Todd
Saint James,#2REBUTTAL Owner of company
Fri, January 15, 2010
This "Ripoff Report" was brought to our attention again recently. Frankly, we had forgotten about it but was recently reminded of the fact that, unfortunately, it is a top result when searching Merkel Racing Engines. We decided if this single complaint is not going to go away, it should be responded to.
This job was brought to us by a young man, apparently without much experience in this business. The porousity he writes about was a tiny little spot outside of the piston ring travel, way up by the deck where there is no water. It is fairly common and no cause for alarm, at all. There are plenty of $80,000 top notch racing engines making 1000+ horespower out there with far scarier looking porousity in the cylinders.
His claim that he was told to 'use block seal' is also only half a story. That is certainly taken out of context. He was advised that block sealer was not necessary, the tiny porousity was outside the ring travel and not backed by a water jacket and 'you don't need it, but, if it will make you feel better, go ahead and use block sealer.'
As far as the claim of "not knowing how to tell me that a sleeve would require the other cylinders to be bored...." etc., etc., etc... the fact is that putting a sleeve in that block would have taken a perfectly good block and turn it into an old junky block with a sleeve in it. Sleeves are for repairing blocks when there is a gaping hole or a crack in the cylinder and the block is otherwise not replaceable, as in a 'numbers matching' restoration, or antique rebuild. Sleeved blocks are not a top choice in performance engines.
It is well known throughout the area and even throughout the country that Merkel Racing Engines operates with the highest integrity in the industry.
Thank you for reading.
John
Califon,#3Consumer Comment
Thu, April 10, 2008
that raced Fords for many years?