[beargfr]

I put a set on my 69 GTO, mounted on the legs of a Pypes X-change crossover. They worked fine for about two (2) months, then quit. I sent them in to take advantage of the "limited lifetime warranty" after making sure there wasn't a blown fuse or some other problem preventing power from reaching the motors.

Not only did they refuse to honor the warranty, but I was treated very rudely and had my intelligence outright insulted by everyone I spoke to on the phone. They did everything they could to blame the failure on me, including trying to lecture me on basic electricity. (I have a degree in physics and do know "a little" about the topic.)

I wound up paying to have them shipped out, and paying again to have them shipped back.

Attempts to contact others at the company went unanswered.

I'll never knowingly spend another nickel on anything with their name on it. I'm done.

Bear

[hopper146]

I cringe when I hear stories like this. I think it's the been there done that syndrome..lol. But thanks for the info. I'll stay away from their products also.

[hopper146]

Bugger...I was just about to pull the trigger on a set of their cutouts too. Anyone know of a good alternative? 3" as small as possible?

[hopper146]

Say...has anyone ever used manual cutouts hooked up to cable and ram air style bracket?...Might look very cool. Could maybe label it the Bird Squawk or something...lol

[beargfr]

So I received my cutouts back from Pypes "so called" customer support, after they denied my warranty claim. The said that I had incorrectly applied power to the motors and burned them out. Well, tonight I decided to look at the motors. What I found has made me -beyond- angry.

Attached are two photos of the insides of the motor gearboxes. Notice that the first one appears more or less normal. Pay particular attention to the blue and pink PLASTIC gears in the first photo. Now look at the second photo. Notice anything? The problem with both units is NOT electrical, which I proved by removing the gears from the first motor (which, although you can't tell from the photo, were bound up and very stiff because they had begun to suffer from the effects of exhaust heat - just not yet to the extent obvious in the second photo). With the gears removed, the motor runs just fine - in both directions - when I apply power to it according to the way I know it works (not the way that the lying sack of excrement at Pypes tried to tell me it worked). The problem is not electrical - it's that the freaking gearboxes HAVE PLASTIC GEARS IN THEM!!! Does anyone see a problem with this design on something that is exposed to exhaust heat? Anyone?

The only conclusion I can draw from this experience when combined with the lack of any sort of response from Pypes management, is that they know this product is crap, they know it's eventually going to fail, and would do so even if you installed it and never even wired it up to power.

It's just a matter of time before exhaust heat is going to melt the gears in these things.

Bear

[paulkx807]

Kind of a bummer,sorry you had to go through that.I suppose I will rethink getting these.

[Ccass]

uggh. Pypes uses the same exact gearbox and motor as DMH and RaceReady. The three leading suppliers of electric cutouts are not using inferior gearboxes. In 4 years, we've never had a gearbox with melted gears. It took something EXTREME to melt these gears. 'Bear' specifically told both Pypes techs that he wired the switch directly between the red and brown wire of the motor with a switch in between which would create a positive ground! Anyone ever take a battery cable and attach it both to the positive and negative side of a battery? Despite Bear making this a public issue (and then 'giving us one more chance' via e-mail today), The Pypes staff is very curious as to how such extreme heat was created to make those gears melt. Pypes does not make the gearbox and Motor but they are produced by a very prominent USA gear/motor manufacturer. Hopefully they can confirm the cause.

Pypes has not built a reputation by lying to customers and making inferior products. If for whatever reason, it was Pypes fault, the warranty will be honored.

We'll re-open the thread when we have additional information.

[Ccass]

I am conversing with Robert (Bear) as we try to sort this out. It does appear that we have all but eliminated that the gears could be melted by an electrical event. It is more likely an extreme heat condition appears to be the direction we're going. I have already appologized for our incorrect assumption that the wiring likely caused the motor malfunctions. However, we're all still baffled at how this one set of cutouts were exposed to such incredible heat as to make these gears melt when it's never happened before. We'll post again when we have more information.

[Ccass]

I know it has been a while but we sent Robert a new set of electric cutouts at no charge. We don't know if he has installed and run them on the car. Hopefully he will check back in when he does.

Since that time, we have been experimenting with different gears, a new motor box etc. Under extreme conditions we have yet to get any of the boxes to fail like Robert's did.

[beargfr]

Now that the thread is unlocked I can comment.

Yes, the folks did send me a replacement set of cutouts and I've been running them. So far, everything is fine and the problem I had has not returned. They're sure fun at shows :) They always draw a crowd.

I do appreciate that they did try to make this right.

Thanks,

Rob