looking into meth injection? DO NOT order from derekdevises.com!!

[fiznat]

Just a quick warning for my fellow KA-Ters. If you are looking into methanol/water injection for your KA (or whatever), save yourself the trouble and DO NOT order from derekdevises.com! I ordered my kit over 2 weeks ago from him, paid for it in full, and that is the last I have heard from him. Now he is not answering emails, not talking on his yahoo forum boards, and refuses to acknowledge even the fact that I have cancelled my order with him. Not only that, but numerous people on his yahoo message board have been complaining about the quality of his product. Apparantly it is just a whole mess of radio shack parts thrown together with NO instructions at all or any support to speak of. Nothing comes pre-configured or set up for you, so not having instructions really makes everything 10 times harder.

I understand that some vendors may take more than 2 weeks for certain things, but when there is ZERO contact from the guy you sent over 300 bucks to, I'm sure you guys can understand how I would want to pull out. I have filed a chargeback with paypal, so hopefully everything goes smoothly there (has anyone done a chargeback with paypal over non-ebay sold goods?)...

I ordered a different kit from Snow Peformace (http://www.snowperformance.net/), talked to the guys on the phone and looked at their product on their website: everything looks like it is put together MUCH better. There are instructions for install right on the site, and the kit includes everything you can possibly need. I'd reccomend you go with them instead.

So once more: cliff notes for the lazy--- DO NOT ORDER FROM DEREKDEVISES DOT COM!!!

[Jeff240sx]

I wouldn't order from someone who can't spell the name of his shop correctly. It's Device.-Jeff

[WDRacing]

Fiz, didn't we talk about were to buy a good methonal injection kit from?? Derek is slapstick DIY at best man...

Try the SMC Kit, the guy who owns SMC, Steve, is wicked cool.

The other one is here, http://www.alkycontrol.com/

Those are the best ones on the market.

[fiznat]

no we did NOT talk about it! such an amateur mistake from me, and I've bought so many freakin parts by now! I'm more upset with myself than anything.

[Structure240sx]

sucks dude, i got beat on $260 before for a transmission and other stuff. i would call the guy and he would deny ever hearing my name, yet i knew his full name and number

[fiznat]

okay in an effort to be fair I'll post an email got from Derek today. Funny how they're oh so quick to email you once you talk about taking your money back. I couldnt get a peep out of him before when I just wanted to know the status of my order..

[quote=""Derek from Derekdevises.com""]Maybe you didn't notice, but I'm out of contact, and sometimes take ahwile to get orders out. This has been the case from the beginning, and everyone will tell you this. I have posted this on the list several times. Right now I'm phasing out of this buisness, and haven't the time to respond to "where's my order" inquiries anymore. The answer is, was, and always will be, it's coming as soon as I can get them out. I have never, ever, at any time, verbal, or written, promised a delivery within a certain timeframe. I simply can't. I don't hold much inventory anymore, and frequently am made to wait while my suppliers fill a back order. Your stuff was paid for, and I ordered $150 worth of parts just for you, 10 days ago. That stuff is arriving tomorrow. Shipping is probably gonna be Tuesday.[/quote]Instead of really commenting too much on what he said, I'll just post my reply to him:

[quote=""fiznat on email""]Derek,

I am really sorry you feel that my reaction was unreasonable, but I hope you can understand how someone might feel buying a (fairly higher dollar) product from a website with hardly any contact information, and then for two weeks not only hear nothing in return (not even a receipt!), but see other people on your own forums having trouble getting in contact with you and wondering where their product was. I dont understand what that means when you say you "have not ever promised a delivery within a certain timeframe." Does that mean your customers are expected to simply wait, with no contacts, and hope that your suppliers at some point come through with the product? As a customer I dont feel like it is out of line to not only receive paid-for products within a reasonable amount of time, but also to be made aware of whats going on if there are any difficulties. That said, I have already filed the chargeback with paypal and purchaced a different meth kit from another shop. Nothing personal against you really Derek- but my car has been sitting for quite some time and I have had to re-schedule appointments at the dyno twice now while waiting for your kit. I need to get this car set-up and tuned right away, and waiting for your suppliers just isnt something I planned for. I hope you will agree to the paypal buyback and all of that will go smoothly.Thank you for emailing,

Foster Adams[/quote]I decided to not be TOO much of a jerk, but seriously I really wanted to yell at him for being so rude. How is "I never promised people I'd ship the product within any certain timeframe" a good excuse OR feasable buisness practice? What, and the fact that he decided he wants to "phase out" his buisness-- I'm supposed to take that to mean I should expect sub-par service? I guess he doesnt care about his reputation anymore then? Sigh. All this and he could have just sent me a measley 2 line email letting me what was going on. I tried to contact him like 50,000 times with no responses... wouldnt you guys do the same?!

[goshoryukenx]

Fizz, if he doesn't agree to the chargeback.. lets go woop his *** and take some of his money and parts too.

[WDRacing]

Thats one of the biggest problems with running a bussiness man. Having the cash for all the overhead. Thats a huge reason I could never get my bizz rolling. Supplier issues, price changes and keeping up a stock...Maybe when I retire in 8 years...

Anyway, if you want the hook up on alky injection, just email me or catch me on AIM.

[email protected] or WDRacin on AIM

[virus77]

Hey WD, what do you thinkg about the kit Fiz posted, http://www.snowperformance.net...to020

I might want to go with this instead of SMC enterprises, any thoughts.

[fiznat]

Hey WD thanks... I already ordered the kit from Snow Peformance, but I would def like to talk with you about some of the tuning and setup involved with the alchy setup.

Ill be in touch!

[WDRacing]

I don't like the variable controller or alky/meth tank with that kit. The tank is very small and the controller is more limited. The latest you can start the injecttion is 8 psi. I would prefer the ability to start later if I needed to. Unless you use your AEM to remove the pump gas at the onset of the methonal.

The pump is of pretty good quality, I'd like to know what exact pump they use though. Can it be run dry, does it need to be lubed?

I was thinking of going with a 4 nozzle injection system with a fuel distribution block and equal length lines. This would enable me to run alot more methonal/alcohol.

Again though, the point that kit has it come on is far to early, you'll run out of methonal all the time. Unless your daily driver boost setting is only 7 psi...see my point? Every time you drive to the package store for a 6 pack of Coors Light your going to be using methonal.

WD

[fiznat]

Yeah I saw that about the variable controller. Not that big of a deal for me though for a couple reasons. First of all, I got the bigger 7 quart tank-- so that should definetly keep me from running out too often. Second, I plan on having my ON pressure at 8, and my max spray all the way up around the 20 psi range or so. Because there is such a spread there, the linear calculations will result in hardly any spray around those low 8psi ranges-- just because the flow rate is spread out over such a large area-- know what I mean?

Even still, I am not all THAT worried about meth consumption because methanol is cheeeaaap. Not only is pure methanol decent (lol I found 55 gallon drums of 100% pure for 150 bucks locally), and you mix it 50/50 at the most with water (halving your costs/usage), but ALSO if you are really in a pinch (or even if youre not), regular windshield washer fluid can be used as a substitue. Lots of people do this as their primary source, but it will certanly work for me in a pinch. My local advance auto parts store has a washer fluid mix that is 40% methanol, 60% water for freaking 89 cents per gallon. Not bad at all.

I dont plan on using the methanol as a fuel replacement (then I would REALLY blow through the stuff: combustion would require 2.5 times the amount of regular gasoline used)-- I'm just using it as an octane booster and charge cooler so I can give the engine a little more timing, boost, and I wont have to worry so much about lower quality gas when I'm moving around.

I've thought about this alot

[DammitBobby]

Hey that is cool Fiz. I was reading some of WD posts about it and decided that I to might want to go that route. I am wondering could you run the 87 octane and use the kit to supplement or are you going to run 91?

[fiznat]

In theory you could-- probably without a problem at all. Will I? Hellllllll no. I'm going to use the methanol to help me push the limits of the 93 octane, so if I dropped the quality of gas I would still probably have problems.

If you used meth injection and didnt scale all the timing and boost to it, you could probably run pretty crappy gas without any problems whatsoever. ...But why would you spend all this money on a motor with alochol injection and then cheap out on gas so you can save 1 or 2 bucks per fillup?

[DammitBobby]

If you don`t need it why pay extra? Hmm if I end up going that route I might have to test it and see if it works.

[fiznat]

UPDATE: Thought I'd let you guys know, Derek from DerekDevises decided he would refund me. I got a email from paypal today saying that Derek has sent the full refund from his bank, and everything will be gravy once it clears.

I'm still dissapointed with Derek's service as it set me behind on my project, but I am releived that he refunded me and everything went smoothly with that. Whew.

[Projex240]

I love methanol injection. Its the best thing for a street car, and I plan on running it myself. The windshield washer fluid is gonna be my primary source of replenishment. The SMC kit will be my choice. And WD is right--hes cool as poopie. Im gonna use my kit to turn on at 10 psi since here in S.C. we have 93 octane as premium and not 91 pisswater the Cali guys have to deal with. Mine may nt even be set to come on till 12 psi since with the compression most built ka's use isnt prone to detonation till about 16-18 psi on pump gas. Im really looking forward to being able to run 22-24 psi with no detonation on the street with 93 octane. Race gas sticks to high heaven and kills my lungs and chest--so this is a GREAT substitute.

-Josh

[fiznat]

just another quick update... the refund went though just fine, cleared the other day and everything is all good again. Use Derek at your own risk I'd say, but he refunded me in a timely manner so I cant complain that much.

Carry on!

[WDRacing]

Thats cool, refunds are few and far between nowadays...