I am sorry that [redacted] is dissatisfied with our services. I hope to clear some confusion of dates work had been performed, as well as our responsibilities for this particular project. [redacted] originally came to my shop in the beginning of 2015 to change a camshaft (not a grind that was...
suggested or supplied by Merkel Racing Engines) and dynamometer test an engine that was designed and built elsewhere. [redacted] was in the middle of a dispute with the original engine builder and was trying to get $500.00 back from the original invoice due to a dispute over listed specifications that were well within industry standards.[redacted] hired my shop on 1**/15 to change the camshaft from the originally installed cam, to his own supplied design, and break in the engine on the dyno. At this point the engine was brand new and was never run before, fresh from his builder. The distributor being used was a Mallory part number [redacted]. The invoice for this job was in the amount of $761.00. [redacted] paid for the “break in” price plus the cost of installation of his supplied parts. [redacted] claims at this time “After installing the engine in my Mustang it was again severely lacking performance on the low and mid range as it was before”. I question how [redacted] felt the engine “was lacking performance as it was before” if this was the first time it had been installed in the car since new. [redacted] goes on to complain that “During/after March 2015 speaking with [redacted], Lunati, and MSD technicians in-depth to trouble-shoot my performance problems it was discovered that Merkel Racing Engines DID NOT ADUST, TUNE, or CHANGE my MSD distributor from it’s default factory settings”.This was the first time that I worked on [redacted]’s engine. At this point he had paid for a break in dyno test only. [redacted] DID NOT OWN THE MSD DISTRIBUTOR THAT HE COMPLAINS ABOUT MY SHOP TUNING UNTIL THE END OF 2015. I can’t tune a distributor that I don’t have. Up to this point, [redacted] paid to install his own proposed, supplied cam and to break in his engine only.[redacted] came to my shop again on 9/**/15 with the same Mallory distributor to do more dyno testing. Over the course of three days worth of tuning, and twenty two dyno pulls we tuned two carburetors and TUNED THE MALLORY [redacted] DISTRIBUTOR. [redacted] came back to me on 10/**/15 for more dyno work. At this point he had brought another carburetor to test, as well as an MSD distributor to install. We tested his new carburetor and installed the new distributor as instructed. Four dyno pulls were put on the engine to test the carburetor that [redacted] supplied.The combined twenty two pulls with Mallory distributor on 9/**/15 (over the course of three days), and four pulls with MSD distributor on 10/**/15 (over the course of a half day), total dyno tuning was billed at only two dyno days for the total cost of $1376.00.[redacted] fails to mention that there was one last dyno session that was billed on 6/**/16. Another camshaft was installed and cam degreed. This last camshaft had [redacted] satisfied to the point that he had called me about two to three weeks after the engine left the shop thanking me. At this time he mentioned that he was very happy with the performance of the car. This was the last correspondence that I had with [redacted] prior to letters stating that he demanded a refund.At no time during the tuning and installation of parts did Merkel Racing Engines sell or recommend any specific part. [redacted] was adamant that this is a proven combination, and he followed a magazine article’s build.[redacted] came to my shop with a current dispute with the original engine builder. [redacted] bragged about the fact that he was getting $500.00 out of said engine builder for machine work that he claimed was done incorrectly. He told the engine builder that he was planning on disassembling the engine and re-machining the block (I spoke with the engine builder that confirmed the conversation), well aware of the fact that this was not necessary. [redacted] also boasted about the free rocker arms that he got out of Scorpion because he didn’t like the look of the anodizing, the carburetor that he was returning to Quick Fuel because he thought the return spring was too stiff, the MSD distributor that he got from MSD (even though it was out of warranty) to replace the Mallory, and a free camshaft specification check from [redacted] because he refused to believe that they ground the original correctly.We have been in business for over fourty years and built and tuned well over 10,000 engines for satisfied customers. Our experience and quality as an engine building and tuning shop is second to none. [redacted]’s engine was tuned on a Superflow SF901 calibrated engine dynamometer by a qualified technician in [redacted]’s best interest. To say that it was tuned incorrectly is strictly a matter of opinion.
I am sorry that [redacted] is dissatisfied with our services. I hope to clear some confusion of dates work had been performed, as well as our responsibilities for this particular project. [redacted] originally came to my shop in the beginning of 2015 to change a camshaft (not a grind that was...
suggested or supplied by Merkel Racing Engines) and dynamometer test an engine that was designed and built elsewhere. [redacted] was in the middle of a dispute with the original engine builder and was trying to get $500.00 back from the original invoice due to a dispute over listed specifications that were well within industry standards.[redacted] hired my shop on 1**/15 to change the camshaft from the originally installed cam, to his own supplied design, and break in the engine on the dyno. At this point the engine was brand new and was never run before, fresh from his builder. The distributor being used was a Mallory part number [redacted]. The invoice for this job was in the amount of $761.00. [redacted] paid for the “break in” price plus the cost of installation of his supplied parts. [redacted] claims at this time “After installing the engine in my Mustang it was again severely lacking performance on the low and mid range as it was before”. I question how [redacted] felt the engine “was lacking performance as it was before” if this was the first time it had been installed in the car since new. [redacted] goes on to complain that “During/after March 2015 speaking with [redacted], Lunati, and MSD technicians in-depth to trouble-shoot my performance problems it was discovered that Merkel Racing Engines DID NOT ADUST, TUNE, or CHANGE my MSD distributor from it’s default factory settings”.This was the first time that I worked on [redacted]’s engine. At this point he had paid for a break in dyno test only. [redacted] DID NOT OWN THE MSD DISTRIBUTOR THAT HE COMPLAINS ABOUT MY SHOP TUNING UNTIL THE END OF 2015. I can’t tune a distributor that I don’t have. Up to this point, [redacted] paid to install his own proposed, supplied cam and to break in his engine only.[redacted] came to my shop again on 9/**/15 with the same Mallory distributor to do more dyno testing. Over the course of three days worth of tuning, and twenty two dyno pulls we tuned two carburetors and TUNED THE MALLORY [redacted] DISTRIBUTOR. [redacted] came back to me on 10/**/15 for more dyno work. At this point he had brought another carburetor to test, as well as an MSD distributor to install. We tested his new carburetor and installed the new distributor as instructed. Four dyno pulls were put on the engine to test the carburetor that [redacted] supplied.The combined twenty two pulls with Mallory distributor on 9/**/15 (over the course of three days), and four pulls with MSD distributor on 10/**/15 (over the course of a half day), total dyno tuning was billed at only two dyno days for the total cost of $1376.00.[redacted] fails to mention that there was one last dyno session that was billed on 6/**/16. Another camshaft was installed and cam degreed. This last camshaft had [redacted] satisfied to the point that he had called me about two to three weeks after the engine left the shop thanking me. At this time he mentioned that he was very happy with the performance of the car. This was the last correspondence that I had with [redacted] prior to letters stating that he demanded a refund.At no time during the tuning and installation of parts did Merkel Racing Engines sell or recommend any specific part. [redacted] was adamant that this is a proven combination, and he followed a magazine article’s build.[redacted] came to my shop with a current dispute with the original engine builder. [redacted] bragged about the fact that he was getting $500.00 out of said engine builder for machine work that he claimed was done incorrectly. He told the engine builder that he was planning on disassembling the engine and re-machining the block (I spoke with the engine builder that confirmed the conversation), well aware of the fact that this was not necessary. [redacted] also boasted about the free rocker arms that he got out of Scorpion because he didn’t like the look of the anodizing, the carburetor that he was returning to Quick Fuel because he thought the return spring was too stiff, the MSD distributor that he got from MSD (even though it was out of warranty) to replace the Mallory, and a free camshaft specification check from [redacted] because he refused to believe that they ground the original correctly.We have been in business for over fourty years and built and tuned well over 10,000 engines for satisfied customers. Our experience and quality as an engine building and tuning shop is second to none. [redacted]’s engine was tuned on a Superflow SF901 calibrated engine dynamometer by a qualified technician in [redacted]’s best interest. To say that it was tuned incorrectly is strictly a matter of opinion.