My machine shop called today and said one of my NEW Wiseco pistons was not any good. It was made a little smaller than my other 7 pistons. I ordered them last January and they were backordered till May. After I got them my machine shop could not work on it till fall because I was to late into the season. He builds race engines and stuff like mine on the side as he has time. I called Summit Racing and they told me that it is past 30 days and there is nothing they can do about it. I ask more about why and I explained to them that the machine shop could not get to it till now. The said sorry but there is nothing they can do. I then called Wiseco and they said I have to go through Summit. I explained.... then they said sorry, there is nothing they can do till they hear from Summit. by this time I was PI$$ED. I never get mad like this but it just hit me wrong. I was yelling that I have used Wiseco pistons in off road all my life and that they had better do something and work it out fast or I am going to KB pistons. After that they give me an RMA# and said to send them back. I guess I will have to see what happens next.

Sorry for the rant, Sitting at an airport with nothing else to do.

 

He may not know it yet, but from now on, all of my customer service issues for any place are going through Eric.

 

As an airline employee, thank you for venting on the forum and not channeling your frustration towards the gate agent. Unless of course you're flying Southwest then let 'er rip!

I have had similar dealings with various companies, although not Summit or Wiseco, and it seems to me they purposely wait until you threaten them somehow until they will be of any help. It must be a game.

 

I am just curous. Was the machine shop boring and honing to fit the pistons?
How much smaller? I know of a machine shop that bored for .030 over without having the pistons, But good ones mic. the piston and bore and hone each cyl. for each piston.
Some say with modern tolerances in manufacturing, you don't need this, but I want the shop to return mine unassembled and each piston numbered for its respective cyl.
Hope you get it straight.

 

Hard to believe in today's world of CNC machining that the tolerances of the piston would get this far off. Just goes to show even machines and computers make mistakes. I hope they make it right.

 

boring a block without pistons for the reference is a recipe 4 disaster.

 

He has not bored the block yet. He just took the Eagle rods and Wiseco pistons out of their packages to inspect them before he did anything. This is when he found it. He said the rods were perfect. He said the piston was .007 smaller than the others.

 

i know the dream is they will send you a box of weight and size matched new pistons , soon

if the weight of the pistons is close enough to match a set
you could knurl that under size piston

 

One, just bore the block for the pistons, no big deal, you will never ever feel anything. .007 is no big deal, bore to match, that is what should be anyway.
second order another set of pistons, take a good one , put under size on back in , send them back. a little expensive at first, but will get it back.
So either wait for new ones or bore to match, simple

Gene

 

My shop said that some places would do that but he said he will not. He said that 7 of the pistons were identical and he wants an 8th one the same way. I figure if I am paying for a set that is all the same, It almost feels like sloppy work to make one piston work.

 

I have done the order two to to get buy before also. If he wont compromise on the pistions then he sounds like a good shop. "close enought is to far away " would you care to share the shop with us Eric.

 

Zimmerman Bros Motorsports in Greensburg Indiana. He has some kind of national Buick records for some of his Buick engines I am told. I know he puts racers first and guys like me after that. If a racer came in and needed something in a hurry, My stuff would likely be put on the back burner. He told me that he needs to hire someone but he will not do it. I think (my opinion) that is because he has done it his way for 40 years and don't want someone else to have to watch over.

 

Sounds like a good man in very much demand.
I would order another set of pistons and do the swap and send them for the reason of pistons variance. Should be no problem, i don't they will remember any of your conversations with them about this. Did you say you got them from "Summit" I know a name that may help you. PM me

Gene

How is "Brazil" doing ? i haven't been back there in 5 years to see any one since my Mom past.

 

He is in very high demand. I have never used him till now. The other place I always used has never really done me wrong but the cam bearing issue I had on the Jetfire (if you remember) just left me with a bad feeling. I wanted to have Zimmermans do work for me for a long time but just didn't really have a reason to switch. Now I am already glad I went to him. Even if these pistons could have been made to work just fine, it make me feel good that he is keeping me informed and that he won't change the why he does things. I guess time will tell how this engine turns out.

Things are going good here in Brazil. If you are ever around here look me up.

 

So you going to order new and do the swap and send right back?

Gene

Did you want the name at summit?

 

Wiseco give me a return authorization number for them. I called the machine shop from the airport yesterday and give them the number. I would bet they already shipped them out to Wiseco. Thanks for offering. I may still have to have it.

 

From january till now?...i wouldnt like that, your a paying customer just like the others hes not doing you any favors

 

It is more of a backlog issue than being slow. I never took anything to him till this month. I talked to him early this year but I knew I would not have parts on time to do it last spring. I am not in a hurry for this build. Other than this piston issue, He won't have it long now that he has it. By the time I had the parts in July he was busy with engines for the US nationals in Indianapolis. He could not work me in till this month.

 

Ok i get it...good that you got the return authorized also

 

My brother has had issue with the lifters on a race engine. Same story. Once he made threats they started treating him right. I have to tell you, I am pretty darn fed up with the quality of the stuff we are buying these days.

 

I'm in the consumer electronics business and when a problem occurs I always call the company and ask for the national sales manager, if that's not an option I'll take the regional sales manager. "Sales" people want happy clients more than the technical department or a returns clerk, they know you'll tell your friends. Summit represents so many brands that I would guess that the manufacturer would be your best avenue. I always begin by telling the sales manager that I need some help with a problem.... overall it works without exception. I'm glad they're taking your parts back.

 

Update,

Wiseco called and said that they are sending a new piston. I guess that the issue was not that the entire piston was made to small but just the skirt was to small and not shaped correct? He said that I should thank my lucky stars that I have a good machine shop that caught it. He said many of the machine shops out there today would not have caught this particular problem.... What ever the details are?

Now on to the new issues that came up.

He said my Eagle rods are going to hit the block and he will have to clearance the block for them. Has anyone else had this problem?

Now for the last issue

Harland Sharp send me the wrong parts. The rockers are to close together and the bolts won't line up to the head to bolt them down. These are the shaft mounted rockers. I called Harland Sharp and they said they sent them with the wrong dowles. They are sending me the correct ones now.

I am glad I am not in a hurry. I wonder what is next? As long as I find all the problems before it is done I will be happy.

 

[QUOTE=jensenracing77;614448]Update,



Now on to the new issues that came up.

He said my Eagle rods are going to hit the block and he will have to clearance the block for them. Has anyone else had this problem?

I had this issue with my 70 455 for the 48 but did not have the problem with the 455 in the 57 same eagle rods

Not all rods, if i remember it was right is was 2 0r 3

 

I missed your post and ask in a new thread. Thanks, I had not heard of this till now.