''BUYER BEWARE: SAM at 517Trans''

[mavada]

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthrea ... t-517Trans

[Daveperc]

OK - my two penneth

I think 517 do a great job on the transmissions, but we need to remember they are a 2-3 man workshop in the middle of backwoods New York. Shop has been there and can probably give a fuller impression. Sam knows his gearboxes and knows what to do.

Wind forward a few years, his reputation grows and he's flooded with work - and what suffers is the customer care, delivery times and the paperwork! Of course it's not acceptable, but it is kind of inevitable - the guy is first and foremost a great mechanic, not a businessman.

Only one of the "complaints" on the thread is about the box, and IMHO it smacks of sour grapes rather than proper analysis.

Panda is the only other person in this country running 517 AFAIK - I'll let her post her own experiences - I suspect she is pleased with the box, but I know it took ages to get done - which would be consistent with my view that he has expanded beyond his capacity to run as a business.

FWIW I sent out the box, paid in full once the box was there by direct transfer to his bank, and got my box shipped back as soon as it was ready. Sam's bit of the process over ran by about a week, but some of that was due to the shipping company who messed him around - on paperwork!

I'm also concerned at why Mav, who as far as I know has no experience of 517, thinks it appropriate to post with the heading he has. There are plenty of threads praising the 517 box, and one concerning paperwork! Contrast with Level 10 where there are numerous threads about the boxes......

Dave

[Golfather]

OEM box ftw

[smichels]

Hi, this is my experience with Sam and 517trans right now.

I ordered a full upgrade to my rs6 box with Sam and during the selling part Sam was very helpfull and friendly.
He responded to emails within a day and was friendly on the phone.
He promised me that he would rebuild my box within 4 days.

So I send over a spare box just to be on the safe side and I agreed with Sam that I would send my box as soon as I had the spare box back.

He needed a extra box for a client and I could get my hands on one so I thought win win.

I evens paid him in full in advance to show good faith and hope on a fast return of the rebuild box.

4 day became 4 weeks that became 4 months and eventually 5,5 months and 10 phone calls and 30 emails before I got my box back. Each week I emailed or called sam I got another excuse or no response at all.

Eventually when I send a couple of very angry mails and called him a couple of times he mailed me that the box was ready for shipment. So I arranged my shipping agent to pick up the crate and 2 hours later I got a call from my shipping agent that he could not pick it up because it was not ready. That went on for almost 3 weeks and then I got word that the box was I a plane on my way to me.

I recieved the box and the outside looked amaturistic, it was spayed with a spaycan and all the cables and Stickers were also painted. But I thougt the outside does not matter it is all about the inside.

I had a Dutch Audi specialist change the box and also change the downpipes, inter coolers, sensors, egt, lambda, gaskets etc etc. I changed everything were you need to take out the engine for.

And after a test run were the box did something strange. Everything was good. Now 7000km and MRC a stage 2 upgrade later and the box is still holding. With 553ps and 822nm.

I also send my old box over and I still have to get 250usd back from Sam but I gave up because he does not respond to my emails anymore and I hope he will be happy with my 250usd.

I am still hoping that Sam''s upgrade is as good as it is posted over on this forum because he is a terrible businessmen and he has not kept his word once.

My advice is don't do business with him and look for a company that do what they say and treat customers that pay over 5000usd in advance with respect.

[mik15]

and this is the good part, sort of speaking, i can't really imagine what Sam would do if the box would fail while under warranty . Personally i had no experience with the guy, however i really did seriously thought of going this route but what put me off is the eventuality of something going wrong with the box afterwards and having spent almost $10k would really piss me off to the point i'd probably fly over to NY with the box in the plane to put it in his hands and stay there while he fixes it. I've rather get 2 new rmfd from Audi and have a real warranty!

Obviously for the US based guys is kind of easier in case something goes wrong, but with us being on the other side of the ocean wouldn't be as easy.

Has any of you guys who have bought his box received some sort of legal document regarding the warranty and under what circumstances would be voided?

[Golfather]

I've rather get 2 new rmfd from Audi and have a real warranty!

OEM box ftw

[smichels]

No document or anything just a invoice.

I think it says something regarding warranty on the invoice but that's it.

I also talked to Doug after the install and he had nothing good to say of 517, he had a lot of trouble with one of their boxes from one of their customers. And 517 blamed MRC of the trouble.

[Daveperc]

I also talked to Doug after the install and he had nothing good to say of 517, he had a lot of trouble with one of their boxes from one of their customers. And 517 blamed MRC of the trouble.

Very odd!! I'm certain I was the first 517 box fitted by Doug, and AFAIK I'm the only one. I certainly wouldn't say he'd had a lot of troble via/from me!! Lots of money, yes, but not lot's of trouble......

So who is this mystery MRC/517 customer?? Show yourself!!

Dave

[smichels]

What Doug told me was that they installed a 517 box and something went wrong with the box and 517 blamed doug that he did not flush the box cooler. Before installing the 517 box and that was the reason the box did something wrong.

But Doug also said that they checked oil of the old box that came out of the car and that oil was clear. But 517 did not know they send over a spare box and not the original one.

Sven

[Daveperc]

OK - yes that was me - but it wasn't a big deal and I did write it up on here.

When the box was swapped out we found a small amount of swarf in the oil when the system was flushed. Whether it came from the box or had lodged in the cooler and was displaced with the higher pressure/throughput pump we never could tell.

There wasn't really very much finger pointing - I accepted that it had happened and had an extra oil change after 1000 miles IIRC which was completely clear.

Dave