Diesel Direct Runaround

[icanfixall]

Well it goes like this. This coming Monday Chris at Diesel Direct told me my pistons that wouldn't balance out were shipped back to me because they had fixed the balance problem and everything was fine with the weight. I don't have any pistons... They have had them for 9 weeks now. I found out they were getting 2 at a time from Mahle in Tenn trying to match up the gram weight. Two of my pistons were 11 grams light. The factory tech told me (yes I talked to him) these motors can run with 15 grams differance in weight. Well thats not what I will run in my truck. At 11 grams and 3000 rpm there is 3 lbs differance in weight between a piston that is over or under weight by 11 gams. The 15 grams would be another 1 1/2 lbs out of balance. Anyway Chris has told me "the phones wont accept a message" or I'm out of the office today. I'll have someone call you. Or I'll call you when I get to the shop. Gees guys, If I can get ahold of Chris wherever he is why can't he tell me whats going on... . Tomorrow I'm calling Mahle and find out what I need to be able to buy directly from them. When I built my motor the shop here charged me $1100.00 for the pistons. I was just talking shop with Chirs one day and he told me he could sell me the same exact pistons for $550.00. So I bought a set on the spot. Shipment was fast too but now... Gees, it suxs & blows at the same time. I never thought things like that happened. I amwondering if I should just start driving a Dodge and give up on the idi. What with the person that cheated me out of the heads, cam and oil pump awhile back sure has shaken my faith in human nature. Ebay... Another term for terrorizm I guess. So my truck sits waiting for the earth to start rotating again.... Gees...

 

[dsblack]

ARGH!!!!!
I think it has nothing to do with what you drive, but the place you are getting stuff from. 9 weeks is forever! and customer srevice is not to be found at this place....

ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[icanfixall]

Yesterday I called 3 times and talked to Chris once. "I'll call you when I get to the office and let you know something". I have sent 2 email messages outlining what is going on. Chrid will undoughtely be the person reading them. Well guess what.... No return calls even to tell me they can or can't find my pistons so, the question is where do I go from here. I paid $550.00 for the pistons. I shipped them back because they were defective and couldn't be balanced properly. Diesel Direct has had them for 9 weeks now and I'm not getting anywhere. I may have to do a fraudlant charge back on my credit card but that still leaves me with nothing. I have contacted the Mahle factory and am working on a way to buy directly from them for all future parts. Somehow being nice for as long as I have seems to have been the wrong thing to do. I really bend over backwards for people I do business with. I wonder if its time to get really nasty and threaten to get what I'm out. Aw hell.... Its only parts but gees, I must be wearing a welcome mat... " Step on me here" on my back or something.

 

[FordGuy100]

Is there faucility located near you? If it was if I were you I would drive down there and give this Chris guy a peice of your mind . Dont know if that would solve anything though...

 

[yARIC008]

darn, you seem to be having some very unfortunate luck!

This means that somebody somewhere is one lucky SOB. Universe's luck has to balance out ya know... I can tell ya one thing though, it sure ain't me suckin up the luck.

I hope you can get this straightened out soon.

 

[icanfixall]

I can see the west coast from my house and diesel direct is in Florida. Gees. Funny thing is, my wife asked me why I'm not flying down there and "talk to them" about this crap. Maybe she wants me in jail or something... I don't know... If these guys have shipped them and they got lost they are still responsible for them till I get them and am happy with them. I have talked with several Mahle reps about being able to buy direct from them with a resale number and a DBA but nothing is going to happen. They wont reconize me as a business. I can buy out here from a supplier though at 30% off the jobber price of $104.00 per piston. Thats close to the $550.00 diesel direct charged me. I may just buy a set of the non hard anodized top pistons and mill them, then ceramic coat the tops. I guess sometines your the bug... And sometimes your the windshield.... In the end Diesel Direct has the best prices on what they sell.... If you don't mind the wait.....

 

[yARIC008]

I can see the west coast from my house and diesel direct is in Florida. Gees. Funny thing is, my wife asked me why I'm not flying down there and "talk to them" about this crap. Maybe she wants me in jail or something... I don't know... If these guys have shipped them and they got lost they are still responsible for them till I get them and am happy with them. I have talked with several Mahle reps about being able to buy direct from them with a resale number and a DBA but nothing is going to happen. They wont reconize me as a business. I can buy out here from a supplier though at 30% off the jobber price of $104.00 per piston. Thats close to the $550.00 diesel direct charged me. I may just buy a set of the non hard anodized top pistons and mill them, then ceramic coat the tops. I guess sometines your the bug... And sometimes your the windshield.... In the end Diesel Direct has the best prices on what they sell.... If you don't mind the wait.....

Where at in florida are they? I can't find them on yahoo yellow pages. If they're close I'll go pick them up and ship them to you myself.

 

[Diesel JD]

They are in Orange Park Eric.

 

[yARIC008]

Ah, looks like they're a bit closer to you JD. You might have to go slap em around a bit

 

[FordGuy100]

If one of you guys go there to "talk" to this Chris guy , just to add to the affect it would be funny as heck if you went there and in an Italian accent say something along the lines of "Hey buddy, ya you come ooover here. Listen, I knows this guy, and this guy isnt very happy with chu"...you can figure out the rest

But in all seriousness I hope that things get worked out for you icanfixall, and you get the pistons.

 

[zigg]

Well, I can remember "Pete" from the "other" site a long time ago going through a similar thing when he bought heads off ebay, and turned out they were "made in India" or some such, and the long and short of it, after months, he finally relented trying to chase the guy and get his money back, and just bought a set of Ford remans. $1800 later, and several months he finally got his truck back on the road, but not without having to attend some "anger management classes".

Of course, I'm not far off right now with my Head pre-cup issues, and I'm feeling kinda like I wanna "Go postal" with someone in particular....

Hang in there man, it'll be worth it in the end...I truly believe Good karma always goes around and comes around(sometimes later than we'd like though....)

Zigg

 

[icanfixall]

I've been on their web site and have sent 2 emails and neither one has been addressed yet. I have the loaction and its Diesel Direct 408 Cedar Creek Rd. Palatka Fl 32177. The phone number I use is the number that gets to Chris wherever he is be it on the road or in the shop or in the wharehouse. 1800-861-6907. They have a statement on the site that says they will respond to emails in 4 hours but not longer than 24 hours. Its been over 3 days but some of that is today included so I guess thats not a business day. Monday I'm starting it up all over again with these guys. I have located a shop here in L.A. but they can't match the prices Diesel Direct has. But like the wife says. "What good is the low price if you can't get what you paid for". She has a point but gees...

 

[icanfixall]

Well, today the business day has closed in Florida and nobody has contacted me from diesel direct..... So I sent another Email telling them I want my pistons back and that I'm a long time customer that is no VERY DISSATISFIED with how they are doing business with me. I'll bet they do business differantly with other customers.... Its really funny, I'm really thinking very hard about flying down there and "getting my pistons back". Its sure not that costly and what a surprise it would be to show up on there truff demanding my parts. The only problem is as I see it maybe they don't have them because they are "lost" so that trip would be for nothing I guess. Buying off ebay suxs big time. I buy parts for my 1937 Cord from ebay but I guess those sellers are cut form a better fabric of life....

 

[dreadhed]

I live outside Palatka. Anything I can do to help? I don't see that place listed any phone books I have.

 

[IHWillys]

I realize this post is more about the customer service of Diesel Direct but I do have a question(which may have been answered but I didn't catch it). Why couldn't one weight-match the pistons without touching the piston tops? I'd only want to mill the tops to correct a compression height variance. If it's just a weight issue why not lighten the heavy pistons from the underside?

Ken

PS, I am particularly interested as I have a set of new hard-anodized 6.9 Mahle pistons sitting in a box here that will go in mine when I get around to rebuilding it.