Borowski Race Engines
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Teching In
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 6
Likes: 1
Borowski Race Engines So my L9h in the Escalade ESV cracked a ring land and instead of wasting time with rebuilds or other nonsense I’ve decided to go straight to something I hope won’t have problems.
Im looking at a 427 Dart Ls next shp from Borowski, also considering Thompson, but I can’t find much of anything in regards to real world feedback on them anywhere on the web. Plan at the moment is to run it with twin s366.
Thompson has tons of good feedback in regards to their warranty dept but all in, they’re coming out about $2k more than Borowski. Spoke with Ken at Borowski and he sent me a ton of links to positive reviews and how they won engine builder of the year etc but none of that is real feedback from guys on this forum, which I value more.
So what do you guys think about Borowski?
Mods: sorry if this is the wrong place for this, please move if necessary.
Im looking at a 427 Dart Ls next shp from Borowski, also considering Thompson, but I can’t find much of anything in regards to real world feedback on them anywhere on the web. Plan at the moment is to run it with twin s366.
Thompson has tons of good feedback in regards to their warranty dept but all in, they’re coming out about $2k more than Borowski. Spoke with Ken at Borowski and he sent me a ton of links to positive reviews and how they won engine builder of the year etc but none of that is real feedback from guys on this forum, which I value more.
So what do you guys think about Borowski?
Mods: sorry if this is the wrong place for this, please move if necessary.
Never heard anything bad about Borowski.
Three local guys have had quality problems with Thompson that someone else had to fix, they said they will never do business with them again.
These guys have been in the performance LS world for a long time and know their stuff too.
The one guy had a 370 built, installed in the vehicle and had problems, paid to send it back, got it back and had problems again.
Had a local shop look at it, determined it was assembled poorly, fixed it and then it worked but that was after new bearings and a new crank that wiped out the thrust surface.
Borowski, Texas Speed, LME all make good stuff.
Three local guys have had quality problems with Thompson that someone else had to fix, they said they will never do business with them again.
These guys have been in the performance LS world for a long time and know their stuff too.
The one guy had a 370 built, installed in the vehicle and had problems, paid to send it back, got it back and had problems again.
Had a local shop look at it, determined it was assembled poorly, fixed it and then it worked but that was after new bearings and a new crank that wiped out the thrust surface.
Borowski, Texas Speed, LME all make good stuff.
Borowski I have not heard any complaints, and I know 2-3 folks who have bought from them in the last 12 months.I'm guessing the engine you are looking at is around 24K?
Thompson I've heard some mixed things here and there but not personal experience nor do I have friends who have purchased from them.
Thompson I've heard some mixed things here and there but not personal experience nor do I have friends who have purchased from them.
Borowski I have not heard any complaints, and I know 2-3 folks who have bought from them in the last 12 months.I'm guessing the engine you are looking at is around 24K?
Thompson I've heard some mixed things here and there but not personal experience nor do I have friends who have purchased from them.
Thompson I've heard some mixed things here and there but not personal experience nor do I have friends who have purchased from them.
Customer A: Bought complete 370 long block, small turbo (7875) in a 1/2 ton 4x4 pickup in front of a 4L80E. Wiped out the thrust bearing in one season/summer. Thompson said the torque converter/trans killed it. Installer checked everything related to trans that would kill a thrust bearing, all good. Paid to ship the engine back and have it fixed, engine was sent back to customer. Went into the truck, was in the truck for a couple months, put a prybar on the converter and there was massive thrust play again, no racing or real abuse. Pulled engine and had it looked at locally, looked like Thompson reused the crank but the thrust surface had been poorly machined. New shop installed a new crank at the correct tolerances and its still in the truck running 4 years later get beat like it owes the owner money.
Customer B: Bought complete 370 nitrous short block with Wiseco pistons and Clevite coated bearings, got Probe pistons and standard king bearings, no rebate or solution offered by Thompson.
Customer C: Bought a 5.7 boost short block from Thompson that had seven of one kind of piston and an eighth that was a different manufacturer. No rebate or solution offered by Thompson.
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Verdad Gallardo I know right.
Customer A has a LS big turbo Nova that makes 1,300whp so he's no stranger to the LS world.
Customer B is actually the son of Customer C who has a twin turbo 8 sec. Corvette so they both know what they're doing.
I'll never buy from Thompson just from what these guys have shared with me.
Okay so now in complete fairness and transparency, I had heard that the shop foreman or manager or whatever at Thompson was a real dirt bag and this type of service was acceptable to him and he has since been fired and new manager put in place.
The timeline on all three of these customer experiences were very close together so its quite feasible that they were all hosed by this one shitty manager.
Obviously there are guys out there running their stuff with success so I just want to be fair to Thompson and as transparent as possible having never actually done business with them.
Customer A has a LS big turbo Nova that makes 1,300whp so he's no stranger to the LS world.
Customer B is actually the son of Customer C who has a twin turbo 8 sec. Corvette so they both know what they're doing.
I'll never buy from Thompson just from what these guys have shared with me.
Okay so now in complete fairness and transparency, I had heard that the shop foreman or manager or whatever at Thompson was a real dirt bag and this type of service was acceptable to him and he has since been fired and new manager put in place.
The timeline on all three of these customer experiences were very close together so its quite feasible that they were all hosed by this one shitty manager.
Obviously there are guys out there running their stuff with success so I just want to be fair to Thompson and as transparent as possible having never actually done business with them.
8 Second Club
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,011
Likes: 31
From: in my neighborhood
Let me be the first to **** on Borowski. My buddy has an 08 ZO6 that he put a Borowski Dart blocked 461". It has never run right and burns a quart of oil every ten miles. Borowski burned the motor up on the dyno breaking it in and sent it. The motor was pulled and sent back to Borowski *5 TIMES* for inspection and they sent it back each time with bullshit excuses. This is a $35k motor that is basically a boat anchor right now. Feel free to PM me
Let me be the first to **** on Borowski. My buddy has an 08 ZO6 that he put a Borowski Dart blocked 461". It has never run right and burns a quart of oil every ten miles. Borowski burned the motor up on the dyno breaking it in and sent it. The motor was pulled and sent back to Borowski *5 TIMES* for inspection and they sent it back each time with bullshit excuses. This is a $35k motor that is basically a boat anchor right now. Feel free to PM me
I pretty much don't make engine shop reccomendations.
I am friends with Mike Lough, and he seems to have a spotless reputation. He and I texted last week and I know he's waiting on Dart blocks and parts.
I am going to use for the first time FastTimes in Chicago, that's the current plan though I need to meet with Graham and discuss the engine build and make sure he and I are on the same page.
I am friends with Mike Lough, and he seems to have a spotless reputation. He and I texted last week and I know he's waiting on Dart blocks and parts.
I am going to use for the first time FastTimes in Chicago, that's the current plan though I need to meet with Graham and discuss the engine build and make sure he and I are on the same page.
Had a pretty good experience with’em. I was one of the early LSNext builds (388ci) when the blocks first came out on the market. Ken secured quite a few of those blocks for their builds and seems to do so still today. I know he’s spent a damn good amount of money on CNC machines for machining blocks. I’m not sure if Tim is building them now as Dave built my motor back in the day.
I pretty much don't make engine shop reccomendations.
I am friends with Mike Lough, and he seems to have a spotless reputation. He and I texted last week and I know he's waiting on Dart blocks and parts.
I am going to use for the first time FastTimes in Chicago, that's the current plan though I need to meet with Graham and discuss the engine build and make sure he and I are on the same page.
I am friends with Mike Lough, and he seems to have a spotless reputation. He and I texted last week and I know he's waiting on Dart blocks and parts.
I am going to use for the first time FastTimes in Chicago, that's the current plan though I need to meet with Graham and discuss the engine build and make sure he and I are on the same page.
FWIW -
Lingenfelter (LPE) or BES Racing Engines (BES) or Horse Power Research (HPR) are my personal top choices for what's in my budget for my next motor project a LS2 402.
LPE has always treated me right. From small stuff like one of the first LS1 ported throttle bodies back in 1999 to 90mm snouted LS6 intakes in 2017. Consistently excellent.
BES is close enough to know they are outstanding based on words of mouth offline from folks. Plus they've been helpful with other stuff in the past.
HPR - great online reputation plus outstanding background owner has with SAM.
Thompson seems promising, especially from what's online. My encounters with unhappy Thompson customers, one I've know for years offline cooled me on Thompson. However, that all before pandemic.
Lingenfelter (LPE) or BES Racing Engines (BES) or Horse Power Research (HPR) are my personal top choices for what's in my budget for my next motor project a LS2 402.
LPE has always treated me right. From small stuff like one of the first LS1 ported throttle bodies back in 1999 to 90mm snouted LS6 intakes in 2017. Consistently excellent.
BES is close enough to know they are outstanding based on words of mouth offline from folks. Plus they've been helpful with other stuff in the past.
HPR - great online reputation plus outstanding background owner has with SAM.
Thompson seems promising, especially from what's online. My encounters with unhappy Thompson customers, one I've know for years offline cooled me on Thompson. However, that all before pandemic.
