Originally Posted By: Tdbo
There have been several times that I have had to basically mandate use of Motorcraft parts to my mechanic (3.0 Cam Synchros for an example.)
X2. Sometimes, ONLY Motorcraft will do. In the case of Vulcan cam synchros, you really should only use either Motorcraft, or A1 Cardone which rebuilds Motorcraft synchros. The Motorcraft synchros will at least get 60K miles. Dormans are usually done by 15K miles.
I like Motorcraft parts. Quality seems to be consistently good, and many parts really are OEM quality and not just a cheap substitute with the right name stamped on it. You get a real silicone ADBV on filters with an "S" in the part number, most direct replacement parts are full OEM quality (for example, something like an idle air control valve), and fit/finish tends to be real good. I have a new Motorcraft water neck for my truck sitting on my desk for whenever I feel like dealing with the slightly leaky and porous OEM one. It looks like a showpiece...very nicely finished. From the markings and stuff it looks like it could have been intended for assembly line use. It has "FoMoCo" stamped in it and some sort of quality control marking on it. It looks like a true OEM part.
On the other hand, I feel like a lot of AC Delco stuff is just rebranded run of the mill aftermarket parts. The IAC they had for my truck looked like a BWD IAC, and why is AC Delco even offering an IAC for my truck? I feel like AC Delco is much more likely to slap their name on a random China part and call it good
With Mopar, I really don't know. I imagine ordering something like a Mopar gasket or Mopar hose would be a good bet, but an oil filter might just be a rebranded something else. Mopar doesn't seem to crank out a lot of parts for vehicles they didn't make though. For example, there is no Mopar IAC for my truck. Only AC Delco seems to be into supplying aftermarket parts for brands outside their parent company.