I need some honest opinions....

I will be buying a new short block this week. After the input I seen from my original post about replacing my engine that threw a rod you all convinced me it would be better...and cheaper to do it this way.

Now I have heard some negative comments about Howell. I really dont want to spend 2k+ for something that might give me more heart ache then what I need.

In your opinions...which would be the better company to go with? What are the problem with howell?

Any input would be appreciated

CoBen
Marcus

Definitely not TRD as it's Toyota Racing Development....

99GS MT | Star Stage 2 | GC coilovers | HurriganeGS tie bars | Tokico Illuminas | 17x7 Enkei RS5 | Baer track brakes |+

DOH!

My bad...I meant ARD

Fat fingers syndrome strikes again!

well here the deal with howell, some poeple have done business with them and have gotten no problems. i bought the hrc stage one and everything went fine. of course the sales guy was not really rude, but i was a little off because when you just spend $2100, i just expected someone extremely helpful. i personally won't buy anything expensive from them (anything above $1000) or anything that is too complicated that they can mess up.

other people who have dealth with them found it painful-especially when it is howell's mistake. i know that extremers had problems with them and mattgs (i think that's him) bought the short block and it had leaks. they fucked it up and didn't do the seals correctly.

kinda sucks for us cause there are very few companies out there that develop for our platform.

New Car:
2004 350z base, Nismo CAI, pioneer avic-n1 (dvd, cd, navi)



Old Car:
1998 GS with hrc stage 2, HID 6000k conversion kit, AEM UEGO wideband, sfmu, ml, prokits, Greddy warning gauges: egt, boost gauge, and oil pressure, apexi tt, haydans tranny cooler, costum dp, groundwires, dynotune fp gauge. gst muff, turbo spoiler
Boostin since Aug 03.

nothing like driving with the windows down and the music low: i love hearing the turbo spool, swwwhhhttt!!!!

off topic...

TRD , I think of Sean Connery ;Celebrity Jeopardy (SNL)
You said turd!

Yea, I bought their block, and as someone already said, they didn't seal anything properly. Literally, every single spot that required sealing leaked. Of course, I wasnt able to know that every seal would leak before I installed the engine, so I had to take everything apart after I got it installed not once, or twice, but THREE times. The reason it took 3 times is because at first i thought there was only one leak because after 1 minute of running I had a 1 foot diameter puddle of oil under the car from a freeze plug in the oil galley between the block and the bellhousing. After I fixed that, I noticed that there was another leak on the timing belt side, so I took that all apart and found that the other freeze plug behind the t-belt tensioner bracket was also leaking. After I fixed that, I found an even smaller leak coming from the oil pump cover. I understand that mistakes happen and all that, but to screw up on every single seal on the block is pathetic.

What really made me mad about the whole ordeal was that Howell was unwilling to refund any money at all. After nearly 40 mins of arguing with gary on the phone, he offered me $20 back or a discount on a later purchase. To me, that was just a slap in the face. Currently, I am in a legal dispute with them over it and the case is still in arbitration. Gary advertised his block here and on his site as a "plug and play" block saying that the advantage to buying it was simply to save the downtime of having to have your block machined and assembled. Well, that block cost me about 30 times the amount of downtime that I would have had if I would have had my block machined and assembled it myself. To put it simply, if they had even 1% of the courtasy and customer service that HRC has, I would still do business with them, but unfortunately, they are the absolute worst business I have ever dealt with in my life (after spending $3500 with them in one order). Not just because they wouldn't do anything for me financially, but they were all rude to me on the phone as well (i even got hung up on once).

Matt
1995 Eclipse GS
2.0L, S16g Turbo, 8 Injectors, 26psi

1998 Eclipse GSX
2.3L Stroker, AEM EMS Converted to Speed Density, FP3065 Turbo, 35psi , and so on...

^^^^^^
jesus on the above post.

New Car:
2004 350z base, Nismo CAI, pioneer avic-n1 (dvd, cd, navi)



Old Car:
1998 GS with hrc stage 2, HID 6000k conversion kit, AEM UEGO wideband, sfmu, ml, prokits, Greddy warning gauges: egt, boost gauge, and oil pressure, apexi tt, haydans tranny cooler, costum dp, groundwires, dynotune fp gauge. gst muff, turbo spoiler
Boostin since Aug 03.

nothing like driving with the windows down and the music low: i love hearing the turbo spool, swwwhhhttt!!!!

hmmmm.... thats NOT good.

I called ARD and was very happy with "jody" who talked to me on the phone. I asked for quotes and he got them for me and called me back withing 20 mins. Very freindly and helpful and answered all my questions. Offered advice and direction to go with what I want now and in the future with this car. (I really want turbo someday)

I think I will be going with a long block from them and have the head ported and polished and a really nice bottom end with 10.5 - 1 compression and bored .030 over

I still want to call blackdog but ARD is looking very nice indeed.

Thanks for all the input. Howell might be a good company and have good products but, I really dont want to chance it on getting a lemon. I cant afford downtime or tinkering with it to get it right.

"CoBen"
Marc

http://rpmxtreme.homestead.com/blocksmitsubishi.html

This company I checked out has crazy cheap prices and they give 1 year warranty on their engines.

But I'm not sure how good they build their engines

Your Garage is not worthy
For the Masterpiece you built
That only looks like it cost a Fortune
While most flaunt their cars by going fast
You show off Standing Still

you'll be nicely impressed with ARD's work, both Jody and Owen are extremely nice guys, and I really havent heard of anything of theirs that they didnt do 100%, go with them

1993 Eagle Talon Tsi FWD
6 bolt swap COMPLETE!
ACT flywheel, ACT 2600, Joe P MBC, Autometer boost guage, Buschur DP, Buschur high flow cat, prothane motor mounts, BM tranny lsd insert, K&N,balance shafts eliminated, EGR blocked, free mods, and sweet ass 16g @ 18psi.

ard huh... i gotta check out their stuff (maybe for a bottom end kit). they seem like a good company.

New Car:
2004 350z base, Nismo CAI, pioneer avic-n1 (dvd, cd, navi)



Old Car:
1998 GS with hrc stage 2, HID 6000k conversion kit, AEM UEGO wideband, sfmu, ml, prokits, Greddy warning gauges: egt, boost gauge, and oil pressure, apexi tt, haydans tranny cooler, costum dp, groundwires, dynotune fp gauge. gst muff, turbo spoiler
Boostin since Aug 03.

nothing like driving with the windows down and the music low: i love hearing the turbo spool, swwwhhhttt!!!!

fromt he little experience i have had with them I have been very pleased. they sure did get me out of a jam quickly (with the help of Brynden). They do seem to know what customer service is and from what i get from one of the good customers (Brynden) they do pretty good work.
hopefully he will post and let you know more about them.

-97 GS (First project, 299 whp)(sold)
- 97 RS 2.6 last numbers: 306hp, 352tq @16psi (Dead, parted out)
- 99 GS OZ, Hahn Kit, 56k miles (Sold)
--------
- 00 Nissan Maxima GLE (Daily Driver)
- 02 Audi A4 1.8T Quattro

Bought all my bottom end, top end, trans parts, clutch, flywheel, nos stuff, porting from ARD. Rebuilt my motor and my trans too. Plus they will always help you out if you have problems. They do REALLY good work.

-"Easy Mac"
05 Mazda RX-8 (RR8 #88)
99 Eclipse RS 398whp & 372lb-ft

>Bought all my bottom end, top end, trans parts, clutch,
>flywheel, nos stuff, porting from ARD. Rebuilt my motor and
>my trans too. Plus they will always help you out if you have
>problems. They do REALLY good work.

oh good. so ARD has a full bottom end kit like howell does huh? i just emailed them and hopefully they can help me out.

New Car:
2004 350z base, Nismo CAI, pioneer avic-n1 (dvd, cd, navi)



Old Car:
1998 GS with hrc stage 2, HID 6000k conversion kit, AEM UEGO wideband, sfmu, ml, prokits, Greddy warning gauges: egt, boost gauge, and oil pressure, apexi tt, haydans tranny cooler, costum dp, groundwires, dynotune fp gauge. gst muff, turbo spoiler
Boostin since Aug 03.

nothing like driving with the windows down and the music low: i love hearing the turbo spool, swwwhhhttt!!!!

I wouldn't really call it a kit but you can buy bottom end parts from them. I bought my eagle rods, je pistons, arp bottom end studs, and etc. from them. I didn't have to get any specific part so I could've substituted crower rods, wiseco pistons, etc. It's up to you.

-"Easy Mac"
05 Mazda RX-8 (RR8 #88)
99 Eclipse RS 398whp & 372lb-ft

I've had good dealings with all.

I got rocker arms from Black Dog, very good pieces, well made. Clay, was nice over there, answered my questions via e-mail and then was nice on the phone.

Owen at ARD was very nice on the phone when I got my manidfold P&P'd, and work done, was very good. Turn aorund time was also quick, but I know they are busier now.

Gary Howell has always been good to me, answered questions when I called, or over e-mail, and parts have always come promply, including my last batch of cam gears, coil pack, etc.

Limited experience with Black Dog and ARD, more so with howell, but I would order from all three again.



15.9 @ 86.7mph
97 Eclipse RS

Injen CAI, 55mm TB, P&P Intake, Crower Stage 2 Cams, Hooker Header, GS-T Muffler, AFX UDP, Crane Ign Amp, S-AFC

Yeah, Jody's a really cool guy. As soon as I get some dinero I'm going to send him an intake manifold and one of these new 60mm throttle bodies so I can get it ported to match and get the runners ported and polished