FYI Performance Innovations

[Road_Warrior85]

Just so everyone knows, Performance Innovations is not the place to go to if you want an electric fan installed on your radiator. You will find yourself out of money as you will have to take your vehicle to another shop to repair the damage Performance Innovations will cause.

Recently I contracted Performance Innovations to perform a 4.0 I6 to 5.7 Hemi V8 conversion on my Jeep Wrangler.

On that contract it listed an estimate of the work to be done, this is a quote from that contract..... "Install a new 4-row highperformance aluminum radiator, and electric cooling fans."
Further down on that contract it lists a breakdown of parts needed for the conversion (i.e. motor, transmission, shop supplies). That breakdown of parts also listed "Radiator-$400"
That price sounds fairly decent for a "4-row high performance aluminum radiator"... Doesnt it???

Simple enough so far, right??? I guess not.

First of all, that $400 radiator, ended up being a $200 junkyard find out of a STOCK Dodge Ram.
In his defense, it was 4-row, but not so much high performance .

Sadly, the junkyard "junk" didn't work. It did not properly fit inside the Jeep and line up with the motor. Unfortunately for me, Performance Innovations was unable to make good on there contract, and I was left buying my own radiator. Which he then installed.

Now as for the electric fans portion....
Many people would probably assume that they where getting new fans installed on their vehicle. However, at not point did the contract specify anything other than "electric cooling fans". Therefore, nobody can be disappointed if the fans they get are USED, right??? I was anyway though.

Nonetheless, I had an electric cooling fan installed on my Jeep. Sadly though, it was improperly installed.
A. It was mounted poorly, and later detached itself from the radiator.
B. The detached radiator, which poorly fit in the Jeep, cut into the radiator and punctured it (because it was in fact mounted poorly)
C. The Fan no longer works. After only 1,100 miles of driving since picking up the Jeep, the fan has now stopped working, detached from its mounts, AND punctured my radiator.

Now that it is all said and done, I must buy a NEW fan, and I have ALREADY paid $125.00 to get my radiator repaired, and the fan PROPERLY mounted (too bad it doesn't even work).

Of course Performance Innovations will not be reimbursing me for the damage caused by poor work, simply because that is the kind of shop they are.

Here are pictures of the fine craftsmanship of Performance Innovations

 

[Jeff B]

thanks for the warning.
Please be aware of where you are posting what.

http://www.nc4x4.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=47

 

[Road_Warrior85]

thanks for the warning.
Please be aware of where you are posting what.

http://www.nc4x4.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=47

Yeah, I know... I wasn't really wanting to bash Performance Innovations too hard... I could type for days on things I was less than satisfied with about the work (and time it took) that Brendan did. Even so, most all of the things I wasn't satisfied with had reasons behind them, some legitimate, some not so much.
I wouldnt tell people not to go to him. His fab skills are top notch. It is just his customer service, and inability to properly set priority levels.

This post was mainly just a response to his little stab at me in regards to transmissions.
It was somewhat childish of him to post that thread the way he did. Especially the "In case someone wasnt educated to the point of knowing that they actually write it on the dipstick." remark. Hell, I could certainly through up some stabs at him, but as much as he screwed me over, I am not trying to screw his business over.

There was some tech in this thread though. There might be other mechanics that don't realize aluminum is softer than steel. I would hate for somebody else to have their project delayed because they or their mechanic didn't think that aluminum heads may warp before a steel connecting rod breaks.

 

[Blkvoodoo]

Post moved to proper section

 

[Rich]

"Install a new 4-row highperformance aluminum radiator, and electric cooling fans."

If you looked around, aftermarket ALUMINUM radiators are 1 or 2 row, not 4.

First of all, that $400 radiator, ended up being a $200 junkyard find out of a STOCK Dodge Ram.
In his defense, it was 4-row, but not so much high performance .

Dodge Ram's come with a Hemi. Dodge Ram's don't overheat with that radiator and engine. What would a "high performance" one do that a properly sized one wouldn't?

Many people would probably assume that they where getting new fans installed on their vehicle. However, at not point did the contract specify anything other than "electric cooling fans". Therefore, nobody can be disappointed if the fans they get are USED, right???

Looks like the venerable Taurus fan. Works well, pulls a shit-ton of air, good choice IMO. You'd probably shit if you saw the price for a new one.. well over $200. You didn't buy a crate engine and trans, did ya? That was a "USED" part, too. OEM electric cooling fans last for a very long time.

The Fan no longer works. the fan has now stopped working, detached from its mounts, AND punctured my radiator.

I believe those 3 items have a lot to do with each other.

Of course Performance Innovations will not be reimbursing me for the damage

Unless there's something you're not telling us (Gee, imagine that), you paid for a complete driveline swap, they should make sure the cooling system is fully functioning.

 

[Road_Warrior85]

If you looked around, aftermarket ALUMINUM radiators are 1 or 2 row, not 4.

And your point is? That is coming from the contract that HE typed up. I'm not the radiator expert, but I didn't ask for that kind of radiator, that is what HE said he would install. If that doesn't even exist, then to me that makes him look kinda dumb. He's the mechanic by profession, he should know things like that.

Dodge Ram's come with a Hemi. Dodge Ram's don't overheat with that radiator and engine. What would a "high performance" one do that a properly sized one wouldn't?

If you go look under the hood of a dodge you will see that the radiator is on one side of the hood with Transmission cooler or AC condenser or something beside it.. I forget which, again though, I am not the mechanic by profession.
The stock radiator would not work because the hoses couldn't be attached. they didn't line up correctly since the radiator wasn't positioned the same ways as in the much wider engine bay of the ram.

Looks like the venerable Taurus fan. Works well, pulls a shit-ton of air, good choice IMO. You'd probably shit if you saw the price for a new one.. well over $200. You didn't buy a crate engine and trans, did ya? That was a "USED" part, too. OEM electric cooling fans last for a very long time.

Yes it was a Taurus fan, it may have been a good choice had it not quit working. I had no problem with it not being new, so long as it worked. The point still remains however, when you sign a contract with somebody, you expect them to meet every requirement in that contract.
Yes the motor and tranny was used, that was originally agreed upon. The rest however, was not agreed upon.

I believe those 3 items have a lot to do with each other.

Yes they do... the first two statements are the same thing. the third however is unrelated. Why the fan stopped working I have no idea, but it certainly isnt what you expect only a month after a shop installs it.
The punctured radiator is because the fan was poorly attached. It doesn't matter if the fan works or not, it should never have come off (especially so soon, and from simple highway driving). and would have punctured the radiator, working or not.

Unless there's something you're not telling us (Gee, imagine that), you paid for a complete driveline swap, they should make sure the cooling system is fully functioning.

Yeah, they damn sure should make it right. The warranty I was given after completion was, "if something breaks, bring it back for me to look at, and I will see if I wanna fix it".... You know that is pretty open ended, and in his favor. However, after waiting 6 months for a motor swap to be completed, I was more concerned with just getting my jeep back and hoping the swap was done correctly, than to actually sit and argue over a warranty.
He had several times, tried whatever it took to convince me not to come get my vehicle. There was always an excuse, usually a poor one. I told him I was not waiting any longer, I was coming to get my jeep. He tried to tell me no, (of course), so I would let him keep it longer. Yes, he said he was taking the radiator to get fixed, I came to get the jeep anyway, because I had to have it THAT DAY. It did not hurt to drive the jeep back, it was not leaking that bad, and never overheated.
Had I let him fix the radiator, he would have still mounted the fan incorrectly, and it would only have broken again.

Just like transmission that he fixed.... he said he drove 70 miles without it acting up... but it only took me 12 miles for it to give me more trouble..... how the hell does that happen??? I was driving at 50 mph... Yet he supposedly drove that entire 70 in only one hour.

DISCLAIMER:
As stated before, I am not trying to stop anybody from going to Performance Innovations. I am not trying to ruin his business. I am barely breaking the surface of my complaints with this shop. They are not important though. Sure I think that the swap could have been done much better, much more thorough, and by a much more competent person.
HOWEVER, I only paid $8,000 for a swap that typically costs $15,000. So, I got the deal I paid for. He is the one that set the price, so it is his own fault if he didn't fully research the costs involved, but that doesn't make it ok to take shortcuts or do any less than the contract said he would.

 

[farmboy]

Sucks man for sure. Hope it all gets worked out for ya. If you need another taurus fan let me know. I might could dig one up for $50 or so.