The GPI Experience

[ALLISONMAN]

hey johnny let me know if i can help ya with anything!@!!! I know i get on here and post some stuff maybe i really shouldnt say but i am always looking out for what i feel is the best interest of the allisonowners.com members!!!!! I knew that alot of stuff from gpi wasnt correct and took some heat from quite a few guys on here for it!!!! oh well i hope everyone will see and read this post and realize maybe just because someone posts something about someone dont just blow him off you might need to check around and find out before blowing this person off!!!!!!hate to hear that many guys on here have lost money and been ripped off and that hurts the most!!!!! hopefully john your motor will be great from now on and beleive me you will be a whole lot happier with the 1" spacer and forged pistons!!! the 260 block isnt that bad of a block either and should do you good but the 280 pressed in sleeves sounds like bs again because that would be an expensive ordeal and would have been cheaper to just buy a block!!!! but the ported 260's seem to do good as long as the havent been ported to high and grab a ring!!!!!

VERY APPARENT WHY GPI IS HIDING NOW!!!!!! :twisted: :twisted:

 

[Yellowallison]

LULU.....

Why yu still have got RANDY's personal Motor... ! did you ever get YOUR (serial number) motor back yet ?

 

[Scott Gilmore]

VERY APPARENT WHY GPI IS HIDING NOW!!!!!! :twisted: :twisted:

Hiding ? I really don't think Randy is hiding, I'm doing a boat/motor deal with him now (that will be the 3rd Allison I've bought from him). That along with five 2.5s & a ton of other parts..... lower units, Mids, cowlings, props & every other part under the sun. Yes I've had 1 or 2 problems over the years (ALL 2.5's do) but Randy has ALWAYS backed up his work and went above & beyond to help me.
I'm very sorry to hear these stories of bad service. I'm just posting what my personal dealings have been with GPI over the years & they have been EXCELLENT !! Scott

 

[2fast4mom]

Why yu still have got RANDY's personal Motor... ! did you ever get YOUR (serial number) motor back yet ?

Randy warned me that I "wouldn't want to take it off" the XR once I tried it. He was right; it pulls like dual stock 260's on the back. So he made me a deal on it and I bought it right after the WAR 2005.

I did get the 260 back, and to be honest I never recorded the serial numbers on the original block I had--so no way of knowing. However, I didn't like the (cosmetic) looks of what I got back last year, and Randy swapped out the whole head for me (that's the motor that Pinkie used during this year's WAR). It ran fine with the exception of one glitch at start-up, the water dump gasket was folded over and water was coming from behind the switchboxes. This was easily fixed and the motor ran great for the remainder of the WAR 06.

Anyone in business can make a mistake; what matters is how you stand behind what you provide. I have to stand behind stuff all the time and in fact I'm going downstairs in a minute to work on a "nightmare" problem I am having with a 16 year old temperature controller that I can't get parts for, and refuses to behave. I'll probably have to eat it and give the customer a new controller, since I promised I could fix it but now can't seem to. :evil:

What was it Buddy Camp once told me? "Some days you the bug; some days you the windshield". :wink:

 

[Waterdigger]

John hate to hear about your engine problems, hope things work out!


Don't know the owner of the pearl/royal blue SS ....... but she's A KICK-
ARSH LOOKIN' A BOTE :!: :lol:

 

[BP]

John thank you for sharing and posting your story. If it keeps one person from getting taken, it was worth it!

Be careful with the new powerhead and best of luck with it.

Kevin, Thanks to you too, for allowing this post to stand as a warning to others.

 

[John Richied]

Three ways to learn:
Learn by reading.
Learn by observation.
The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves. --Will Rogers

 

[white03]

John,

I'll join the others here and say thanx for sharing your experiences. As I am going through the process right now of reviewing options on rebuild/new/?? your post was very timely.

Bill

 

[deadeye99]

This is in no way a shot at gpi since i have no experience with him. This is my experience with a local mechanic years ago. I had a 24 skater with 2.4s on it. Heard all the stories and figured I better get tight with a wrench for when it was needed. I looked all over town and got to know a guy that was building the motors on a couple of champion offshore outboards. I put a couple hundred trouble free hours on those STOCK mercs. In the ocean, on lakes, just had a blast. Well we were keeping track of the compression and when it got down to about 112 he suggested we freshen up the motors. While at it why not a little port work? Custom flywheels? No problem.
I wait a couple months. get my babies back, run the 16 hours he suggests to break them in and the first time i open them up, POW. Melted both #6 pistons.
Well he was good about warranty and rebuilt them again. After breaking them in I opened them up and POW. You quessed it, both #6s.
Well now this guy is probably about out of money and he did fix them again. It took months again. Did I try it. No way. It was sold with fresh rebuilds and his phone #. I miss that rig.
As much as I like to play with stuff I only by stock mercs. 96 promax, no problems. 2005 280 no problems. 1977 150 no problems. Several black max's. no problems.
Sorry so long but stock is good for me. If my 280 blows she'll get a fresh merc drop on. If I need to go faster I'll get a drag. Bob

 

[GeoL]

Good move, Bob, those other guys are not as fast as they say they are anyway.
Geo :lol: 8)

 

[msethsmile]

RP

I first met RP in 91 (I think) and bought a gs from him during his tenure at Avon Marine. Over the years we have had more than a few transactions. The trip from point A to point B on any project has not always been smooth, owing to a difference of opinion. I will say this, in the end (point B) Randy always made it right. On several occasions he has driven to meet me half-way (5 1/2 hours total) with a needed part. One time he met me at midnight (no joke) so that I could continue on my vacation the next day. Many times he has loaned me props, ecu's, et al to help at no charge, sometimes not even freight. He has a particular fascination with trying new methods, set-ups, etc. That can be good or bad depending on if you want to be the guinea pig or not. I think it is good. The best way for anyone to resolve future dealings with RP is communication. Put it on paper and stick to the script (within reason). As for RP, assuming he reads this crock, pace yourself. You are good for only so many projects at a time.

Who am I? I'm just a shlub living in a IA cornfield who likes to go relatively fast in a boat. I'm not Joe ODBA, Joe personal phone line to merc. I'm not a Randy-ite, He does not walk on water, although that one time I could have sworn...never mind. I'm not on RP's A list or even a beer buddy (lowest common denominator). I look forward to doing business with Randy in the future.

Mark Smiley

Ps. RP, you have a rare gift for making boats go fast, use it well. A little humility on EVERYONE'S part (including me) never hurt.

 

[John Richied]

Re: RP

The trip from point A to point B on any project has not always been smooth, owing to a difference of opinion. I will say this, in the end (point B) Randy always made it right.

The part where you say “Randy always made it right” this seems to be a topic that comes up with every person I know who has done business with Randy. WHY?

Here is something for the thinking block… On my original engine build sheet I was to have A.R.T. pistons and the famous proven GPI intake. Yet my second engine has a 1-inch Merc spacer and Mahle top pined pistons… heck I think I did better, maybe a shut-the-hell-up-engine?

He has a particular fascination with trying new methods, set-ups, etc. That can be good or bad depending on if you want to be the guinea pig or not. I think it is good.

Mark Smiley

Or what he has on his work bench... (it's the next best thing)

Mark, you said a mouth full there for sure!

First GPI/Merc

Trust me, I use to believe…

 

[Yellowallison]

HEY PINKIE!!!!!!!!!!!! what that YU BE draggin under yur BUS!

I think yu ran over something! :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[Mike2002]

Regrets

John,

Sorry to hear about your problems.

I think several folks have said if you want reliability go for stock, if you want speed then modify but it will cost you and it did for you in more ways than one.

I think I found out early that it was more fun to be running even if slower than to be fast but down for repairs and more $$.

Sorry that things did not work out with Randy. I think somebody said that communication may work through this. I also think Randy is a little more optimistic about his capabilities and this gets him into trouble. He probably did not mean for it to work out like this but his "ego" probably won't let him admit he made some mistakes or promises he could not keep.

Good Luck to All,

Mike (formerly Mike2002 aka Coach K)

 

[msethsmile]

GPI

JR-
I can only vouch for my experience, which although not stellar, has been overall pretty good. My 'experience' with gpi has been profitable. I would prefer he build an engine that I can spin 8000-8500 for 500-1000 hours but he keeps screwing up.

As for your phantom parts coming and going, some items in your pics look very familiar.--bad joke.

I hope you bury the hatchet (when I'm not around) with RP and/or find a engine guy you're comfortable with.

All the best,
--Mark

Ps. Your allison has (more or less) the same color scheme and carpet as mine except mine is a xb2003.

 

[John Richied]

Mark, thanks for the well wishes, we are on the same side. By the way, most of the parts on that engine I no longer have on the new engine… LOL

I’m not sure where the stock engine VS the modified engine came into this topic, but I assure you few guys, it has nothing to do with my post or reason for posting. It is a very good point, but really carries no weight with having a build sheet that says you will get one thing and receiving another.

Mike, a mistake is one thing… telling someone you had their injectors cleaned and flowed by Brucato and it was never done is another. If this kind of business is going on how many parts that are said to be cryo treated are, along with the other specialty coatings? I would bet very few to NONE.

I have been talking to a guy who tells me Cryo treated parts can be tested. What they do is take the piston or connecting rod and verify the hardness.

 

[TonyB]

We keep records and injector reports on every injector we service.
A detailed injector report is included with all injectors that we service or sell.
Your mechanic or engine builder will be able to supply you with a copy of this report if we've done work on your injectors.
If anybody has a question about the authenticity of their Brucato injector service, please call us with your concerns.

We aren't the only company that services injectors, but your mechanic should be able to supply authentication from whoever he uses.

Tony Brucato