Complaint Review: Merkel Racing Engines - Hauppauge New York

My experience with Merkel Racing has been complete negligence by their dyno tuning operator (I paid $1,376 to have my engine tuned over course of two-days and discovered later the distributor curve was never adjusted from default settings!). Merkel Racing took advantage of their tuners negligence selling me on futher engine work (new camshaft installation to fix performance issues). I initially gaver Merkel Racing the benefit of the doubt to make things right and sent them a two-page letter with my discoveries on being ripped off. I received a four sentence letter back with absurd explanation of "The engine was tuned with a distributor timing curve that would avoid detonation at low engine speed and prevent future damage." I sent a lengthy followup letter that was returned to me. I opened a complaint with the BBB and Merkel's reply consisted of outrageous false rhetoric to distract the BBB and reader from their dishonesty and negligence.

Background history: I paid $1,376 to have my racing engine tuned by Merkel Racing Engines. The work was billed by Merkel for two full days labor on 10/25/2015 and 10/26/2015. It is important to note the engine had an MSD distributor supplied at Scott Merkel's recommendation for tuning the engine on 10/25/2016 and 10/26/2015. I picked up the engine personally and it was paid for on 10/26/2015 (the day it was removed from dyno with me watching). I have both the bill dated 10/26/2015 and dyno sheet dated 10/26/2015. I also have a warranty sheet showing my Mallory distributor was exchanged for the MSD distributor in September 2015, before the engine was tuned in October 2015.

*I mention the above because Merkel tried to deny they had the MSD distributor for tuning during the two-days I paid $1,376 to have engine tuned*

After paying Merkel Racing Engines to tune the engine it experienced very poor performance below 4,000 RPM's to point something was clearly wrong with engine. I discussed the matter with Scott Merkel and was told "nothing more could be done to tune the engine" multiple times. Scott stated it was the nature of the camshaft installed in the engine and recommended I install another camshaft. I followed Scotts recommendation and on 06/23/2016 I was billed $863 by Merkel Racing Engines to install another camshaft.

Following the new camshaft installation in June 2016, the engine still clearly had performance issues. At that point in time (summer 2016) it was discovered after lengthy discussions with Crower, Lunati, and MSD technicians, helping troubleshoot the cause of my engine performance issues, the MSD distributor on my engine was never tuned by Merkel Racing Engines in October 2015. The untuned MSD distributor never had its factory default settings adjusted, including a default advance curve that did not give maximum advance to engine until speeds reached 4,000 RPM's. So there is no misunderstanding, Merkel Racing engines recommended the MSD distributor to me for my engine tuning in October 2015 stating that was the distributor they preferred to use for ease of adjustability. No tuning was ever performed by Merkel to the MSD distributor that I paid to have tuned in October 2015.

Conclusions on above background:

I have to question the honesty of Merkel Racing Engines since the MSD distributor was never tuned in October 2015 and Scott Merkel gave me the option to fix performance issues that cost me an additional $863 beyond paying $1,376 for tuning services I never received. Once MSD distributor curve was properly adjusted (to 3,200 RPM's maximum advance), working with MSD technicians, I no longer experienced any engine performance issues.

Scott Merkel refuses to provide a clear and straightforward explanation why I was billed for two-days of engine tuning (on 10/25/2016 and 10/26/2016) without Merkel Racing Engines tuning the MSD distributor supplied for my engine. The only written explanation I have received from Merkel Racing was a one line statement of "The engine was tuned with a distributor timing curve that would avoid detonation at low engine speed and prevent future damage." When I called Scott Merkel to get a simple explanation of how my engine could be tuned for two full days in October 2015 without distributor being adjusted, that he was paid to tune, he will not answer the question and hangs up. At this point in time I think its fair to conclude Scott Merkel and Merkel Racing Engines is being dishonest by not admitting fault and taking responsibility for work never performed.

---The following is to address bogus rhetoric I expect Merkel to respond with like they did the BBB:

Scott Merkel makes many statement to distract from the fact Merkel Racing Engines never tuned the MSD distributor over the course of two full days of dyno tuning that I paid $1,376 for. Also, leading me to believe the distributor had been tuned.

To address confusing statements Scott Merkel makes to distract from my complaint and discredit me:

-My racing engine was custom built at a cost of approx $9,500 (long block alone) with Dart block, forged crankshaft, rods, pistons, etc. and was contracted to be built with 10:1 compression (no less than 9.5:1 compression). Engine builder supplied me with an engine with less compression and they made things right on their error. This has absolutely nothing to do with my complaint related to Merkel tuning my engine.

-Merkel was paid $761 to install, degree, and break-in a camshaft in January 2015 on my engine. I have the bill. This has nothing to do with my complaint of dyno work not performed properly in October 2015.

-Merkel was paid $1,376 for two full days of dyno tuning my engine in October 2015. Scan of bill attached. This has everything to do with my complaint against Merkel Racing.

-Merkel was paid $863 to install, degree, and break-in a replacement camshaft in June 2016. I have the bill. This work was unnecessary and being performed to fix a performance issue Merkel Racing created by NEVER tuning the MSD distributor they were paid $1,376 to tune in October 2015. The engine did not perform correctly in the vehicle below 4,000 RPM's. Scott Merkel stated "nothing more could be done" to tune the engine and recommended I install another camshaft. The chamshaft change was work performed per Merkel recommendation to fix a performance problem they created by never tuning my MSD distributor.

To address Scott Merkel's rhetoric of "Kurt 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 thought it was out of warranty)to replace the Mallory, and a free camshaft specification check from Crower because he refused to believe that they ground the original correctly".

-The Scorpion Rocker arms were replaced under warranty with Scorpion directly. My Scorpion rocker arms were mailed to them and replacements mailed to me. No "free" rocker arms were obtained as Scott states. The reason the rocker arms were sent to Scorpion was in June 2016 when I was having the camshaft replaced at Merkel Racing engines it was pointed out to me by Merkel that the blue finish was deteriorating on every rocker arm with hardly any usage. Merkel Racing engines pointed the problem out to me! Scott Merkel personally supplied an empty rocker arm box for me to use to mail the rocker arms back to Scorpion for replacement. His statement about me bragging of "free" rocker arms is simply not true.

-The Quick Fuel carburetor I had with annular boosters was sent to Quick Fuel to have down-leg boosters installed. Scott Merkel needs to check his facts.

-Mallory 3755101 distributor was replaced under warranty in September of 2015 for an MSD distributor (Since MSD bought out Mallory). I spoke with Merkel Racing engines to get a recommendation on which MSD distributor to use for dyno tuning in October 2015. Scott Merkel's statement that I replaced the distributor out of warranty is simply not true. Scan of replacement under warranty attached. Scott Merkel needs to check his facts.

-Crower volunteered to machine check the camshaft I used for dyno tuning in October 2015. The reason for this was the engine Merkel dyno tuned in October 2015 was grossly underperforming below 4,000 RPM's. At the time it was unknown to me Merkel NEVER ADJUSTED AND NEVER TUNED THE MSD DISTRIBUTOR they were supplied for dyno tuning. Speaking with Crower they helped me trace the problem back to the distributor never being tuned by Merkel. Yes, I did receive a "free" camshaft check from Crower to diagnose a problem that Merkel Racing created by not tuning an engine I paid them $1,376 to tune.

In summary of my complaint, Merkel Racing Engines (Scott Merkel) was paid $1,376 for two full days of dyno tuning my engine with MSD distributor. The MSD distributor was never tuned. Following October 2015 engine tuning by Merkel I took Scott Merkel's performance troubleshooting recommendations to change camshafts and further expenses were incurred of $863. Negligence on the tuning work performed in October 2015 was discovered in June 2016 after a tremendous amount of time and money was spent with Merkel Racing. Scott Merkel failed supervising the tuning work performed on my engine in October 2015 and will not take ownership or responsibility.