Problem with warranty for New Knuckle

I'd be smokin pissed! But you got caught in one of those F'd-up situations. Just supprised that S&S wouldn't step up a take care of you......not like it's going to break them. In fact, it would be great customer service if they would....instead of having a thread that reads like this. This is bad publicity as far as I'm concerned and reflects on the S&S name. I don't think Doug and Scott (of FHP USA) put out a whole lot of engines during the time it was their's, so there shouldn't be that many fires to put out if there are any more. Hope you work it out.

Kurt

Yea , thanks .

I really don't want talk bad about S&S but I think I'll buy next engine from Accuate Engeneering Or build my own. Beside there alot of cheap evo out there........ and I just from a 41 knuckle complete basket case around here but they not sure what they want for it.This may take some time............

O-86, you didn't strike me as whining. I thought you were explaining the problem. As for S&S, I agree with Kurt. For a very small production volume engine I would have guessed that helping you even at S&S' own expense would have gone a long way toward free publicity and priceless goodwill with their customers, especially post the FHP acquisition. It isn't like the citizens are breaking down doors to buy repop knuckleheads these days. Apparently, they don't see it that way.

At the same time I have nothing negative to say about S&S. Their products I have used since 1972 always fit, worked fine every time, and didn't break. I addition whenever I called them direct they always connected me to the right and very knowledgeable person.

As for what was going on at FHP during its final year, who knows? I have no idea and won't speculate.

I can say this much: a few months ago I was looking at various Chrysler factory crate engines. The bigger and stronger they are, the higher the cost, like WAAAAAAAAAY UP, and the shorter the warranty, -----all the way down to zero warranty for a full race engine. Buy and use a factory racing engine at your own risk. At first it struck me as a little odd---$12,000 to $50,000 depending on which one you buy---and no warranty. But they have no idea if I know how to install it, know how to or will do the pre-running stuff as required, or even if I am smart enough to remember to put oil in it. They also assume the more HP it cranks out, the more I am going to use it for that purpose, the more stress it will be subject to, the the faster it will wear out, and the faster it will blow up. But it sure looks to be tremendous fun in the meantime.

Piss and moan all you like, Bro'. That's part of the reason these boards exist.

Thanks Bro' ,I'm stuck out here on an island in the Northwest corner of the USA surrounded by Metric riders.
The only thing they know about Knuckleheads is when I lay my knuckles along side their heads......

The 4 Rs
Ride hard, Run free, Refuel & Repeat

Steph

Sheph,

This is Charlie Hadayia of S&S Cycle and I am going to try my best to answer this for you and all so everyone will understand where S&S stands. Back in August S&S Cycle buoght the assets of FHP (parts, tooling and the name) and they would maintain all liability for what was done while they owned the company. We are sorry to here that they are not doing anything with your warranty but it is with the prior ownership. We have spent the last four months as well as the next four testing and refining the products that we are going to bring to market so we can offer the best produsts possible you the customer. I am very sorry to here that we would be held responcable for others actions. If S&S not taking care this is reason for you to not purchase anything from S&S Cycle ever again, I find it troubling and am sorry that you feel this way about our company.

Sincerely,

Charlie


If

I bought an engine from FHP before it was they sold to S&S . The engine still was & is under it warranty time & mileage stated in the warranty. Here the deal ,the engine smoked from day one. I check everything over and over again.

Had no luck getting hold the owner of FHP but ended up contacting S&S because they own FHP now. So I ask them about the warranty on the engine and basically they said too bad ,you are out of luck but they be happy take my engine and go though .But I would have to paid for them to do, man that suck.

So I took the bike over to the local S&S dealer at my cost to find the problem. Will we did the compression test 175 in both cylinders and then the leak down test found it to be leaking into the case. Pull the heads off and guess what we found? Well somebody at FHP didn't check the size of pistons they we're installing which were 0.010 too small for the cylinders and end gap on the rings was 0.025 that she was burning some much oil.

So this really sucks , nobody want to stand up to the warranty so I may never buy another engine from S&S again.
Thanks guys for letting sound off some.

Between a rock and a hard spot.
Steph

Sheph,

You can contact me directly at chadayia@sscycle.com
I look forward to speaking with you.

Charlie

Sheph,

This is Charlie Hadayia of S&S Cycle and I am going to try my best to answer this for you and all so everyone will understand where S&S stands. Back in August S&S Cycle buoght the assets of FHP (parts, tooling and the name) and they would maintain all liability for what was done while they owned the company. We are sorry to here that they are not doing anything with your warranty but it is with the prior ownership. We have spent the last four months as well as the next four testing and refining the products that we are going to bring to market so we can offer the best produsts possible you the customer. I am very sorry to here that we would be held responcable for others actions. If S&S not taking care this is reason for you to not purchase anything from S&S Cycle ever again, I find it troubling and am sorry that you feel this way about our company.

Sincerely,

Charlie


If

I bought an engine from FHP before it was they sold to S&S . The engine still was & is under it warranty time & mileage stated in the warranty. Here the deal ,the engine smoked from day one. I check everything over and over again.

Had no luck getting hold the owner of FHP but ended up contacting S&S because they own FHP now. So I ask them about the warranty on the engine and basically they said too bad ,you are out of luck but they be happy take my engine and go though .But I would have to paid for them to do, man that suck.

So I took the bike over to the local S&S dealer at my cost to find the problem. Will we did the compression test 175 in both cylinders and then the leak down test found it to be leaking into the case. Pull the heads off and guess what we found? Well somebody at FHP didn't check the size of pistons they we're installing which were 0.010 too small for the cylinders and end gap on the rings was 0.025 that she was burning some much oil.

So this really sucks , nobody want to stand up to the warranty so I may never buy another engine from S&S again.
Thanks guys for letting sound off some.

Between a rock and a hard spot.
Steph

To my knowledge, only std size pistons were used on the new engines! That might have changed since I was fired.

Anders

WOW! Where has the business sense gone here? I own a small company, and I personally, stop everything I am doing when I start losing cash. If it is a warranted machine, part, etc. I get on the phone. My reply to whomever answers the phone, is "I want your boss." When I get to the person with the most horsepower, that's whom I will communicate with until the problem is resolved. In this case, I think that is kind of out the window. In my business I could lose about ten grand a day, and well, that would do me in. Any problem, business or personal, has to be dealt with immediately, and resolved quickly. Anytime you're gonna lose like that it is worth your time, to stay on the phone, and give that problem your full attention. You road tested in June, that problem should have been addressed in June. Not August.

I also, think that if you made contact, and tried to make it right, then someone owes you your money. That is if you called them several times a day, and persisted that you had a problem with your engine. If someone has a problem with my product, and it is my fault, I take care of it. Usually, you have to prove it to me, in a timely fashion. Send me my product back, and I'll replace it. I think if I had seen smoke and had tech support on the phone, I would have crated that one up, and UPS would have been taking that one back. Sometime In June.

Now, I do not think S&S could be held accountable, but I am not familiar with the terms of their buyout. If I bought a company, I don't think I would want to be accountable for their mistakes, or warranties, or outstanding debt, etc. I know however, if a customer came in with an off quality problem from the previous owner, I would fix it at cost. That's just good sense. Hasn't S&S offered you the same deal?

I think you own about ninety percent of this one. I am in no way defending anyone, or trying to bash you, but you did not give this problem your full undivided attention. I do know if you get distracted, and do not stay focused on the problems at hand this will not be your last "screwing"

Psycobilly ,
Sorry' I haven't come back sooner on this but you are somewhat right that I some kind of dumb ass for letting this go on. But the engine is back together with the right size piston ( we used S&S instead of the cheap ass Ross piston that were installed ) got to say that Anders desgin a hell of nice engine. Yes, I'm out a few bucks but the customer is very happy & so I'm happy. You see I stand behind my work.

P.S. I read the latest Article in The Horse about FHP & S&S , I understand a little more why our motor got so srcew up now in the first place. I hope Anders is doing will after all he has been when through . And we did buy other engine from S&S (a shovel for the bike build.........

Merry Xmas
Steph

So this really sucks , nobody want to stand up to the warranty so I may never buy another engine from S&S again.
Thanks guys for letting sound off some.

The bottom line here is that you did not buy an engine from S&S. You bought from Flathead Power, who is no longer in business. S&S purchased rights and tooling from Flathead Power. They did not purchase their problems. Get over it.

To all
I guess voicing your opinion or bitch as it has been stated on the site is not allowed.

So I guess I'll pack up my bags and move sunnier places............

I'm afraid that unpalatable as it may seem, Chris Haynes is essentially correct. As far as I can see, you have no claim on S&S if it isn't an S&S manufactured unit