Just Received a GFB DV+ - and it looks different (and quite ragged)

[rotation_nation]

Hi all,

I just received a GFB DV+. It was apparently drop shipped directly from GFB's distribution center (ordered through Whoosh). It looks different from others I've seen, and lacks the red/orange rubber piece at the end of the brass looking piston, and instead has a blue o-ring. The surface of the piston also appears to have a heat stained fingerprint. And some of the other components just look ragged and poorly finished. The black machined body/housing looks good and is well finished.

Is this normal and consistent with what yours looked like?

Thanks.

 

[rotation_nation]

Bumping - anyone?

 

[green_henry]

Wow, it's been a few years since I installed mine, and I don't remember it looking like that!

 

[lemonjs]

Mine looked nothing like this, it was very well machined

 

[M-Sport fan]

I wonder if it is a counterfeit/knock off??

 

[rotation_nation]

I wonder if it is a counterfeit/knock off??

That was my immediate reaction when I took it out of the box. I emailed Ron at Whoosh, but he said it was shipped directly from GFB and therefore zero chance of being a counterfeit.

I will reach out to GFB and let everyone know what they say. I don’t want to install it though - I feel like tolerances and machining finish are quite important for a part like this.

 

[ron@whoosh]

GFB selling counterfeit GFB discussion is wild

 

[rotation_nation]

GFB selling counterfeit GFB discussion is wild

Ron - what do you think it is? Assuming their quality control may have gone downhill? Seems the most plausible given it was shipped directly from them (and therefore very unlikely to be a counterfeit).

 

[Ziesta]

Can you post a pic of the logo and patent number on the valve? The font/size can point to counterfeit. Also the foam seems off. It’s usually more dense looking.

Other odd item as you mentioned is the blue o-ring. Even the counterfeits have the red rubber seal. Strange.

 

[rotation_nation]

Can you post a pic of the logo and patent number on the valve? The font/size can point to counterfeit. Also the foam seems off. It’s usually more dense looking.

Other odd item as you mentioned is the blue o-ring. Even the counterfeits have the red rubber seal. Strange.

Yup - see below.

 

[Ziesta]

Some more odd things I notice:
1. On the patent print side, it should have the model number “T9358” on it.
2. On the under side, where that engraved “S” is, it should actually be an “8”.

 

[sczamun]

I just bought a t9384, I hope that it's not like this.

 

[Ziesta]

I just bought a t9384, I hope that it's not like this.

What vehicle is that for?

 

[sczamun]

It's for the fiesta, but with the solenoid built in instead of re-using the OEM.

 

[rotation_nation]

Heard back from GFB. Sounds like this is normal.


Thanks for reaching out

The design of the piston seal has changed about a year ago. We went from an orange silicone seal to a blue viton seal. This has just allowed us to keep the process in house while using viton which is a particularly tough material.

In regards to the fingerprint. Are you able to send us a photo? Brass is quite reactive to oils on skin and these pistons do get handled quite a lot due to them being measured and sized to suit each individual body. It’s pretty common for brass to superficially change colour slightly where it’s been touched. They definitely don’t get heated though.

With the plunger, I can definitely understand the machining marks on there don’t look the best. The material used for the plungers is specified for it’s particularly strong magnetic properties. It’s a material that unfortunately doesn’t machine very well and produces a variable surface finish.

They used to have a black coating on them which hid the machining marks well. This coating worked decently but it was susceptible to corrosion when the parts were in storage (before going on the car where they get covered in a light oil film). The gold zinc plating tends to protect them better but unfortunately doesn’t look quite as good.

This part is not critical in dimension or surface finish so it has absolutely no effect on performance.