Beware of IPT Performance Transmissions

[lou1355]

The promise:

http://www.importperformancetrans.com/722.6.shtml

The reality:

1. three weeks of down time and rental car expense.

2. Labor in and out.

3. No noticeable improvement in performance upon re-installation, in fact, performance degredation (no successful 1/4 mile runs on allegedly rebuilt/upgraded tranny).

4. Catastrophic failure in less than 1000 miles.

5. Upon tear down of tranny at RennTech, no evidence of any upgraded parts or any rebuild at all. Internals were all worn OEM parts. (While IPT still had my tranny, I asked them for my old parts and they got irritated and said I "didn't ask in time.")

6. The output shaft was twisted and the sprocket had to be pressed off of it. Now, you tell me, did that happen as a result of the 100+ hard launches I had on the tranny before I sent it to IPT or was it due to the 5 launches I put on the failing tranny after I got it back from IPT? Point being, no one would have re-assembled a rebuilt tranny with a twisted output shaft, therefore my contention, in combination with the worn OEM internals, that the tranny was never opened up by IPT in the first place.

So why am I airing this on the forum? Because when I contacted John at IPT to give him a chance to do the right thing. All he had to say was: "Bull$hit"!

He said I should send him the tranny for "warranty" work. Now, given the fact that there was no evidence he rebuilt the thing in the first place, why would I ship my only tranny back to him for who knows how long and with no expectation of a good outcome? Had he refunded my money, I would have let it go, but we're past that now.

They say: "the proof is in the pudding.." Or maybe they say: "The proof of the pudding is in the eating." Anyway, here is the "pudding."

Twisted output shaft spline:



Burnt K3 clutches:




Severely worn clutch pack:



In one hand is a "Hi Energy friction plate and IPT laser cut, surface treated 1008 steel plate which are installed in all shifting clutches (per IPT)" and in the other hand is a new, stock OEM clutch plate. Can you tell which is which? I can't either.




So where are all of the upgraded IPT internals? No where to be found. There was also no evidence whatsoever that any work was done on the valve body as promised.

I essentially ended up with a very expensive paint job on a failing tranny and two months of lost time and a big hole in my hot rod account.

Here's hoping I can get the Red October on the road again in time to make it to Columbus. If I do, I'll have an IPT T-shirt for sale: $4600 or best offer.

Faithfully,

Lou

[Super T]

Holy f***.......... I hope you're directing him to this thread. I was seriously considering their stuff too, I exchanged emails with someone over there. I know you'd rather be racing than jerking someone's chain so I have faith that your pictures aren't a scam. But wow, that boggles the mind. I'd have my lawyer on the horn if I were you.


"Lucy! You got some 'splainin' to do!"

[Husker]

Wow.......I don't know what to say...sorry Lou

[Johnparts]

Wow Lou when you said something to me I was shocked and to see the proof is mind blowing. I hope you get this resolved.

[oberkill]

I am very glad you posted this because I was just getting ready to see about having this done to my car. Thanks for the post and I hope things get worked out for you.

Alan

[lou1355]

Well, the only reaction I've gotten so far from IPT is a string of profanities from John, one of the owners, who actually questioned RennTech's competence to comment on a Mercedes transmission (can you believe that?).

My next step is to find a lawyer in New Jersey on Monday.

You guys know me well enough to know that I wouldn't have my car up in the air again with two weeks to go until Columbus if I was just wanting to jerk someone around. You should have seen my face when Steve at RennTech showed me my "upgraded" internals--nuthin' but worn out OEM stuff.

The real key to me is that the output shaft would have had to have been pounded back into place with a heavy sledge hammer had the tranny been opened up by IPT. IPT never mentioned having to replace the output shaft and there is no way I went 26,000 miles and over a hundred runs at the strip without damaging it, and then managed to damage it in five limp mode runs and a few hundred soft miles on the street after getting it back from IPT. So, what do you think? No damage to output shaft pre-rebuild, but a twisted output shaft and fried clutches a few hundred miles after the super-duper upgraded rebuild--you decide.

By the way, the tranny let go just driving down the street at part throttle.

Hope to see you guys at Columbus. I have a small but possible chance of getting Big Red back together in time.

Any takers on that T-shirt?

Lou

[Super T]

Could you define "let go"? Did it blow up or just start slipping like mad?

[moonstreaker]

Holy crap dude, sorry you got the shaft (pun intended). Hopefully you can find a way to get some satisfaction out of this mess.

The husband of one of my wife's friends is a Lawyer here in the Garden State. I don't know if this is the type of case he would take, but I can certainly get his info for you.

[lou1355]

	Quote:			Originally Posted by Super T
	Could you define "let go"? Did it blow up or just start slipping like mad?

Slipping like mad and going limp throwing various combinations of 700,731,732 & 733 codes.

Upon engine off and code reset, it would roll another mile or so with very gentle throttle.

Then total slipping, codes, & limp with no motive force.

[Super T]

So none of the "hardware" actually failed, it was all the friction material giving up on you. Hmmmmm... weird that it would hold up to enough torque to twist the shaft but then roast. Please do keep us posted. Maybe look into Southern Hotrod's solution when it's available?

[claude9039u]

I just called them and let them know they lost my business.

[JarZ]

Sorry to hear that, Lou. That's some terrible business ethics they seem to operate by... or more appropriately - "complete lack of ethics". Basically stealing your money and then giving you grief after the fact? Hope they never sell another product.

[moonstreaker]

	Quote:			Originally Posted by claude9039u
	I just called them and let them know they lost my business.

Good call Claude. I think I'll do the same. I was seriously considering one of their modified valve bodies when I upgrade my converter. Definitely not now.

[JarZ]

Let's mass email them at sales@importperformancetrans.com and link to this thread. Their sales for the LX platform will plummet or hopefully completely stop!

[lou1355]

	Quote:			Originally Posted by JarZ
	Let's mass email them at sales@importperformancetrans.com and link to this thread. Their sales for the LX platform will plummet or hopefully completely stop!

As a businessman myself, I gave IPT every chance to avoid this PR campaign, but their only option for me was to send them my tranny for the second time. I of course did not find that option appealing. It's not like they upgraded the thing and something just didn't work right--there was no evidence whatsover that they did anything more than paint it and ship it back to me. If fact, I believe the output shaft situation proves that they couldn't have done anything more than that.

I definitely do not think IPT is running a reputable operation and I definitely do not think they deserve our business.

This also points out the risk of doing business with out of state vendors--if things don't work as advertised, you're in a tough spot.

That's why out-of-state vendors need to establish impeccable track records with forum members--as many of our vendors have done by shipping products that work and standing behind their stuff in a credible way. Stu, PPP, HHP and others come to mind.

I'm glad others are learning by my bad experience. Going with RennTech or waiting for Southern Hot Rod seems to be the way to go here.

I really appreciate the support from you guys. See you in Columbus.....(I hope).

Lou