Just wanted to post my experience to let others know. I recently purchased a refurb/exchange impeller from SBT for my 94 GTX. I wanted to stay stock. Originally they told me they didn't have any stock ones they could exchange so I would need to send mine in and they would refurb it and send back. Well and good I thought. They called when they received my original one to tell me they had one ready to go and they would send it out right away. OK. I receive it and it's a different Doo part number than my original stock. Stock is 271000280 15/21 pitch. They sent me a 271000400 which crosses to the right engine on a 94 Speedster. So I promptly call their customer service and got the following responses in this order:
First Call/First Cust Serv Rep:
1. The impeller is the same, Sea Doo has just changed the part number. I call BS since I have the impeller chart in front of me.
2. Their system shows that a 280 and 400 are the same. I go on to explain they are not and that the pitch is what's different and pitch is everything. I wanted stock pitch it works well.
3. The rep got a technician on the phone who said it would perform better than my stock impeller, the different pitch would help pull tubers better. Again I call BS, I've been running my two GTX's for quite some time with stock impellers, pulling tubers just fine. I want stock pitch!
See that I'm getting no where I say goodbye and call back to talk to someone higher up. I get the other cust. service rep. and get the following responses:
1. Took down my info and said they would check into what's going on
2. Called me back within 10 mins and said the impeller had been re-pitched to match the 280 pitch and that I have a 400 with a 15/21 pitch (stock pitch on the 400 is supposedly 14/18)
3. OK so I explain to the person that I'm still skeptical being that I have no way to measure pitch and confirm and that I don't really want to install it to find out and then have an installed impeller that I can't exchange, I just want the correct part number which I know they have because they have my old one.
4. they tell me that they do have a 280 in stock ready to go and that I could return the 400 for an exchange it but I would need to cover shipping back to them, but rest assured the pitch on the one I received has been changed to match the 15/21 the 280 has.
5. So I argue with the person about shipping and that I didn't trust what they are telling me after getting conflicting stories and they would not budge. If I wanted a 280 I would have to pay for shipping and I would need to do it ASAP or they couldn't guarantee me they would still have a 280 to send me.
So at this point I'm pretty steamed. So I tell them I will try to confirm the pitch of the one they sent and if it's wrong I expect them to pick up the shipping cost.
Lo and behold I found a couple templates on line to measure impeller pitch. They are paper printable. Both templates tell me I have a 15/21 pitch impeller. Def not a 14/18. So I'm a little happier now.
But here are my issues:
1. Why is SBT re-pitching impellers and not IDing them as such or at least sending me a certificate stating it has been re-pitched. The next guy that tears into my pump if it isn't me will find a 271000400 and wonder what the heck? Not knowing it's been re-pitched. This is sloppy at best.
2. Why didn't SBT tell me this up front OR offer to refurb my impeller and send it back?
3. Why didn't the first rep and tech tell me the same story as the second? The first two people I talked to, a tech of all people were clueless and were telling me false information.
This is the second time I've been disappointed by SBT because of a seemingly minor detail that made me uncomfortable. The first was a set of pistons I got from them that use retaining rings instead of piston pin C clips for the pins. Sure they work if you make sure and install them correctly. Why not just use c clips like everyone else? Seems cheap to me. Just like this impeller, seems sloppy and cheap.
The impeller looks to be done well, and after all is the correct pitch. But after the experience I'm just not too sure about SBT. If they are this sloppy with details like these what else are they sloppy with? I will def not be ordering engine parts from them again, for sure not a crank or a reman engine if I ever need it.
NOTE: I would have gone with Impros but SBT had a nice easy on line ordering process and one price covers all for impeller refurb whereas Impros is a little confusing as to what level you need and they didn't respond to my inquiry for a day or so. However had I known what I was up against with SBT I would have waited it out with Impros.
So word to Impros, improve your website a little for impeller refurb.
Word to SBT, get your crap together. Know your product better. Provide better assurance to your customers that we are getting what we pay for. and don't argue with your customer over shipping. Suck it up and cover it.
First Call/First Cust Serv Rep:
1. The impeller is the same, Sea Doo has just changed the part number. I call BS since I have the impeller chart in front of me.
2. Their system shows that a 280 and 400 are the same. I go on to explain they are not and that the pitch is what's different and pitch is everything. I wanted stock pitch it works well.
3. The rep got a technician on the phone who said it would perform better than my stock impeller, the different pitch would help pull tubers better. Again I call BS, I've been running my two GTX's for quite some time with stock impellers, pulling tubers just fine. I want stock pitch!
See that I'm getting no where I say goodbye and call back to talk to someone higher up. I get the other cust. service rep. and get the following responses:
1. Took down my info and said they would check into what's going on
2. Called me back within 10 mins and said the impeller had been re-pitched to match the 280 pitch and that I have a 400 with a 15/21 pitch (stock pitch on the 400 is supposedly 14/18)
3. OK so I explain to the person that I'm still skeptical being that I have no way to measure pitch and confirm and that I don't really want to install it to find out and then have an installed impeller that I can't exchange, I just want the correct part number which I know they have because they have my old one.
4. they tell me that they do have a 280 in stock ready to go and that I could return the 400 for an exchange it but I would need to cover shipping back to them, but rest assured the pitch on the one I received has been changed to match the 15/21 the 280 has.
5. So I argue with the person about shipping and that I didn't trust what they are telling me after getting conflicting stories and they would not budge. If I wanted a 280 I would have to pay for shipping and I would need to do it ASAP or they couldn't guarantee me they would still have a 280 to send me.
So at this point I'm pretty steamed. So I tell them I will try to confirm the pitch of the one they sent and if it's wrong I expect them to pick up the shipping cost.
Lo and behold I found a couple templates on line to measure impeller pitch. They are paper printable. Both templates tell me I have a 15/21 pitch impeller. Def not a 14/18. So I'm a little happier now.
But here are my issues:
1. Why is SBT re-pitching impellers and not IDing them as such or at least sending me a certificate stating it has been re-pitched. The next guy that tears into my pump if it isn't me will find a 271000400 and wonder what the heck? Not knowing it's been re-pitched. This is sloppy at best.
2. Why didn't SBT tell me this up front OR offer to refurb my impeller and send it back?
3. Why didn't the first rep and tech tell me the same story as the second? The first two people I talked to, a tech of all people were clueless and were telling me false information.
This is the second time I've been disappointed by SBT because of a seemingly minor detail that made me uncomfortable. The first was a set of pistons I got from them that use retaining rings instead of piston pin C clips for the pins. Sure they work if you make sure and install them correctly. Why not just use c clips like everyone else? Seems cheap to me. Just like this impeller, seems sloppy and cheap.
The impeller looks to be done well, and after all is the correct pitch. But after the experience I'm just not too sure about SBT. If they are this sloppy with details like these what else are they sloppy with? I will def not be ordering engine parts from them again, for sure not a crank or a reman engine if I ever need it.
NOTE: I would have gone with Impros but SBT had a nice easy on line ordering process and one price covers all for impeller refurb whereas Impros is a little confusing as to what level you need and they didn't respond to my inquiry for a day or so. However had I known what I was up against with SBT I would have waited it out with Impros.
So word to Impros, improve your website a little for impeller refurb.
Word to SBT, get your crap together. Know your product better. Provide better assurance to your customers that we are getting what we pay for. and don't argue with your customer over shipping. Suck it up and cover it.