Comp Turbo and my horrible experience...

chevyburnout1

Fixing it till it breaks
Aug 25, 2008
2,368
1
38
Berthoud, CO
It sounded like a lot of people here haven't dealt with Comp Turbo so I would like to share my customer service experience with them. Kind of long but I've been a little irate lately and needed to bitch...

A short beginning, I have purchased two exhaust housings from Comp Turbo in the past year trying to get my twins dialed in. Those two purchases were smooth and helpful and had no complaints besides being $650 poorer. They even worked well with me when I first ordered the wrong turbine wheel housing size and had to send it back.

Fast forward to the present. Long story-short both of my turbos started throwing oil and got huge amounts of in/out shaft play. Called up Comp and they said the only way to fix them is to have them rebuilt by them personally. I agreed, and also mentioned that if possible I would like to have the small charger modified to make it be driven harder as I could never get it driven hard enough in my compound setup. I was told they could swap out the turbine wheel with something different and would be loads better. Was quoted two rebuilds and a turbine wheel. I thought it was odd that a different exhaust housing wasn't needed with a new wheel but I figured they were the experts and no point in questioning them. So I boxed up the chargers minus the housings (to save shipping weight, Comp said that was ok) and sent them on their way.

A week later I call them up to make sure they received the package and that no damage had been done (the shipping horrors thread had me worried). I was informed that the box did show up perfectly and that they would let me know in a few days any details.

The weekend goes by and with no warning I get a $170 charge on my card from Comp Turbo. Call them up Monday and ask wtf the charge was for? The receptionist explained there was an $85 deposit per turbo for a rebuild. I completely understood however I was never told about the deposit nor did I even give authorization to run a payment on my card they apparently still had on file from my previous purchases. I was a little hot but she said that there should have been a phone call and that she was very sorry on account for the mistake the company made. Also mentioned that the turbos were torn apart and I should expect a phone call with the final details.

At least a month goes by and not a single phone call. I finally called them up last week and was put on hold three times getting three different people each time. Finally a guy comes on and says they're rebuilt but he had a note on his desk about a turbine wheel swap that he wasn't sure about. I told him my ordeal about driving the small one harder. He said he wasn't quite sure on the details and that everyone was out to lunch and if it was ok that he would call me back in an hour. I agreed. He never called me back.

I call back the next day (not on lunch break). A little hot headed I mention my name and that I have two turbos there for over a month and no one has called me. Finally the guy I've dealt with in the past gets on and says the chargers are rebuilt and they can put the 75mm turbine wheel in the small charger but I would have to have a smaller housing as well. I mentioned that I wasn't quoted a housing and that I have purchased two other housing from them already. After a bit of heated convo with the guy he apologized and said that they'll throw in a .68 turbine housing for no charge. After that he asked if he could run my card for the total. I usually only keep enough money in my checking account to pay certain bills so I told him I needed to get home and move some money around, and that I will CALL them to authorize payment when I'm ready. He said sounds good and will talk to me soon.

I ended up getting tied up in work and was not able to get back to them instantly. Only one day later after the last phone conversation I get a call and a voice mail from Comp. It was the same guy saying to call him back ASAP. I call him up the next day and he said that he had ran my card but it had been declined. That was TWICE they ran my card without my approval! He didn't really apologize, just asked if he could run my card now and if my shipping address was the same.

That's my rant of the day. I just don't understand how poor a company can be with customer service. I mentioned from day one I was not in any rush to receive the chargers, but I just wanted to be kept informed. I just hope that I don't have to go through them again.
 

Chevy1925

don't know sh!t about IFS
Staff member
Oct 21, 2009
21,670
5,818
113
Phoenix Az
That sucks Dustin. Sorry to hear that. Least they hooked you up on a exhaust housing. Kinda went down this road with a guy in Canada for a custom samurai cam.
 

DBUSHLB7

Team DMAX
Mar 9, 2012
2,789
0
0
Albuquerque, NM
Sad in the technology and communication age people can't communicate for crap. Sorry D but when that truck is screaming down the track this will all be old news and far from your mind!:thumb:
 

chevyburnout1

Fixing it till it breaks
Aug 25, 2008
2,368
1
38
Berthoud, CO
I just hope these turbos survive. I'm not the type of person to turn into a complete asshole over most things so I just paid it in hopes everything shows up in a reasonable time and fixed correctly. But I hate how in this world the asshole is what gets things done, not the person who is lenient and forgiving. I'm glad they understood most of their issues and tried a bit to make it right. But it's stupid that in a month and a half the only time they called me was to get money from me. I just hope their work quality is better than their customer service, or I'm throwing these turbos on the caddy and the rock crawler and going with some Garrett's.
 

Burn Down

Hotrodder
Sep 14, 2008
7,092
28
48
Boise Idaho
What was causing them to leak? My comp 82 weeped a little when I first put it on. I was under impression the oil restrictor was built in, it is not. So I built my own and haven't had any issues since. I know they don't like much oil or pressure.
 

chevyburnout1

Fixing it till it breaks
Aug 25, 2008
2,368
1
38
Berthoud, CO
I believe they failed due to multiple issues. Had a few boost leaks right off the bat that I didn't notice. The v-band mouthpiece on the large charger broke off completely, the large charger had an oil restrictor in it which according to Comp, shouldn't be there. The restriction should only be by the size of the oil feed line was what I was told. A clogged air filter due to snow ingestion.. Just a lot of things that I'll blame myself for that caused them to fail.
 

PACougar

Active member
Jun 27, 2012
2,105
1
36
41
El Dorado Hills, Ca
I believe they failed due to multiple issues. Had a few boost leaks right off the bat that I didn't notice. The v-band mouthpiece on the large charger broke off completely, the large charger had an oil restrictor in it which according to Comp, shouldn't be there. The restriction should only be by the size of the oil feed line was what I was told. A clogged air filter due to snow ingestion.. Just a lot of things that I'll blame myself for that caused them to fail.

Good lord, what did you do break a window while you were actually under a ladder:)
 

Bonestock

Active member
Aug 9, 2010
1,358
1
38
Worland Wy
I have a buddy who exploded a comp turbo on a dyno run. He definetly overan the charger with nos and no gate . How has everyone elses luck been with these chargers? These are supposed to be a low cost alternative ball bearing turbo right?
 

juddski88

Freedom Diesel
Jul 1, 2008
4,655
120
63
Chesterfield, Mass.
I wouldn't really call them low-cost, but they sound wicked and light wicked...and are wicked light!:D

Their website also publicly stated the orifice size for the restrictors for each bearing type IIRC, and I would watch oil-quality closely with the triplex bearings.

A truck we finished over the winter has a 72mm compressor, 79mm turbine(largest they offered at the time), and a .96 housing, bought through Trent a couple years ago. My initial impressions are that it needs a gate or larger housing (truck previously ran a S366 with .9x-ish housing) and Comp Turbo was decent to talk to about it so far over the phone (that turbine wheel is no longer available on that turbo).
 

Burn Down

Hotrodder
Sep 14, 2008
7,092
28
48
Boise Idaho
I believe they failed due to multiple issues. Had a few boost leaks right off the bat that I didn't notice. The v-band mouthpiece on the large charger broke off completely, the large charger had an oil restrictor in it which according to Comp, shouldn't be there. The restriction should only be by the size of the oil feed line was what I was told. A clogged air filter due to snow ingestion.. Just a lot of things that I'll blame myself for that caused them to fail.

Is your big charger Triplex bearings?
 

chevyburnout1

Fixing it till it breaks
Aug 25, 2008
2,368
1
38
Berthoud, CO
Good lord, what did you do break a window while you were actually under a ladder:)

I must have haha. This is my first run with compounds and of course I had to be different and run a kit that no one else really has on an engine it really wasn't design for haha. But like I said I blame all the issues on me personally, and hope the turbos did fail due to any/all of these issues combined, and not just failed because they failed.

I wouldn't really call them low-cost, but they sound wicked and light wicked...and are wicked light!:D

Their website also publicly stated the orifice size for the restrictors for each bearing type IIRC, and I would watch oil-quality closely with the triplex bearings.

A truck we finished over the winter has a 72mm compressor, 79mm turbine(largest they offered at the time), and a .96 housing, bought through Trent a couple years ago. My initial impressions are that it needs a gate or larger housing (truck previously ran a S366 with .9x-ish housing) and Comp Turbo was decent to talk to about it so far over the phone (that turbine wheel is no longer available on that turbo).

The sound is DEFINITELY a head turner with these chargers and I'm not complaining one bit! So far their website doesn't say oil restrictors are required, and back when they first started throwing oil I was personally told by Comp that they just require a specific oil feed line size only. That 72/79 was what I originally had and I just could not get it to drive very hard in my compound setup. They swapped in the 75mm turbine which is what they run now off the shelf. The 94mm charger is definitely amazing though and moves some air.

Is your big charger Triplex bearings?

Yeah they both have those bearings.
 

Burn Down

Hotrodder
Sep 14, 2008
7,092
28
48
Boise Idaho
That's weird they told you no restrictor... I have a ct5 82-87 with the triplex bearings. I had a weeping issue and Comp told me to put a restrictor in it .040" IIRC. No issues since. Drove it to the states and back 2 years ago 9,000 miles, has probably 15,000 on it now.
 

Burn Down

Hotrodder
Sep 14, 2008
7,092
28
48
Boise Idaho
I know the site doesn't mention a restrictor in the 5 and up frames but it fixed mine... I'm also running a -4 feed line. I have also put some sustained miles on it with no issues yet, knock on wood.
IMG_0399.jpg
 

S Phinney

Active member
Aug 15, 2008
4,008
18
28
Quncy, Fl
Looks like you are piggy backing off your valley charger. That is not something to be doing. I know a lot if guys do it that way but it is asking for problems.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
 

chevyburnout1

Fixing it till it breaks
Aug 25, 2008
2,368
1
38
Berthoud, CO
Looks like you are piggy backing off your valley charger. That is not something to be doing. I know a lot if guys do it that way but it is asking for problems.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

I'm glad you brought that up as I was doing the same thing. -4 feed line feeding the valley turbo from the driver's side oil port, then a -3 feeding the atmosphere from the valley. What is the problem with that?