CB Performance

[Pat D]

Did you contact me at CB about this issue because I do not remember hearing about this until now.
I build many turbo engines without cutting the guides down but I also make sure to not let the engines run lean, this will cook the guides.
As for our cranks, I haven't experienced any issues with the drilling of the oil galleys. Have you checked the oil galley/main bearing alignment on the case? this is usually the issue because most engine cases have an alignment issue and unless fixed, will starve the rod bearings of oil.
You can call me to discuss all of this at CB if you would like.
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Pat, Im too fast slow me downs!

[Dunedude27]

Pat I like how you guys won't address the crappy header you guys sell. It's like you know it's poor quality.

[EverettB]

[RickW]

Just purchased brake calipers and wheel cylinders, a hard line kit, and front and rear flex lines for my 69 fastback. Everything showed up well packed and as advertised.
No complaints from me, Marianne took care of my order.

[Dave]

Okay, I don't really have a dog in this fight, but I feel compelled to ask:

If a company was so bad, as some of you are claiming, how in the heck would they stay in business, under the same family ownership, since 1956?

Yes, I know Rick, Kevin, Pat, Cub, Marieanne, David, and the rest of the crew at CB. But if they put out crap products, I would be the first one to out them...as many other people in the industry can tell you... The Customer Service is perfect, their QA is second to none, and NO I am not being paid or rewarded in any way, to say this.
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2003 Samba Chummie Winner- Best Story

"Those that matter, don't mind,
and those that mind, don't matter"

[OldSchoolPerformance]

Pat,

no I didn't contact you with this problem. would you have reimbursed me the $2K it cost me in repairs? every time I've called and talked to you or anyone else, it's always the same story, just like your reply, and usually with a little attitude. "it could be this or that, we never have that problem, we never do that, we always do this, it must be this or that but not our parts because we never see that, etc."

obviously not every turbo running your heads has the guides fail, although I've heard your heads have a lot of seat failures. I agree that if tuned correctly, most of time that wouldn't happen. but what happens in the tuning stage when there will be some lean conditions? and why do most racers and "turbo heads" trim the exh. guides? there must be a reason. with turbos, there is always the possibility of going lean and getting excessively hot, so it seems to be the common practice to have the insurance of trimming the guides, just in case.

sure your cranks are good for the price, but they're not great. the stock crank was not cross drilled, it had straight shot oil galleys like Scat uses. cross drilling is a cheap shortcut that works, although you advertise it like it's something special. if my main bearing was misaligned and starved the rod bearing, wouldn't the main have failed too? all other bearings were fine. from what I found, this is a common problem with cross drilled cranks when doing auto cross or road racing, even though it had a deep sump and most likely did not loose oil suction.

my only question is, why isn't my review, or any reviews, posted on your site under your CNC heads? I find it surprising that no one has posted any reviews in this day and age of social media and internet reviews. you guys are obviously censoring bad reviews, so maybe you HAVE heard of some failures like this.
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OldSchool Performance

[email protected]

[Pat D]

[OldSchoolPerformance]

So you DO cut back the exh. guides in some situations, I'm assuming with turbos right? I don't know what the EGT's were, I wasn't present when it was tuned(not my choice), but he tuned it carefully and conservatively. I know you have to trade the valve/guide life but that's cheaper than turbos. the rod bearing issue was years ago and that engine is long gone so I can't check the bearing anymore. maybe you should have some specific disclaimers when it comes to turbos so people don't have to learn the hard way. thanks anyway for your help, I think I'll get it figured out.
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OldSchool Performance

[email protected]

[Pat D]

[WesleyGarrard]

I recently ordered a set of Offset IDF Manifolds from CB performance. I have not received them yet, so this is not a product review. I imagine the manifolds will be great as CB always has great products.

This time I will be reviewing their service. I have probably ordered from CB 5 times over the years. As such, I do not deal with them too often. However, out of those 5 transactions, 3 of those were messed up. Also, due to the shipping times, set me back on projects over a week. One time it took a whole month because billing forgot to process my order then, shipping forgot to send out my package.

I can understand a mix up once in a great while. No one is perfect. But, in my time buying online, I can count on one hand how many shipping mishaps I have experienced. Meaning CB holds the majority for shipping confusion with me.

I won't go into great detail on the other mix ups, as those happened a while ago. As such, I will focus on the most recent.

As I mentioned, I ordered the Offset manifolds. I was hesitant on ordering as I felt the shipping rates were nearly double what they should be. However, I have read great reviews on the manifolds so I figured it would be worth it.

I got the order confirmation and a tracking number from UPS the next day. Shipping was $22 and they gave me a one week delivery time. I was a bit displeased by the shipping times and rates as I had just shipped a set of non offset IDF manifolds to Montana using a $12 flat rate box from USPS and it arrived in 3 days. But I ordered the manifolds a full two weeks before I needed them to complete my project.

CB could do better on shipping rates if they offered USPS flat rate as a shipping option.

So after one week, I get the delivery confirmation and I rush home after work. I was eager for these manifold as I have a track event next weekend and these manifolds are the last thing I needed to make the event.

I get to my front porch and all I found was a thin bubble mailer from CB. I opened it up and removed what was JUST the gasket and hardware kit for the manifolds. I pull out the invoice to make sure that I had not screwed up and ordered the wrong thing. Nope, the invoice clearly stated 3168 Offset manifolds for IDF/DRLA Set of 2.

I step back outside and explore every inch of my yard to see if maybe it was a two package delivery. I found nothing. I then checked with all of my neighbors to see if maybe UPS dropped a second box at another house. Not the case as it were.

It would seem someone at CB read my invoice for two IDF manifolds, grabbed a gasket and hardware set, a bubble mailer, packaged them and sent them off.

I emailed the salesperson at CB listed on my invoice. He apologized and promised to make sure to send out my manifolds the same day and investigate how such an implausible mistake could have happened. I did mention to him that I needed to have these manifolds as soon as possible to make my track event and that their fudge up may have derailed my project.

Later in the day I get my shipping confirmation. One... more... week... They did not even offer to express ship the manifolds to give me more working time.

So my track event is now off the calendar and I am out the registration fees. So in total, these manifolds have cost me nearly $200.

What gets me a little more miffed is that the same day my manifolds were hopefully sent out, I ordered a linkage set from Santa Rosa, California. The seller shipped it flat rate USPS for $7 and that package will be here Monday.

CB makes and carries great products and I will probably buy from them again. However, from my experiences over the years, CB needs to do a lot of work with their shipping department. Until they can offer better shipping rates and they are able to send out the right products in a timely manner, I will be hesitant to order from them.

[6T5 square]

I ordered a Swing Axle Camber Compensator from CB a while back. (Feb) With being stuck in the house, Ive finally had the chance to install it. BTW- I have a 1960 standard beetle, original split transmission. The bracket that bolts to the bottom of the transmission is about 7 inches wide. In order to work on the early split trans, it would need to be about 4 inches wide and have a bend in it to fit around the ribs on the bottom of the trans. Now granted, I should have checked it when I first got it but the copy in the catalog says

2819 Swing Axle Camber Compensator (fits all Swing Axle VW Sedans, Square Backs, & Ghias to '68 )

So if it says "up to 68" why would i think it doesn't. I called CB to discuss this, said I dont want money back, I dont want anything from them. I did ask if they sold a separate plate that would fit the early split cases. He responded that he never heard of a split case. He said that the measurements were on the site (I checked, they are but only in small print in one of the 5 pictures.
I left a negative review because I feel something in large type should state that this wont work in an early VW. This was my first time ordering from CB. I'll have to think twice next time.

John
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John
65 square 1500S (weezer) sold but always on my mind
60 beetle (Ned)

Quoting John Muir -- Open the rear boot. Get out the stool and sit down. Contemplate the air-cooled beauty before you. - How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive -- Step-By-Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot

[Wildthings]

Several years back while far from home on a road trip with my '73 VW Thing I lost a generator andI called CB Performance to get a replacement, but they refused to ship it as I didn't have a physical address and wanted it shipped to General Delivery. General Delivery is the safest form of shipping in the country, the parcel is not dumped on a door step to be stolen or damaged by the elements and can't be delivered to the wrong address, instead it is stored in the security of the post office building and can only be picked up by the addressee upon him showing of an ID.

I certainly didn't enjoy being left high and dry by CB Performance and have not ordered a thing from them since.

[Glenn]

Most vendors only ship to the registered address of the credit card. It helps to reduce fraud on mail order items.


I built a 2017cc "Builder's Choice" engine from CB and added their Gen 4 EFI and Magnaspark crank fire ignition. Everything that was ordered arrived well packed and as ordered

It came out great and the customer loves it.

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Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

[Wildthings]

[racerock]

Apparently their process requires many days from order to getting to the doc due to small nature of the business