quote:

Originally posted by Tom Reyer:


I had the original cut open twice. Both times it was broken, both times they told me there was nothing wrong with it. Both times, the car picked back up to normal after they serviced it.

Are you sure your not mistaking the above for MSD??? LOL!!!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by TOP38:

quote:

Originally posted by Tom Reyer:


I had the original cut open twice. Both times it was broken, both times they told me there was nothing wrong with it. Both times, the car picked back up to normal after they serviced it.

Are you sure your not mistaking the above for MSD??? LOL!!!!!!

MSD is certainly famous for that, and I've experienced it, but have had the same experience from at least one company regarding a converter (not ATI) as well.

As long as it works correctly when I reinstall it, I'm happy!

EXACTLY!

quote:

Originally posted by TOP38:

quote:

Originally posted by Tom Reyer:


I had the original cut open twice. Both times it was broken, both times they told me there was nothing wrong with it. Both times, the car picked back up to normal after they serviced it.

Are you sure your not mistaking the above for MSD??? LOL!!!!!!

Should have been [insert name here] lol

Sad really, just admit there was a problem. Why all the cloak n dagger?

why does it matter if it's returned fix?

Why lie to me and tell me there was nothing wrong? How hard is it to say, "Yep, it was broke but we fixed it"

It was fixed, that's all that matters.

It makes a huge difference to me when trying to diagnose a problem and/or when talking to customers trying to sell a job.

"We got your converter back from ATI Mr.[insert customer name here]. They said everything was perfect inside, it still looked brand new. We are going to go ahead and stick it back in your car and see if finding nothing wrong inside fixes your problem. Here's your bill!"

Doesn't really inspire confidence in them as a manufacturer or in us from our customers. I guess I could've lied to them the same way I was lied to.

Is it so hard to tell someone you found something and fixed it? A simple, "Yeah we found the problem, you're good to go now" would suffice.

Same goes for MSD and any of the other manufacturers out there.

I will say this, ATI makes a lot of real nice equipment including their balancers that most of us use. When Jim was involved back in the day, I could usually get satisfaction. As Tom Reyer I also used to live 15 min. from them and could just swing buy. But my mind was changed when a converter was ordered for a friend just getting into bracket racing. He purchased a new converter from ATI and was guaranteed to be the best. First day at track, car would not leave the starting line. After evaluating, returned converter to ATI, who charged him to cut it open and tell him "nothings wrong, not the converter" after we reinstalled it, went to track for more testing, no other changes, car left with wheels 2 ft. in the air. problem solved. same deal as Tom had, lied to!!! If they would have just stated we found the problem, we took care of it, no issue. But they decided to charge him for the fix, and lie. Just my 2 cents! Mitch Willingham

^^^^Agreed, everyone make mistakes, man up and admit it^^^^

haha more ati stories!!
The last blown|fuel converter I got from ati with my new combo was slipping about 14 percent out of the box.I called dave cain,sent him the racepak graphs and he said he would tighten that up.

I get it back and the car is way off...slip is 19percent and fall back was like 1800rpm.
I call dave cain at ATI and he says,you told me you where going to put more power to it. I told dave I was going to apply a bit more power as I crept up on the tune up but the converter probably just needed a tweak.now this ATI converter is useless to me aith that kind of slip.

In the meantime I needed another converter while ****ing around with dave cain at ati.

I call fti and troy builds me a converter for 1300 vs 2300 for the ati.
I sent the ati converter back again for restall...I go to put the new fti in and it wont go in properly.i call greg and he asks, do you have the ati super pump in there and I told him I did.So FTI has me overnight him back the converter,i guess he had to machine the neck diferenty to fit the ati super pump.Then greg overnights the converter back to me all at fti expense!!
the FTI goes dead on out of the box 5 percent slip and maybe 8-900 on fall back.

So FTI also made a mistake but the way the handled it was like night and day compared to ATI

In the meantime ATI is still blaming me for the converter performance issue,claims they have to change the stator now and dave cain charges me 369.00 plus shipping.

Mike, stop dealing with this guy and speak to Charlie or email the boss...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...nue=54&v=HARMr22HExs

Or, you could just stick with the company that gave you the great customer service........

I will say this about ATI, when I get a converter from them it is exactly what I asked for in the first place.

But........ When the sprag started to slip/skid once in awhile, I sent it back. They said it showed signs of skidding. They fix it, send it back to me, $250, no problem, had 1000 or so passes, I was happy with it. Well, FIRST pass on "fixed" converter, SAME CRAP! I had to hold a tenth all day to get through the day, sometimes it slipped, sometimes it didn't, but was damn obvious on the shift what ET the car was going to run!

It is still sitting on my shelf. I will send it to someone and have it converted to Spragless or Mechanical Diode, but it is not going back to ATI, even for free!

I bought another converter to replace that one from Trans Specialties. As usual, they missed the mark, but, send it to them, back in less than a week, for free, minus shipping, and the thing is dead-on what I wanted!

I don't know why TS seems to always miss the mark on the first shot with SBC's, but they stand behind their product and correct it ASAP. If you want to drive it over to them and wait for it you can.

When I replaced my 15 year old balancer with a new one from ATI when I went to assemble it I knew something was wrong. Compared the new one to the old one, with the crank key ways lined up the shell was wayyyyyy off! Only one way to assemble it. Called them, sent them a picture, they over nighted a new one to me and had me return the other one.

So, they can provide good service, I guess it depends on either the product or who you get on the phone..........

Ed the "Boss" is in heaven. A lot of ATIs reputation went with him. Darn shame.

He was no goodwill ambassador

I go to the Maple Grove Division race around 1984 and am running S/ST with my '69 Camaro.
The car was acting up the week before but I blamed the carburetor
Bogged bad on the launch
At Maple Grove I could not even do a burnout
Messed with carb and finally realized my converter puked
It was a 9" A-1

A good friend offers me one and says it's on the ATI support trailer, lets go see Beattie and get it...

Beattie does not want my buddy to lend me the converter cause he thinks I might be doing SPY duty for A-1 !!!

My buddy convinces him I'm not and I get the converter.

It is one of his Treemasters that are pretty new.

It was a far and away better than the old A-1 I had.

I bought one immediately after that race and the one I bought was just as good as the one I borrowed.

I always thought that was a funny deal that day.....

Back when you could count on them to be at every race with their support trailer along with other folks......

Rich, somewhat related story...

back to my friend Leigh Ratzkovich ...Leigh ran an A-1 converter for over 30 years, swore there was none better, refused to believe his car that he's been racing for over 3 decades could run any quicker/faster.

Further, about 10 years ago, Leigh sent his A-1 converter back to Marv and was convinced by Marv to install a mechanical diode which I tried to talk Leigh out of doing but I was told Marv knows. Back in goes the converter and it's about a tenth slow. Leigh calls Marv and is told noway. Leigh ultimately sends it back to Marv and instructs him to get the MD out and a sprag back in and his 60 foot/ET is right back where they should be prior to the MD being installed.

Fast forward a few years and I'm telling Leigh an ATI Treemaster converter will have him running quicker and faster but he doesn't believe me, tells me he's been tuning this car for over 30 years and I'm wrong. Tells me I don't know his car or fords.

OK Leigh, here's what I'm going to do, I'm going to get you an ATI Treemaster converter for your car, at my WD price and if it's not at least .05 quicker in the 1/4, you don't have to pay me for it.

Well after much proding and ball breaking I got Leigh to agree to try it and unfortunately I was wrong, it did not have him running .05 quicker NO, it had him running over a TENTH quicker, .05 in 60 foot quicker and over 1 MPH faster! He immediately ran all time best 60 foot, ET and MPH the first weekend out with it and has never looked back...





Oh and that's the same converter that ATI freshened 2 weeks ago and turned it around back to him in 9 days.

quote:

I don't know why TS seems to always miss the mark on the first shot with SBC's, but they stand behind their product and correct it ASAP. If you want to drive it over to them and wait for it you c

same here mike
every tsi converter worked good for me but always had to send the new one back for its free re stall

No doubt whatsoever that an ATI 8" Treemaster will be very hard to beat in most cars like Leighs or in my case my old Camaro.

That is what ATI is or was best at.....Stock or SuperStock type cars.

My 8" converter in my old dragster was also very good and never broke.

I had 2 and eventually had one made spragless by T-S and it was virtually the same.

I would never even have done that but needed to go to a Turbo Input and had that done at the same time.

I could footbrake stall my Camaro to 5300 for S/ST racing.....Had to do something on a .400 tree

Resisted trans brakes for a long time but eventually gave in....

My Camaro went 10.39 128+ with a flatop 350 and that ATI converter around 1984...and with a 5.86 gear could carry the front wheels like a 3 speed but with a glide....