[GRCFORCE327]

I purchased an old RSI 2003 viper last year from a person that got it from Todd
Abrams at A&C.Car has only 14k mi on it.Questioned Todd about the car to
get more info on it before I bought it.I had it go to Todds shop from Oahu,
where by coincidence,I was born and raised.Wanted to get rid of the old AEM,
and go Motec.While the car was there,I decided to send other things to be installed,
since the car would be there for a while.Things like JTSV oil cooler lines,
power steering lines and plug wires(w/Demon coils),BBK throttlebody,complete OS Giken diff from Unitrax,
Sequential trans and CF Dyad clutch,new fuel pumps(flexfuel sensor w/ID1700 injectors).
They got things installed and dynoed before
installing the sequential and new clutch due to the clutch needing breaking in.Car
was only dyno tuned, zero street driving while there.
I am always one to go over work that is done by someone else,even told Todd
I would.So lets get started.Todd told me car needed new sparkplugs right off
the bat.I posted a pic of the "new" plugs I pulled and the charges.He agreed they weren't new,but
I got zero refund that.

 

[GRCFORCE327]

Now for the kicker.After tuning the car on pump and E85,they started on the sequential.
Todd called and said The motor locked and they have to break it loose. Then he
says he did cranking compression and leakdown.Say #2 is at 85 psi cranking and
leakdown was ridiculous.Sends this blurry pic(below) and says something was bouncing
around on top of piston.I'm 2k plus miles away,so I tell him to go ahead and
pull the head.He says both valves on #2 weren't seating,so they reground the valves
and seats, and reseated the valves.Now he says cc is up to 158psi.Finished
the sequential.Get the car home,and I start going over what was done.(Plugs
in first post).Got my awesome working endoscope out next. Here are pics of what
looks exactly like someone stuck something like a scribe or long screwdriver in the plug hole,and put
scratches on the piston top,and only in the area accessable through the plug hole. Very
shiny scratches that were obviously recently made. To top it off,here is one of
the valves on #2 that were supposedly just reground and reseated.Also,the portion
of the head gasket does not look new.

 

[GRCFORCE327]

Now my pics! Vid clearly shows #2 valves weren't touched,yet got charged for pulling head and regrind/reseat those valves.Last pic of old head gasket.

 

[GRCFORCE327]

Some of the charges for supposed work.

 

[GRCFORCE327]

I don't spend time on social media, so feel free to link it. Going to make sure my clutch is installed, and will have someone look at the tuning.

 

[Recluse]

If it makes you feel any better, I just paid $3,000 to replace my water heater.

 

[GRCFORCE327]

He charged me for 3 head gaskets,and after hounding him,two were refunded. Also
got a refund for the oil cooler lines they charged me to install,but never installed,
along with the lines I sent in the first place...again after hounding.I'm still
checking thing,and will add to the thread as need be.

 

[GRCFORCE327]

If it makes you feel any better, I just paid $3,000 to replace my water heater.



Only if you didn't get the water heater.

 

[8.0L>1.8T]

I've read nothing but good things about Todd and AC Performance, this is definitely a shocker.

 

[Turbokraft]

Were the spark plugs pictured used for the dyno tuning? Or installed after the tune? Not to take any position here just curious. They look new to me but obviously have run and looks to have been used for the tune. How does the car perform? Sequential trans work correctly? Were your oil lines returned to you? No excuse for the 2 extra head gaskets billed, nor labor for oil lines that were not installed.

 

[plumcrazy]

If you paid for parts and didn't get them, you definitely got fucked.

 

[Doc]

It’s always tough to come in after the fact and while I do know plenty of people they did good work for it doesn’t sound like they did right by you.

luckily it wasn’t a crazy expensive build and at least you have your car.

doesn’t sound like you have much recourse. Would take more in lawyers fees and travel expenses than it would recoup. Then There’s the risk of getting hosed by the judge as you’re not a local.

 

[GTS Dean]

View attachment 150291

These plugs have been run pig-rich for some time. If indeed they are your new ones, they will probably clean up with proper fuel trims.

I just pulled the plugs out of my 900 mile motor chasing a miss issue and they look essentially brand new with just the slightest gray color patches on a small portion of the insulators.

 

[EllowViper]

Never good having a tuner try and sort out someone else's mess...never going to end well for either party.

 

[GRCFORCE327]

Were the spark plugs pictured used for the dyno tuning? Or installed after the tune? Not to take any position here just curious. They look new to me but obviously have run and looks to have been used for the tune. How does the car perform? Sequential trans work correctly? Were your oil lines returned to you? No excuse for the 2 extra head gaskets billed, nor labor for oil lines that were not installed.

Is that all you got out of this? Did you miss the part where the piston was purposely scratched on #2 and the valves weren't touched? The head wasn't removed,yet I was charged in the neighborhood of $3500 when you add everything up.

 

[GRCFORCE327]

Never good having a tuner try and sort out someone else's mess...never going to end well for either party.

What are you talking about? What mess? The car was fine. It was Todds car, which he sold. The person who bought the car,put less than 600mi on it while living on Oahu. Had to sell because his wife's federal job was moving them to South Korea. I'm just upgrading the car to suit me.

 

[GRCFORCE327]

These plugs have been run pig-rich for some time. If indeed they are your new ones, they will probably clean up with proper fuel trims.

I just pulled the plugs out of my 900 mile motor chasing a miss issue and they look essentially brand new with just the slightest gray color patches on a small portion of the insulators.

Already install RC10ECC's gapped at 30 . The plugs I pulled were gapped at 17-18 .

 

[GTS Dean]

Already install RC10ECC's gapped at 30 . The plugs I pulled were gapped at 17-18 .

No wonder - they are cold fouled!

 

[GRCFORCE327]

No wonder - they are cold fouled!

And Todd will tell you that Shane Tecklenburg, (Motec guru), says they gap turbo cars that tight all the time. I prefer the longer reach Champions, and my gen1 TT ran perfectly with them.

 

[GRCFORCE327]

For the reading comprehension challenged. Bottom line, the motor never "locked up", they put scratches on the piston and lied about cc and leakdown for money(approx
$3500). The head was never removed.