like oil, anti-freeze, etc. But if I need hard parts and I don't know the part numbers, I'm going to a guy that I know that knows what he's doing. Luckily I know a guy.

 

[Bruzilla]

In their defense, O'Reilly has saved my bacon several times in recent months. They had far more parts in stock than Autozone as well as parts that Autozone no longer carries.

Also, this problem isn't local. The same bogus information is on their website as well.

 

[SlinktRR]

In their defense, O'Reilly has saved my bacon several times in recent months. They had far more parts in stock than Autozone as well as parts that Autozone no longer carries.

Also, this problem isn't local. The same bogus information is on their website as well.

Napa is the best overall for parts availability and service, but since they are franchised it can be REALLY hit or miss. Some are horrible and some are fantastic. I find a good local store and stick with it.

 

[Cranky]

Had to put a water pump on my 2000 Durango not too long ago....O Reallys (lol) had the pump and upper hose but couldn't get a lower. What? Auto Zoned Out got it much faster but it still wasn't in stock but I've been having decent luck with Advance lately.

 

[CoronetDarter]

I had bought a fuel pump for my 440 off of Rock Auto, the model with the threaded outlet. Got it, checked it out, put it away until the engine was done. Ten months later I pulled it out and discovered the threads were the wrong size for my fuel line. It only cost $13 so it wasn't worth it to ship back. I went to O'Reillys website, ordered about a 1/2 dozen fuel pumps to be delivered to the local store. Blew the counter guys mind when I came in and he had to grab 6 pumps. But I found the one I needed.
Now I always research on their website first and give the counter guy the part number.

 

[SublimeSixpack]

Fairly close to me is a "Parts Plus" auto parts store. They only have two employees (both are owners) and they both know vehicles very well. They also have a small machine shop there for doing heads. They're good guys, helpful and people you can trust. Been going there for years. Dread the day they decide to call it quits!

I don't patronize the chain type stores. Unfortunately even the nearby NAPA leaves a lot to be desired.

 

[wahya]

Most of the guys at the parts stores around here are about half as old as my car. There's one guy here who not only knows cars, but knows mopars, the rest; if you can't look it up on the computer, it can't be found.

 

[YY1]

I will give O'Reilly props for still having an Edelbrock/Holley/B&M/Mr. Gasket section in the store that I can actually touch and sift through.

I've also had better luck with them (and NAPA) on Mopar specific sizes of "generic" parts like freeze plugs and things like that.

 

[patrick66]

My local O'Reillys (two stores very close by!) have been pretty good. I did get TWO bad fuel pumps for my son's '84 Ranger V6 truck, and one bad distributor right out of the box - I find that the A1-Cardone brand is truly ****! The distributor has the gear at the base of the shaft with a drift pin to hold it on the shaft...guess what was missing? A wasted day on that little problem.

Other than that brand, I've had great luck with O'Reillys. Had great luck with Rock Auto, too. The only NAPA store that's worth a **** locally is 33 miles away! A good friend owns that store. If I need parts and am in that part of the Metro, I'll stop by.

 

[Bruzilla]

As a follow-up, I took the pump back to O'Reillys for a refund, and a young lady who just started there helped me out. I gave her the pump and receipt and told her it was the wrong pump. The old guy who ordered it for me saw me, and came over to see what the problem was. I told him the pump was wrong, and he brought it up on his computer and said it was the right one. I told him to change the engine selection to a 340 or 360 and he would see the part number listed was the same.

The girl who had been helping me asked what the difference was, and I told her the small block pumps have a long lever that engages the cam shaft and the big blocks have a short lever that is pushed by a push rod. She then says "like this?" and turns the screen and there's a pic of a big block pump. I said that's the one. The old guy asks how she found it and she said she just started going through all the engine selections and found it for the 400 engine.

So if you want a big block pump at O'Reillys, you need to have them get the part number for a 400 and not a 440.

 

[YY1]

There's reasonably hot cowgirl type that works at one of our o'reilly stores.

You can tell she works on stuff.

Still hot, though.