New firewall heater hose grommets 2 years old and cracking

[Cardinal Grammeter]

Datsun OEM rubber is amazing - it is still in good condition on my 1974 620.

 

I bought 2 new firewall grommets from an online Nissan parts house, which became NLA not long afterwards.

 

Well...

 

It's maybe 2 years and they are cracking all around the edges.

 

The rubber they are made from is truly inferior.  I don't know if they would last much longer if kept wet with ArmorAll.

 

They were expensive then and even more so now.  And since now coming from the aftermarket, could they be even worse?  Probably not possible.  Who knows, maybe the aftermarket is better than the ones I got from the dealer.

 

 

 

[G-Duax]

Unfortunately, NOS OEM parts are most likely as old as your truck. So rubber items are pre-aged.

And the taiwan stuff is poor quality/poor fitment (I've stopped buying the crap).

 

On rubber items, I think I will try doing a pre-soak in Track Claw tire treatment (Summit racing).

 

I have one pair of OEM peddle pads, and want them to last a little longer that 2 months that the taiwan ones did.

[Cardinal Grammeter]

All my OEM rubber is OK on my truck - especially the parking light boots.  If only, those grommets were 40 year old OEM.... haha   (Those "OEM" appeared to be fresh and not some 40 year old NOS.)

[distributorguy]

We figured this out with British cars many years ago.  Buy cheap, or spend a lot and buy parts made with more of a urethane material.  New rubber products, unless made in the US , are pathetic at best.  You may want to get a catalog from here in MN: Metro Moulded Parts, or Soff Seal in OH, or Steele Products in NC.