Anyone have any experience with Thompson motorsports?
12-13-2015, 10:03 PM
#23
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My forged 408 fell apart with less than 100miles and only 4-6psi. Guess they have thrust bearing problems. Just read some posts with the same problems. $5000 down the drain.
12-14-2015, 08:29 AM
#28
Baggedtahoe, If you are having a problem with any of our products I ask that you please contact us. We are here to help in any situation. I see that the conclusion has been made that we have thrust bearing issues because you have read another thread that indicated a similar situation however keep in mind that we have produced close to 3000 LS motors. If we had ANY repetition of problems it would be plastered all over the internet. I can assure you that we make every effort on a daily basis to offer the best motor available to the public. We spend countless dollars in R&D to ensure that our product goes above and beyond the competition. I can personally guarantee you that we have the best customer service in the industry so again I ask that you give us the opportunity to help you regardless of the cause.
Thank you,
Kyle
972-853-2450
Thank you,
Kyle
972-853-2450
12-14-2015, 07:51 PM
#30
A good friend of mine had the same problem. He bought a 370 short block that was supposed to have nice race bearings in it but when he got the build sheet different bearings were in it. He ran it in his F-Body and didn't even get a full bottle of nitrous on a 150 shot before it ate itself alive with maybe 500 miles on it. The bearings were completely trashed like I've never seen. He contacted Thompson and they blamed the tune which was done by a VERY reputable tuner and they offered no help. I was bummed because if they'd have offered to sell him the parts at cost or something he'd have been happy but to say it was the tune and sorry about your luck was very disappointing. He's been playing with boosted LS engines for years so he knows what he's doing as well. Unfortunately for me I will be looking elsewhere for my LSX short blocks. I wish Thompson nothing but the best but they could've handled it much better than they did.
12-15-2015, 08:18 AM
#31
LS1charged, Power adders do not void the warranty. We actually discount power adders when purchased with the motor.
The ******, I would really like more info on this motor. I own TMS and an not aware of any motor ever that a bearing failure was blamed on the tune. I make every decision on warranty personally, there is no employee of TMS who is authorized to decide on a warranty claim but me and I absolutely did not ever tell anyone that the bearing failure was due to tune so if this did happen the motor never returned to TMS or there is more to the story. In any case I would absolutely like to get to the bottom of it. I would hate that anyone would have a poor opinion of TMS due to a misunderstanding.
The ******, I would really like more info on this motor. I own TMS and an not aware of any motor ever that a bearing failure was blamed on the tune. I make every decision on warranty personally, there is no employee of TMS who is authorized to decide on a warranty claim but me and I absolutely did not ever tell anyone that the bearing failure was due to tune so if this did happen the motor never returned to TMS or there is more to the story. In any case I would absolutely like to get to the bottom of it. I would hate that anyone would have a poor opinion of TMS due to a misunderstanding.
12-15-2015, 10:36 AM
#32
LS1charged, Power adders do not void the warranty. We actually discount power adders when purchased with the motor.
The ******, I would really like more info on this motor. I own TMS and an not aware of any motor ever that a bearing failure was blamed on the tune. I make every decision on warranty personally, there is no employee of TMS who is authorized to decide on a warranty claim but me and I absolutely did not ever tell anyone that the bearing failure was due to tune so if this did happen the motor never returned to TMS or there is more to the story. In any case I would absolutely like to get to the bottom of it. I would hate that anyone would have a poor opinion of TMS due to a misunderstanding.
The ******, I would really like more info on this motor. I own TMS and an not aware of any motor ever that a bearing failure was blamed on the tune. I make every decision on warranty personally, there is no employee of TMS who is authorized to decide on a warranty claim but me and I absolutely did not ever tell anyone that the bearing failure was due to tune so if this did happen the motor never returned to TMS or there is more to the story. In any case I would absolutely like to get to the bottom of it. I would hate that anyone would have a poor opinion of TMS due to a misunderstanding.
12-15-2015, 10:56 AM
#33
Guys, make sure you are talking about the correct Thompson Motorsports. There was another company out of PA, Thompson Motors, also Thomson Automotive etc etc.
All I am saying, is if you have an issue with your motor, make sure you reach out to the correct company.
All I am saying, is if you have an issue with your motor, make sure you reach out to the correct company.
12-15-2015, 09:14 PM
#34
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LS1charged, Power adders do not void the warranty. We actually discount power adders when purchased with the motor.
The ******, I would really like more info on this motor. I own TMS and an not aware of any motor ever that a bearing failure was blamed on the tune. I make every decision on warranty personally, there is no employee of TMS who is authorized to decide on a warranty claim but me and I absolutely did not ever tell anyone that the bearing failure was due to tune so if this did happen the motor never returned to TMS or there is more to the story. In any case I would absolutely like to get to the bottom of it. I would hate that anyone would have a poor opinion of TMS due to a misunderstanding.
The ******, I would really like more info on this motor. I own TMS and an not aware of any motor ever that a bearing failure was blamed on the tune. I make every decision on warranty personally, there is no employee of TMS who is authorized to decide on a warranty claim but me and I absolutely did not ever tell anyone that the bearing failure was due to tune so if this did happen the motor never returned to TMS or there is more to the story. In any case I would absolutely like to get to the bottom of it. I would hate that anyone would have a poor opinion of TMS due to a misunderstanding.
This sounds likely to me.
12-16-2015, 06:13 AM
#35
A good friend of mine had the same problem. He bought a 370 short block that was supposed to have nice race bearings in it but when he got the build sheet different bearings were in it. He ran it in his F-Body and didn't even get a full bottle of nitrous on a 150 shot before it ate itself alive with maybe 500 miles on it. The bearings were completely trashed like I've never seen. He contacted Thompson and they blamed the tune which was done by a VERY reputable tuner and they offered no help. I was bummed because if they'd have offered to sell him the parts at cost or something he'd have been happy but to say it was the tune and sorry about your luck was very disappointing. He's been playing with boosted LS engines for years so he knows what he's doing as well. Unfortunately for me I will be looking elsewhere for my LSX short blocks. I wish Thompson nothing but the best but they could've handled it much better than they did.
Baggedtahoe, a blanket statement like "they have thrust bearing problems" could lead us to believe you may not understand your engine issues and blaming the builder for them is probably unjustified. We need more info from both of you.
12-16-2015, 11:57 PM
#36
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The ******, I would really like more info on this motor. I own TMS and an not aware of any motor ever that a bearing failure was blamed on the tune. I make every decision on warranty personally, there is no employee of TMS who is authorized to decide on a warranty claim but me and I absolutely did not ever tell anyone that the bearing failure was due to tune so if this did happen the motor never returned to TMS or there is more to the story. In any case I would absolutely like to get to the bottom of it. I would hate that anyone would have a poor opinion of TMS due to a misunderstanding.
I reported the problem to Dustin at TMS, who originally suspected a PCV problem or valve seals. When a compression test showed low, we opened it up to find the problem, found 2 broken pistons and damaged rod bearings. I sent pics to TMS and was told that looks like detonation. It's agree and it's very likely we had too much timing or got poor fuel and rattled it on the dyno. The car was tuned on 92 pump, and ran 100 octane when sprayed (100 shot).
I asked TMS to clarify if this was determined to be a poor tuneup, would it be covered by warranty, because the warranty specifics were not clear. I asked him at purchase to explain the warranty, and he basically said whatever happens we will work with you. In our follow up communications he was very courteous, and they're willing to help, so just send it back. Well this is where I get nervous, because I want to know what I'm getting into. I asked for a ballpark quote to replace 2 pistons, upgrade the rings and bearings. I'm looking for clarification if we get anything from the warranty, courtesy parts discount, anything.
I never got the estimate, just apologies. I was hesitant to just crate it up and send back, because I already knew the warranty doesn't cover shipping or labor. We're already looking at $500 just in round trip shipping. If I have to also pay labor and possibly parts, then I'm stuck with no choice as a consumer but to pay whatever they want to fix it. At that point I could be better off saving the $500 in shipping and fixing it myself. After 6-7 weeks of communication got nowhere, I decided to just drop the whole thing and fix it here in my garage.
Here's what I had a problem with.
1) The build sheet says King Racing bearings. When I open the motor and looked up the part numbers to get replacements, they were actually a $20 set of "King SI series" bearings (soft). I told Dustin I thought that was misleading, and his response was these are good bearings and they use em on all stock crank builds. This may be true, but they are not racing bearings as specified on the invoice. These are race bearings:
http://kingracebearings.com/
Products: XP/HP Racing Series
2) When I placed the order I expect I'm getting Diamond pistons that are listed on the product webpage. After I pay and get the invoice, it showed Probe pistons. When I questioned this Dustin said sorry, this was a mistake on the website and Probe is the right piston, and probably work better for driveability. This was upsetting but decided to go with it. The moly rings were also a concern because I've read they're not a good choice for nitrous.
3) In the end, I believe if it had the stronger pistons/rings & bearings we originally thought we were getting, the motor could have tolerated a rattle better without getting trashed. I voiced this concern to Dustin but got no response. So I rebuilt with a set of Total Seal AP with the steel top ring, Clevite H hardened bearings, and 2 new pistons. I did this for about the price of shipping and seemed like the right thing to do. If I had some indication of exactly how they were going to "work with me" we may have done things differently. Overall disappointed.
Broken #7 piston
Damaged #6 piston
Damaged rod bearing
Here's the rebuilt motor finished and we've moved on. Things could have been better but honestly don't expect anything can be done at this point. Just sharing the experience and trying to provide as much info as possible. There's some things to look out for if you're doing a similar build.
Finished rebuild
Running again idle clip
12-17-2015, 05:29 AM
#37
There are always 3 sides to a story but providing complete information is key so thanks for adding the above. I am just a bystander here but may need a shortblock in the future and this thread could be used as reference. Even upgraded parts may not have survived that detonation BUT I am firm believer you should get the parts you think you are paying for. This could be a totally isolated incident from Thompson but it seems to be common in the engine building industry.
12-17-2015, 08:08 AM
#38
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That really sucks man, I'm sorry to hear that. I think if that is how it truly went down and there was admittance to a wrong description of said parts, then something should have been done to work with each other.
But as said by others, there's two sides to every story. So I'm interested in the response from Thompson now that you've came in and posted your side.
Thanks for the input.
But as said by others, there's two sides to every story. So I'm interested in the response from Thompson now that you've came in and posted your side.
Thanks for the input.
12-17-2015, 08:17 AM
#40
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Paying top $$$$ for a motor that doesn't have the parts you specified for your specific build, doesn't sit well with me....at all. Only 2 things could have happened:
1)Communication might have been broken, or
2) something shady is going on.
1)Communication might have been broken, or
2) something shady is going on.