Well, ya'll know the torture I've been going thru with my motor. First a little background. I'm one of the few with a 110 that have given up on HD and have taken matters into my own hands to fix the 110 problems. It started with the dreaded rear cylinder head gasket leak. I had a HD Service Manager then who was willing to go out on a limb and allow me to useaftermarket parts to fix this mess, and labor would be on them. So we went to Cycle-rama to have a new 110" top end package, to put on the stock bottom, and eliminate the 110 issues. At that time, I got from them new heads, custom chain-drive cams, Feuling OP and Camplate, new HD pistons and cylinders, 58mm HPI Throttle Body, S&S DPP A/C assembly, V&H TD's w/S&S SPO mufflers and the PC. Eventually, we got the bike running great. Then after 5000 miles, the compression release shorted out, blew the ECM fuse, shut down everything and spit one of the compression releases out of the head, threads and all. That started the third top end rebuilding process!
At that time, we sent the heads back to CR to have the holes for the ACR's welded closed and manual CR's installed. We got the Axtell barrels, and CP forged pistons, to go with everything we already had. We assembled everything then brought the bike to Joe's Cycle for extensive tuning and testing. We determined that the performance was suffering from use of the TD's and the 58mm TB. We installed a Performance FatCat exhaust and an HPI 62mm TB. We got excellent numbers from it, and the bike ran that way too! Like a raped ape. Extremely happy, I thought I was done. Until I found that my rear head was never torqued and I had to pull the Top End again. At that time, the dealer, who couldn't recover any more $$$ from w.....ty, washed their hands of this "complicated" engine! Finally, although, I didn't realize it then, I got a break! I have to pay someone to do it right. If I only knew that when I started this mess!
Well, I bring the bike to Vern, he packs up all my chit, and sends it all back to Cycle-rama to get taken care of again and setup properly. This is because we found out that the morons at the dealer had no business trying to assemble a motor like this in the first place. They're setup to bolt chit on! And only that. Clearancing and fitting pistons! Torque Plates! What's that! We aren't equipped for this! OK, nuff said! Get my bike as far away from this place as possible. So Vern takes it down, and doesn't like what he sees after only 800 miles on this Top End. Cylinders and pistons were galled!
2-1/2 months later, CR did me a favor and "rushed" my stuff back to me. WHAT CRAP WE GOT BACK FROM THEM!!! Cylinders still galled, gaska-cinch still all over everything from previous install, broken fins on the heads which were sent specifically sent there to get repaired (they came this way the first time and I used them instead of sending them back) never fixed, pistons that don't even fit the S&S crank (which they knew we were using) still setup up for the POS HD Tapered end rods! You name it, we got crap back!!! This is after working very closely with them and "being on the same page" with everything.
Well I got this bag of dogchit back from them and called them to raise hell with a vengeance. We had a conference call with Vern, Pam and myself. When Vern explained all the issues, she finally agreed that they would take the stuff back to make it right. HOW THE HELL CAN YOU HAVE THIS CHIT FOR 3 MONTHS, AFTER TALKING TO ME AND I'VE SPENT A FORTUNE THERE, HAVE IT COME BACK LIKE DOGCHIT!!! Well, when they heard that Vern's a real engine builder, and was actually checking ALL THEIR WORK, has and uses Torque Plates, and will check the clearance and fit of EVERYTHING before he'll assemble it, they changed their tune real quick. Vern told them not to fit the pistons since they wouldn't give me CP's specs. I got ahold of CP, told them what pistons they custom made for CR, and they sent Vern all the specs for those pistons.
Guess what gang, and I even asked ya'll here about CP Forged piston cylinder to wall clearance. Never got a spec here either. Only people's responses that I should use .0025". Well guess what gang, per CP spec sheet for MY pistons, clearly shows .0035 with 0 tolerance!!!
Of course CR, knowing all this will be checked now, went and redid everything, including finally fitting the pistons. Their attitude before that was that everything fits fine off the shelf!!! BS! BS! BS!
Turns out the first set of pistons are actually.0005" larger than the new ones. And the cylinders and pistons were galled. Now the new ones are fitted to .0025", which is still incorrect. WELL WTH DOES THAT TELL YOU THE FIRST SET WAS CLEARANCED AT.... .0017"-.0015"! WTF!!! No wonder they're galled!!!
Basically what I'm saying here is, we all think we're so smart because of all the technical info at our disposal. We tend to trust the vendors because of their reputations until we get screwed! WELL I'M TIRED OF GETTING SCREWED BY VENDORS AND DEALERS!!! You guys are all buying preconfigured packages to bolt on in your garages. All setup, properly fitted and clearanced and ready to install!!! BULLCHIT!!! I'm telling you right now, if you're not an engine builder and do not have all the equipment and tools to CHECK EVERYTHING you buy from a performance vendor, you're making a big mistake not DOUBLECHECKING EVERYTHING FIRST!!!
Now my motor can begin it's first REAL rebuilding process, by the professional whose hands it should'a been in in the first place. I went thru all this chit to save Labor W.....ty $$$. What an asshole. I'm paying anyway, and lost a year of my life of riding my bike in the process. Yeah, I've learned an awful lot since then, and I know what I wanted this engine to be once and for all, and I managed to get 8800 miles on her anyway.
Hoist!
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Topic: Aftermarket Mail Order Performance Mods! Buyer Beware!!! (Read 17239 times)