good and bad comments unfortunately and I wasn’t going to post anything but I’ve been emailing them without reply for almost 3 weeks now, and the issue has been unresolved since September which I feel is long enough now to have to bring it up for a response.

I bought a brand new shortmotor from them in August; initially I got a very good response to emails etc and questions after I enquired about their special offer. I’m in the UK so it’s a very big step spending thousands with someone you don’t know in a foreign country. Their reputation and threads about their work quality on here, plus the deal price itself decided me to go with them.

Anyway we agreed terms and the engine duly arrived (a little later than promised) but ok so far.

On stripping down the crate I found I was missing a couple of items from my order that I’d paid for on top of the shortmotor. (ls7 lifters and new plastic lifter trays).

I immediately rang them rather than email to let them know, as the shipping list showed the items had been packed and shipped, but they weren’t in the crate and it arrived unopened here in the UK.

Leo @ Weber Racing was ok of course and promised to supply them asap, and to help him out on postage/freight I suggested I collect them when I was on holiday in Vegas if he wouldn’t mind shipping them to my hotel. (I was coming over a week later.)

After doing this I got my new package sent to me on the last day of my hols in Vegas, and then found I’d received the lifters only, still missing the lifter trays. I’d had to put my build on hold for 2 weeks anyway by this stage of not having the bits to complete.

as I was coming home that day I emailed as soon as I got back. this was three-four weeks ago, and I haven’t had any reply since.

since then I’ve sent a further 2 emails and a pm on here to him without acknowledgement or reply in any way.

I then ended up buying the trays last week from a UK dealer at an additional cost of £80($136 or so), my build having been halted for 3-4weeks further.

also I asked on email for some specific information from them (on 3 occasions since spending my money there) on how to break the engine in and what oil to use, so I do it as per their specification. again, no reply given. this is worrying as I didn’t get any info in the crate or with the engine on a proper procedure etc on break in.


so summary-

good points
great initial response to enquiries and great technical help in speccing the engine etc. engine build looks fantastic, and the price was superb. I can’t comment as yet on how it runs as I’ve held off firing the engine up or filling it with oil until I know exactly what they want me to do/use. I don’t want any comebacks from me doing something wrong.

not so good points-
feedback after I got the engine is poor, and response to emails is poor. I appreciate they are busy, but my initial emails got answered within a day or so at most. calling the USA regularly isn’t something I should have to do to chase up the missing parts I never received, and my last email simply asked for a refund for the lifter trays I have been charged for and not had. technically I should send them the bill for an additional £80 which I have a receipt for from the Uk for the same parts, or maybe contact my credit card company and put it in dispute, but as they are a forum sponsor/ paying tuner I decided to give them the chance to reply by my only other contact point on lstech.

I await your reply or pm if you prefer, i'm hopeful its all purely down to pressure of work and the like. i havent ever moaned about a supplier before on the net, i just feel that the after service is a little lacking on this occasion -after spending a decent amount of money with you i'd hoped for a continuation of the initial good email /query response.
regards

Chris Mann

 

Leo is no longer with WRE.

You want to contact Brian Weber.

https://ls1tech.com/forums/member.php?u=104161

 

ah thats news to me, thanks for letting me know. i'll copy this to thread to brian as i'm thinking hes probably unaware of the situation then. my only contact all along has been leo.
regards

 

i'll post up further news once Brian has had chance to read/reply , sent him a pm

 

I would suggest emailing and calling Bryan, and he will make it right.

 

Weber has been around a long time with high quality work, Bryan is the person you would need to contact as mentioned.

Please update this post when you have had contact with Weber.

 

yes will do. i'm +8hrs ahead if i remember so will try tomorrow night to make the call. i cant fault the price/quality of the engine and it was crated up/delivered very nicely, no risk of damage. i bought based on their excellent reputation for engines and i dont think anything about the block itself can be faulted :-)

my major concern is the lack of break in info/data as i have no idea what spec oil they expect to use and i assumed i'd get that with the engine or on email immediately after, i can live with the ££cost of the trays for now after the inconvienience of not getting them with the order.

 

sorry for the long delay in clearing this up but i've been moving house and the car/engine got put on the back burner a little.

anyway i've just spoken to a very helpful bryan and gone over the issues with him. looks like we were both left high and dry by Leos actions, and i've now also got the information i need to break the engine in correctly. i found bryan to be very helpful and informative as you would hope.

thumbs up at last , i shall hopefully be breaking in my new engine very shortly.

 

dont think brian or anyone else at weber will make it right! I was ripped off by leo mlocki who worked for weber - was told he had a ls2 long block for sale deep discount weber built never used. Motor came incomplete (short block & Heads - no cam push rods lifters or heads installed)and poorly built cost me thousands in R&R to find out they put my reluctor wheel on backwards called callies said it left factory with 24 tooth weber put on 58 tooth without jig - just scribed it and put wheel on backwards took whole day to figure it was reluctor wheel why car wouldn't start (vette doctors worked the whole day to trouble shoot and didn't charge me for it. They did of course have to charge me for r&r 2x and building 2x and breaking down motor 1x) Called brian he informed me leo stole the engine from him he was not making good on anything - doesn't explain why wheel was not put on correctly callies did change it for free i had to pay shipping. When motor was broken down found main bearings scuffed builder said thought the engine might be dirty and the timing chain used by weber was junk or worse! I would not use weber to rebuild my lawn mower!

 

Sorry for your losses guys.

 

The motor built by weber had problems with parts and assembly. Leo may have stole from them that is between them, but short block was asembled by weber. These are the problems the shortblock had. 1. Timing chain junk melling pump didn't fit with it. changed to brand name chain melling fit like a charm. I think the junk weber put on shortblock was pro billet. 2. relutctor wheel put on out of phase. apparently came from callies with 24 tooth rw - weber changed to 58 put it on wrong. 3. main bearings scuffed - observed by engine builder when tearing engine down to fix reluctor problem - rod bearing where fine. 4. too much clearance in main bearings seems to be set like cast iron block - it was a alum ls2 block.
Leo promised l19 bolts came with 8740 bolts.
rotating assembly not balanced right maybe reluctor wheel the reason, but callies said it needed mallory.
promised assembly.
promised pushrods.
promised cam.
gave me used and beat up rocker arms.

Leo did send me $800 to cover assembly.
When problems with motor became known I called leo and left a message does not retrn calls.
motor was a nightmare cost me much money - I talked to weber said leo stole it from him -washed his hands of everything did not try to explain why motor was a nightmare.
Bryan takes the position that he is the victim. He takes no responsibility for Leo his employee and only voice of weber in about 25 phone calls to weber.
This engine cost me thousands in r&r 2x and assembly 2x. Build with weber at your own risk!
Pro shop put reluctor wheel on wrong what did they do mark it with a marker. please?
Callies said if you have the jig it can only go on 1 way - terrible

 

It could very well be that someone stole a bunch of parts from around the shop, threw them together and sold them out the back door to you. In a case like that, I'm not sure where the liability would fall.

 

My engine had a build sheet from weber - I called and spoke to the assembler.

 

I had a very custom engine being build by weber. After the leo mess. I got a run around for answers. I think alot should have been handle differently. Its a shame. I was giving them a chance to make right but after 3 weeks of waiting on answer and many PM's from other people on this board that are having issues i moving my engine build some where else.

 

good choice my weber built was a horror

 

My engine also had a build sheet. I don't know happened to WRE, but my experience with them was great.

Not only did they repair a severely damaged combustion chamber on one of my AFR 225's (final assembly and upgrades by Tony at AFR), they also redid my shortblock earlier this year. The build was completed on time and within $100 of the original estimate. In addition, communication was great during the whole process.

Anyway, sorry for the hijack. I hope everything gets resolved for all parties involved.

 

So those of you that got Weber motors, how are they running? If anyone has them fired up yet?!? I was caught in the Leo b.s. as well. I just hope I don't have any problems with the short block I got. I didn't get a build sheet with it. I guess I might have to get it torn down and checked over. I feel bad for Weber, but it seems like some people are having mechanical issues. Which shouldn't be a Leo problem. Brian said they built my setup, never recieved cash from Leo. So the build is on Weber. My block does have all the markings on the parts from the build written on them. Like what bore all the pistons/rods went into, deck ht. stamped into block, grams of pistons, etc.

I do want to say my build looks top notch. I hope Weber doesn't get the wrong end of the stick and that they can pull through this. At the same time, I hope I don't have issues with my build because of of all the **** going on......

 

White Rhino - Mine was built in April-08 and it has over 5K miles and several track runs without a problem. It runs strong and doesn't burn oil. Best ET of the season is in my sig.

 

my block had deck and weber markings looked pro but had many problems - do your self a favor check the clearances of the motor unless install price is not significant