Genuine Mechanical Components

Mechanical parts we source

• Engine — cylinder heads and blocks, timing components, injectors and pumps, turbochargers, manifolds, gaskets and seals.
• Transmission and driveline — gearbox components, clutches and flywheels, differentials, driveshafts and transfer cases.
• Suspension and steering — arms, bushes, dampers, springs, subframes, steering racks and pumps.
• Braking — discs, calipers, master cylinders, ABS and electronic parking-brake components.
• Cooling, fuel and exhaust — radiators, pumps, thermostats, tanks, lines, catalysts and particulate filters.
• Electrical and electronic — control modules, sensors, actuators, wiring looms, alternators and starters.

Why the VIN matters for mechanical parts

Mechanical parts are where a catalogue lookup most often goes wrong. Engine codes change within a model year, running changes alter a part without changing its appearance, and the same model can carry two or three variants of a component depending on transmission, driveline or emissions specification. We identify every mechanical part against the VIN — engine code, gearbox code and build date included — and check the supersession chain, so the part we quote is the one that fits. If you have the number from a diagram or from the old part's casting, send it too.

Don't know the part number? No problem. Send us the registration or VIN, a photograph of the part and as much information as you have.

Genuine, OEM and what we tell you

For many mechanical components the company that makes the genuine part also sells it under its own brand, which is where 'OEM' comes from. Sometimes the two are identical; sometimes the supplier-branded part differs in specification. We source genuine manufacturer parts and describe every part we quote by its actual category, so you can meet a customer's or warranty's requirement for genuine parts with confidence. The differences are set out in our guide to genuine, OEM, OES and aftermarket parts; see also genuine OEM parts sourcing.

Mechanical parts on back order or discontinued

Turbochargers, injectors, control modules and cooling components for popular models go on back order because a single supplier serves every market. Older vehicles lose mechanical parts to discontinuation — cooling, fuel and ignition parts in particular. In both cases the search is the same: identify the number, check the markets and programmes that still hold it, quote from the real source. See back-ordered parts and obsolete and discontinued parts.

Performance, prestige and specialist vehicles

Performance derivatives use mechanical parts that are close to, but not the same as, the mainstream model's; prestige and supercar mechanical parts can be VIN-restricted or made to order. We confirm the variant-specific number and give you the realistic lead time from the source. See prestige, performance and supercar parts. For wheels and tyres to complete a job, see our wheels and tyres service.

How a mechanical parts request works

1. Send the registration or VIN, the part description and any number or diagram reference.
2. We confirm the part number against the engine and gearbox codes and build date.
3. We check UK availability, then international contacts if the UK cannot supply.
4. You receive availability, price and lead time for the specific source.
5. On approval we order and arrange delivery.

Engine and gearbox codes explained

Two vehicles with the same model name and the same badge can carry different engines and gearboxes, and most mechanical parts are specific to the code rather than the model. The engine code is normally stamped on the block and shown on the vehicle's build label; the gearbox code is on the casing and sometimes on the label too. The VIN resolves both through the manufacturer's build record, which is why we ask for it first — but a photograph of the label or the stamping is a useful cross-check on older vehicles and vehicles that have had a unit replaced.

Running changes within an engine family — a revised injector, a different turbocharger supplier, an updated timing component — are tracked by build date and by supersession, and we check both before quoting.

Complete units or components

For engines, gearboxes, turbochargers, steering racks and similar assemblies, the question is often whether to source the complete unit or the failed component within it. Where the manufacturer supplies the unit as a genuine assembly we can quote it; where it supplies only components, we quote those. Genuine remanufactured units, where the manufacturer offers them, are described as exactly that. We give you the options so the decision can be made on cost, lead time and the condition of the rest of the unit.

Electrical and electronic parts

Control modules, sensors and actuators are the mechanical-parts requests most likely to be VIN-restricted or to require coding after fitting. We confirm the correct hardware and software level for the vehicle and tell you if the part is supplied against the VIN only. Wiring looms are identified by option content as well as by model; a photograph of the connector and the loom label helps.