c.o.m.e. racing

[sircruisealotVS]

i just thought i would share with everyone an email i just got from sam, co-owner of c.o.m.e. racing, in reply to an email i had sent to them.
i bought my stroker engine from these guys a few months ago, for anyone that doesnt know, and i was (and still am) very happy with it...it is a great engine, and for daily driving its awesome (the torque is rediculous!).
in my email i told sam about my low rwhp figure when put on the dyno on the weekend and simply asked for some advice on what may need attention and any possible further mods to unleash some better hp at the rears. i also mentioned that it should have made alot more power than it did going off the 220kw quoted for engine power. i was quite polite and wasnt having a go at him or c.o.m.e's products, i just wanted some guidance as to why it only got what it did and how to fix that.
as you can see, he took it completely the wrong way and blasted me...so this is the kind of after sale customer service you can expect from c.o.m.e.

"You dyno fools are beyond belief. Do you really care what a dyno says? Why don't you race that clown with the 3.8 instead of worrying about dyno numbers. No one told you or quoted rear wheel figures. We quote only flywheel numbers. Wheelspin on a chassis dyno can cost you a lot of power. The ported heads makes a very big difference in conjunction with a larger cam. That's all you need to do. The manifold won't help much although we have made pretty noticeable gains by porting the lower manifold base runners and port matching them to the ported heads. All these mods add up tremendously. Injectors, MAF sensors and high ratio rockers are all BS. Sam"

after talking to some of the dyno operators at the comp i was in, i have since discovered (this was after emailing sam...otherwise i wouldnt have bothered contacting him) that the two biggest factors for the under-par figure was that i had alot of wheelspin...lots of torque and 18" rims with low profile tires dont make for much traction....and the tune is pretty sh*t for making the most out of the engine (its serverly under-tuned)...its a c.o.m.e. tune.
so while c.o.m.e. may be able to spanner together a great engine, their tuning and customer service leaves alot to be desired, just thought id share my experience.

[greenfoam]

Yeah man that sucks for the amount of cash you sent their way you should have got some respect. Also I've seen some c.o.m.e tunes from the stroker 5 liters they make and they are very very mild. Apart from that I'm sure the engine is pretty quick, I can also understand his anti dyno attitude as there really is a lot of bullshit involved in alot of dyno readings and some dynos can read way lower or higher than others and the numbers can be fudged.

You would get a much better idea of how much power it has from a mph reading on the 1/4 or 1/8th mile as dynos can vary alot and in the end how fast it gets from point a to point b is all that matters

[smaddock]

Also I've seen some c.o.m.e tunes from the stroker 5 liters they make and they are very very mild. Apart from that I'm sure the engine is pretty quick, I can also understand his anti dyno attitude as there really is a lot of bullshit involved in alot of dyno readings and some dynos can read way lower or higher than others and the numbers can be fudged.

You would get a much better idea of how much power it has from a mph reading on the 1/4 or 1/8th mile as dynos can vary alot and in the end how fast it gets from point a to point b is all that matters

I'd have to completely agree. I know a few tuners and they have all had many COME tunes brought in for retuning, and have gained quite alot of power due to COME's tunes being very conservative. But then again, it is an off-the-shelf - one-size-fits-all chip, so you can't really expect too much. This is why people say to not bother paying the $500-$600 for an off the shelf chip, and just pay the additional $400-$500 in the first place for a custom tune. And no I'm not having a go at you for your decision, I only offer the advice, it doesn't mean I follow it as I usually use off-the-shelf tunes

And also, if I was you I'd just get it to the 1/4 mile for a real world figure. Sure, a dyno number is good, but its torque that wins races, and from what you've said, you have plenty of it So I say give it a go and have a few runs, you may be surprised...

Oh, and that response from COME is quite unprofessional. They could have at least shown you some respect considering you bought the whole lot off them. They should have been a little less harsh and a little more understanding. But then again, you never know, Sam might have just been having a bad day, we all have them

[sircruisealotVS]

yeah, i realise chassis dyno's aren't the most accurate thing for calculating power, but still, you would expect more.
thats not the first email like that ive got off him, he was "nice as pie" when i would speak to him before i bought the stroker.
but contacting him after-sale he is blunt, arrogant and just plain rude most of the time...completely different to how he was before, thats what makes me annoyed.
ive also got another reply from sam, after i replied to the one i posted above, lol...i threw any sort of curtesy out the window after reading that one and let him have it. i wont post it, but let just say he attacks me on serveral occasions, for "whinning like a girl"..."not having a brain" and "if i dont like his attitude to get over it, you oversensitive little individual".
you can tell he's holding back alot, trying not to acutally loose it, but ive made him quite angry.
anyway, im not going to go on about it, i know whats wrong now, so ill fix it and see how i go....
oh, and a 1/4 is on the cards too, my brothers' going to lend me his mickey thompsons to use for dyno tuning and on the track.

[1991_Vn2nV]

Im still following this to see how you go, but that response from C.O.M.E. looks to seal the deal for me...and just get a rebuild and a S/C, f*** the stroker from COME.

When you spend so much money at a place you expect great service in response, and for them to reply like that is utter bullshit. The more people you tell about this the better!

[sixshooter]

So what was the peak HP at the wheels... post your dynograph up !

[1991_Vn2nV]

So what was the peak HP at the wheels... post your dynograph up !

Something like 172 or 178rwhp...

[4.2LV6ECOTEC-UTE]

I recently strocked my v6 series 2 and am proud to tell you all that i made a happy 208rwkw, with major internal improvements. I am now faily sure that i could make 250+rwkw without forced induction.

[sircruisealotVS]

yeah, only made 172rwhp...as ive said in this thread and my other one though, i had no traction. i would have easily made over 200hp+ with some 15" rims with some sticky rubber (thats the opinion of both the dyno operators there, not just me guessing).
i know how bad it sounds going off those figures, but dont judge the engine just yet, it was a bad run.

[sircruisealotVS]

When you spend so much money at a place you expect great service in response, and for them to reply like that is utter bullshit. The more people you tell about this the better!

thats the purpose of this thread and with 69 views at the time of me writing this....id say word is gettin around about sam and his attitude.

[sixshooter]

Meh.... it's a dud !...You should rip it out right now and give it to me so I can put my L67 top end on it !

[sircruisealotVS]

Meh.... it's a dud !...You should rip it out right now and give it to me so I can put my L67 top end on it !

rolf! if you give it back after doing that then sure!....gimme two weeks or so, ill have some real figures by then (im getting it dyno tuned with an aftermarket ecu...and using some mickey thompsons on 15's for some traction)

[immortality]

to get most accurate results from a dyno you really nead to do a before and after run so you can see the difference and keep using the same dyno facility as you keep making more improvements to maintain consistent results, different dyno facilities have shown over a 15rwkw difference for the same vehicle. maybe the dyno facility needs to strap the car down properly to the dyno, i've seen high hp cars using low profile tyres and they don't seem to have traction problems. shame about the attitude from C.O.M.E as the seem to have a good product. gettingthe custom tune is the way to go and i look forward to seeing your 1/4 mile times

[TheForgotten]

hmmm... I've heard that same story about COME and the CAPA boys, they're fantastic until you've thrown a few grand at them... oh well, hopefully you get a better figure with teh custom tune... and post up your timeslip when you get one

[NetJunkie]

Ummm, just saw this thread. This Sam from COME sounds like a real loser. After sales support can make or break a business, I for one wouldn't go near this guy. I'm sure once his sales take starts to drop he may get the message, too late for me though.

[Stupa]

Definately as a result Id be inclined to pay far more and get the job done localy.

[Surfwagon]

It looks like the Bros from C.O.M.E haven't changed there customer service in 20+years.
Back then bought a rebuilt chev off them and had a minor problem and the same, treated me like I was a whinger when all I wanted was to know how to fix or get around the problem. Can't even remember what it was about but i do remember how bad his cutomer service was and I'm glad i didn't have to claim any warranty.

[Dan355]

Ive recently been dealing with sam about getting a ttb manifold for my 5ltr stroker. He does seem like a half decent bloke answering many questions about the manifold ect ect. He loves his money though. Offering a braided fuel line kit for $250. What a bloody joke. As there are customers like sircruisealotvs with the same attitude as others after their dealings with sam. Im not too sure if i want that manifold now. Even though it is a bloody good manifold. What do you do?

[Stupa]

jump in your car and go have a 'chat' with him if you have problems

[Spaced]

Ive recently been dealing with sam about getting a ttb manifold for my 5ltr stroker. He does seem like a half decent bloke answering many questions about the manifold ect ect. He loves his money though. Offering a braided fuel line kit for $250. What a bloody joke. As there are customers like sircruisealotvs with the same attitude as others after their dealings with sam. Im not too sure if i want that manifold now. Even though it is a bloody good manifold. What do you do?

I'm in the same boat as I wanted to purchase a cam shaft from them. It was going to be half the price because i didn't need rockers and springs as well to run it. I guess I am going to have to think long and hard about it. In relation to your part have you spoken to mace engineering. They do twin throttle manifolds.

[sircruisealotVS]

id recommend to anyone thinking about doing business with c.o.m.e. to think very hard about it. they make a good product and will answer any questions and be pretty nice when your making inquiries but after they've got your money and you've got the parts dont expect any help after that if you need it.

[Dan355]

I'm in the same boat as I wanted to purchase a cam shaft from them. It was going to be half the price because i didn't need rockers and springs as well to run it. I guess I am going to have to think long and hard about it. In relation to your part have you spoken to mace engineering. They do twin throttle manifolds.

Na mate i havnt really looked at any others asyet. Ive read a few comparisons ect ect but come is first preferance so far. Still looking.

[ducatis]

sorry to hear sircruise. um would you mind telling me what else youve done to the engine and how much it has cost you?

also 4.2LV6ECOTEC-UTE can you tell me what youve done and how much it has cost?

Cheers Mitch

[sircruisealotVS]

god, i dont think i can really remember everything off the top of my head, lol.
have a geez at another thread of mine in the v6 development and mod section "v6 stroker"...it has all the details you asked for, like whats been done and what it cost.

on a separate note i have my new microtec and it will get tuned up in a couple of weeks when the tuner im going to isnt so busy. its jamboree up here in qld so he has lots of people gettin last minute changes and tunes for that.

[dmitch]

u could report him 2 the proper authorities for his bad customer service...