Vehement personal attacks, I'm really not into. People selling junk, claiming it is good, I'm not very good at accepting that either.
I don't believe these were vehement personal attacks, rather I was just stating
the facts, as I know them.
I'm not good with people selling their product and bashing others because of their experience (especially someone as well respected and with the clout you have) it's a bit of a marketing ploy
I have before and will again, admit that trusting the CRAP rods and 'just putting them in' was a big mistake on my part.
These rods were "Rosten" rods (but not labelled). Nobody knew. It was a crappy situation. How long were you using these clone rods? Nobody might know, but the truth is that most of them worked. Granted this was years ago. Since that time, there have been plenty of different variations. Some good, some bad. Did the Rosten rods come in a box with their name on it, or was it a blank box like these were?
What I now do for each of the customers that purchase the product I offer... I open every single package, get my platen off the wall, zero my bore gauge and measure...even though I continue to see the most accurately produced finish, I learned my lesson the hard way.
Nothing wrong from learning from our mistakes. Maybe it's time you crossed the bridge and order a set of clone rods. Put them through some NDT or DT. If you're willing to check every product, maybe you can start offering alternative products, at a lower price point and put your "stamp of approval" on them. Or are you that against Chinese products?
So, if it suits those willing to buy what I have found to be an inferior product, at least you know to check their dimensional accuracy and balance. As for 'alternative parts', I think that could be followed through to it's ultimate conclusion. Buy nothing but Chinese parts. Assemble the entire motor, A-Z with entirely Chinese product. I am not going to waste my time on that experiment. But I can give you a referral where you can buy all those parts...
Now you're being foolish, lol. Maybe just put maple syrup in the sump instead of oil...it's viscous right? Rather I'm suggesting that some parts work, some don't. In this case rods work. They've been proven to work, time and time again. If you had measured them before slapping them in, the we could conclusively say that the rods were the failure point. But hindsight is 20/20.
I am sure there are those who don't care for some of my 'antics'. I also have had several well known vendors who tried to 'go around me' to buy my products. When I can stop it, like my rods, that's not happening. Probably the single thing I have historically done is to point out what, how and why to perform 'tests' to prove a product, for example injector nozzles, torque specs for the ALH cam sprocket, methods of setting injector balance, getting the best economy from a PD motor, performance cams, cylinder heads with a long-standing, long-life reputation, and that is just a taste of what I have done. I also have a great deal of empathy for those whose failures were avoidable, either through product or method. I can't begin to number the people I've helped with 'technical support'. Agree with me or not, I supply a lot of good information, on the forums and individually.
I haven't stated otherwise, EXCEPT that some information you pass is only good to you. While helping is great. I'm doing the exact same thing right now with someone on Facebook with engine issues. I've offered for them to come to me, if they were close, because like you, I like helping. That said, I also have my opinions and almost 20 years of experience working on diesel engines, and I use that experience and knowledge to help. My advice comes from my experiences, but I don't try to sell parts, MY PARTS (because I have none) over others because they are so radically superior in every way because I open them up and check them, and my parts are not Chinese. THAT is the problem I have.
All that said, I don't have any idea what the failure rate is for MaxSpeeding or their clones. I doubt I will ever find out, except from my abbreviated experience, which will not be repeated. There is no lie in what I said. I have only been called a liar twice on the Club, that I know of. The other one that called me a liar is now a customer, or you could say, a convert. I don't expect any change of heart from cuban. It's been quite vitriolic.
Vitrolic, lol. No Frank, I'm not vitrolic, just tired of you pandering your parts over others and using your clout to cast doubt on anything else.
As for the rods we sell, I can tell you exactly the failure rate... ZERO.
Well I hope so Frank. You personally
open every single package, get my platen off the wall, zero my bore gauge and measure...even though I continue to see the most accurately produced finish..
If you did have a failure of a rod, you wouldn't sell it would you Frank? And through you non-destructive testing of every product if you DID find a rod that didn't meet up to your "standards of excellence" would you tell us about it? Would you change vendors due to a mistake? Can people make mistakes Frank, or do you swear them off entirely because they made a mistake? If you don't swear them off entirely Frank, then maybe try some of these Chinese rods and see what you find....or are you against them, because they're Chinese?
You, Cuban, will stand out as one person who I really got under his skin for telling what I personally know to be the facts. Or also as I am fond of saying, "The bitter truth is better than a sweet lie."
No Frank, you've gotten under plenty of folks skin, I've just been the most recent that is willing to vocalize it (I have no life, as you stated, remember?) You've burned plenty of bridges going through your post history. So much so that someone reached out to me, unsolicited, to talk about their experiences. And guess what, they echo'd mine, and went a little darker. But in the end, you only do speak your truth (we all do).
So, I'll leave you with this. If my rods (or any of my products) fail, we do back them.
Why would they fail? You check every one of them. BUTTTT, if they do fail, do you replace the engine that was destroyed?
I did not get that offer from the Vendor who sold me the Chinese rods. No, instead he told me I had to be wrong, it was my fault and no refund or compensation was ever offered. I also paid a premium for what easily could have been bought from Ebay. Talk about getting screwed...
You were screwed, as was Rosten. What happened was not right, by any stretch of the imagination. You were sold a product that you thought was one thing, but it wasn't. But, according to you, "some" of them worked. You now check every one of them. Good on you.
As I have said even 6 years ago, I learned my lesson. But instead of leaving a novice to figure out if our product is good or not, we check it ourselves. I'm known for removing as much risk factor as possible with protocol for a refined product.
Then tell the novice that your experience that was 0.009 off was 6 years ago. Tell them the WHOLE truth, not just your version of it. "While I (Frank) do not agree with using these rods due to X, Y, or Z, there are plenty of people that use them without issue. That said, I can guarantee that MY (Frank) products will not fail you, and I personally inspect everything that leaves my shop, and guarantee that if you have a failure due to workmanship that I will provide you with whatever replacements are needed to make you whole."
That, to me at least, seems like the less scummy way of selling your product. Say there are alternatives out there, but YOUR customer service and history of putting forth the best products (which come at a somewhat higher price) will be the absolute best they can be for whatever someone is building. I, can get behind that.
There were others who support your feelings, Cuban. There used to be a wonderful website made by one of my detractors...Yes, I know I'm not roundly liked (is anybody?)... that was "A safe place to complain about Frank's VW TDI's"... We laid that site was laid to rest a few years ago, but we still have a safe place to complain.
I'm not sure what website you're talking about, and at this point I'm not sure I care. But I will correct you in that there
are others that support my feelings.
If you have a complaint about me, please call, email put it on the Vendor Complaint Section. Heck, if you don't like what I'm saying, as I'm saying it, TELL ME! I'm a big boy... I can take constructive criticism. We prefer that you bring your complaints to us personally, but we understand a select few people's needs to publicize their issues. If you personally don't want to 'upset the apple cart', there does appear to still be someone available and willing to do the expose'. But without naming names, is that not the FUD I am accused of?
I've heard stories of how you like to yell at people Frank...or is that an exaggeration as well? And I'm more than willing to do the expose (no life, remember). You can't take criticism, as we can see from this tirade back and forth.
Good luck with the Chinese parts. If you want to practice a more complete example of a Chinese engine, I can point everyone to a cylinder head, some pistons and a really amusing timing belt kit to practice with. I also have a few $$$ into the experiment for some CRAP injector nozzles. They were cheap... maybe you would like to experiment with some of them. I'm done with them.
I'm doing perfectly fine (as are a multitude of others) with my Chinese rods, Polish Turbos, Polish Injectors, UK VW Head, and other parts. While I cannot argue that some parts are inferior to others, I won't swear off an entire culture because I'm jaded that I didn't do my job six years ago.
To the ones who wish to take the risk, spend the extra money to make sure the CRAP rods are sized and balanced correctly. It shouldn't cost more than about $30 per rod. Then I wish 'Good Luck' and much better luck than I had with them.
$30 per rod? Where at a machine shop that panders their parts over others? You admitted, in an old post, after your failed engine (that you didn't measure, but rather did the "Orange County Chopper" build by just throwing parts together and it blew up in 5 miles) that some of the rods measured out fine. Hell, even Rosten said that one person blew a powerful engine up, but they couldn't determine if it was the rods or not. You had ONE experience, and in that experience have sworn off all others but your own. You remind me of my father who's sworn off all other brands of vehicles other than Dodge (but he doesn't own Dodge, nor their stock). There's a difference there. To each their own I guess.
I hope the light of my message does not cause cuban any additional grief. It's just the facts, as I know them. Nothing personal intended. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.
I want nothing but the best for you as well Frank. All I ask is that in your posts you tell the whole truth, not just your version of it. You will not gain me as a customer, and I'm sure you're ok with that, because while I know you think highly of your products, you talk down to others for their choices because of your one experience. There are a multitude of individuals around the world that use MaxSpeedingRods for turbos, suspension, and other components. While we all have the rights to our opinions, using your clout, as a well known member and vendor here to talk down on their products due to your experience, is well within what I think you can do. What I don't think is appropriate is to at the same time try to sell your goods, especially to a novice. Tell them the truth, the whole truth (not just your variation of it) and then see where the chips might lie. You're very steadfast in your thoughts that we can't make big power (like they do in Finland) in these engines for whatever reason. While we might believe one thing isn't possible, it doesn't detract from the truth that they're making it. Our versions of the truth might/could not be the actual truth.
Be well.