Product Review: JPC triple pump return style GT500 fuels system

[rlhay2]

If I had it to do over again I would most likely recommend the kit from Lethal Performance.

Here is why:

This started last year when I was researching fuel systems for the twin turbo project. I reached out to BBR, JPC and Lethal Performance. I received responses from Lethal and JPC. Lethal's triple pump hats were still months from being ready for production, thus I opted to pursue the system from JPC.

In hindsight, I realize now why JPC prefers to conduct all correspondence by telephone instead of email...but I digress.

After responding to my initial email it was requested that I call to hash out the specifics of the kit. During that phone call, I inquired into the feasibility of running E85 with their system and was assured that not only would it be safe to run E85 but that the system with the 100% E85 compatible Deatschwerks DW300 fuel pumps would have no problems supply the fuel needs for my twin turbocharged engine.

So the kit was ordered, and installed by the shop that installed the twin turbo system. Imagine our surprise when the system ran out of fuel well short of the 1400rwhp I was assured that would be possible!!

Numerous phone calls ensued to try and source the speed bump in the system. JPC's rep kept insisting to me that it must be a problem with the tune or the install. I suggested that perhaps they should call the shop and talk directly to the persons handling the install and tuning of the kit. After even more phone calls, there was no resolution.

So I started asking around and doing my own research on the Deatschwerks DW300 fuel pumps and much to my dismay there was little positive information. I have discovered that these pumps only deliver the advertised fuel flow when supplied by much greater than 12 volts through wires of 8 ga. or larger! Further they are prone to super heating the fuel and incurring vapor lock issues.

My next phone call to JPC was to ask what was the maximum amount of rwhp they have produced from this kit using the DW300 pumps. The answer was that they had yet to use the exact system I was sold.

Thus, the same system that I was assured would support the fuel demands of my system had never been tested before it was sold to me. When I asked about this reported ability to support 1400rwhp, I was informed that was with Walbro pumps.

So I told the JPC rep that it sounded like I should have been sold Walbro pumps. His response was "We would be glad to sell you some Walbro pumps."

I am sure he would. But after promising me that an untested system would do what it has yet to come even close to being able to do and offering to let me pay for the requisite parts to get it to do what I was assured it could do, I just cannot in good faith continue to do business with JPC.

I have ordered the pumps from the shop that handled the install and the car is scheduled to go in to have this issue resolved mid September.

Truly unfortunate for the the rest of the JPC kit is top notch! No fuel sweating or fuel odors nor leaks or sub quality parts. All the requisite parts are included and packaged neatly and fit and work as intended.

But it is unforgivable to promise the performance of an untested system and then charge the customer to provide the parts to get the system to perform up to promised standards.

 

[VaporSnake]

guess that cross the JPCs off of many lists... thanks for the review, but sorry for the speed bump. Still following your car to see the limits of Dustins kit!! Car looks and sounds great, keep up the hard work

 

[bull3441]

What fuel lines do they use, any weeping? All these companies claim xxx whp and rely on the customer to do the actual testing.

 

[Imatk]

Thank you for this post.

I'm probably never going to try and attain anywhere near that power level (I would suspect I'm not alone in that) but it's always good to know what vendors have your back and especially those that don't.

 

[stagedz]

Are you doing triple 465's?

 

[Tommy@JPC]

Hey Ronnie I do not understand how we got to this point but I guess I will try to respond on our behalf so all sides are covered on this situation.

In hindsight, I realize now why JPC prefers to conduct all correspondence by telephone instead of email...but I digress.

I do not understand your comment above. I feel like you are saying we wouldn't want a copy paste paper trail. In fact we do a ton of work thru email with basic questions and estimates ect. We do prefer to conduct some of our business the old fashion way so we can feel out the customers needs and wants.

After responding to my initial email it was requested that I call to hash out the specifics of the kit. During that phone call, I inquired into the feasibility of running E85 with their system and was assured that not only would it be safe to run E85 but that the system with the 100% E85 compatible Deatschwerks DW300 fuel pumps would have no problems supply the fuel needs for my twin turbocharged engine.


So the kit was ordered, and installed by the shop that installed the twin turbo system. Imagine our surprise when the system ran out of fuel well short of the 1400rwhp I was assured that would be possible!!

The inital talks about your car were correct of it being a new set up twin turbo Shelby. Also the inital talks were that you wanted to run E85 and our system would work, with the use of the DW300's since at the time they were the only pumps available that were rated for E85. Now the key here is at no point did JPC ever claim our system would support 1400rwhp. This is where there is some confusion here. We DO NOT put horsepower ratings on our fuel systems like our competitors for this reason (The ratings can never be accurate because of different variables). We had not at the time or even to this point tested a high HP car with the DW300's. We offered them because they had a good reputation online at the time of working with E85 and that was the only solution that was Rated to handle it. Yes many people including ourselves have used the Walbo GSS342's with E85 with no issues to date. I do remember you saying you wanted to have the biggest pumps that are rated for E85.

Numerous phone calls ensued to try and source the speed bump in the system. JPC's rep kept insisting to me that it must be a problem with the tune or the install. I suggested that perhaps they should call the shop and talk directly to the persons handling the install and tuning of the kit. After even more phone calls, there was no resolution.

We were trying to get more information from the tuner/installer. With doing many cars in house we know that "running out of fuel" is not always the fuel pumps fault. We tried to get some datalogs or info in general and we never got any real data to go off of so we could help determine if it was just a pump related issue, which is possible. We did keep getting phone calls about the fuel level sender not working which was an installation error, no big deal it happens.

So I started asking around and doing my own research on the Deatschwerks DW300 fuel pumps and much to my dismay there was little positive information. I have discovered that these pumps only deliver the advertised fuel flow when supplied by much greater than 12 volts through wires of 8 ga. or larger! Further they are prone to super heating the fuel and incurring vapor lock issues.

This may very well be the case which we were not aware of and like I was saying at the time these were the only E85 rated pumps available. We do not make the pumps but I understand we supplied them. We did a fuel pump heat test just recently but we did not have any DW300's on hand to test I wish we did now because the claims of (3) 342's heating the fuel more than (2) 400's is an inaccurate internet claim.

My next phone call to JPC was to ask what was the maximum amount of rwhp they have produced from this kit using the DW300 pumps. The answer was that they had yet to use the exact system I was sold.

You claimed above that we had already answered this question with 1400rwhp....... Which wasn't the case but if we did why would you re-ask?

Thus, the same system that I was assured would support the fuel demands of my system had never been tested before it was sold to me. When I asked about this reported ability to support 1400rwhp, I was informed that was with Walbro pumps.

Again we would not say 1400rwhp since we have not taken any of these systems that far yet. We to this point can only say that our system with (3) 400's have actually supported 1200rwhp w/E85. There is more room left with the current set up on that car and we could gain some more with different injectors.

So I told the JPC rep that it sounded like I should have been sold Walbro pumps. His response was "We would be glad to sell you some Walbro pumps."

That sounds bad the way you've posted it. This is not the way we do business. We are very straight forward and we do not make claims. We are one of the companies that tries to take care of every customer and help them in anyway we can. We've never gotten any info from you or your tuner with data to go off of to show how or why the pumps are the cause of the issue. Even if they are and they may possibly be the issue we sold you at the time what you asked for specifically, which was the largest pump actually rated for E85. Not what you claim something that we rated @ 1400rwhp. What we did do was offer to sell you the Walbro's at a discounted price to try and help you out and since you changed your fuel to C16 your E85 concerns were not a problem any longer. Even if they were the 450's are now out and would support that fuel.

I am sure he would. But after promising me that an untested system would do what it has yet to come even close to being able to do and offering to let me pay for the requisite parts to get it to do what I was assured it could do, I just cannot in good faith continue to do business with JPC.

This is not how it all went and we apologize for your issues with your build but we were willing to do what we could the get you larger pumps. We never like to hear that we've lost a customer but we do not know what we could have done without anymore info throughout this process. And again we do not manufacture the pumps that were not up to snuff. Our system itself has no issues supporting whatever you can throw at it but the only pump on the market at the time of order seems to be the issue.

I have ordered the pumps from the shop that handled the install and the car is scheduled to go in to have this issue resolved mid September.

Truly unfortunate for the the rest of the JPC kit is top notch! No fuel sweating or fuel odors nor leaks or sub quality parts. All the requisite parts are included and packaged neatly and fit and work as intended.

We're glad you are getting the new pumps and we hope that solves your problems. Thanks for the compliments on the kit..

But it is unforgivable to promise the performance of an untested system and then charge the customer to provide the parts to get the system to perform up to promised standards.

Again there is confusion here and good luck with finishing off your car and getting it back on track

 

[Tommy@JPC]

What fuel lines do they use, any weeping? All these companies claim xxx whp and rely on the customer to do the actual testing.

We are using a goodyear hose that is a woven black pushlok. It is rated for all fuels including E85 and we have 0 smell and zero weeps. xxx hp we do not claim unless we've turned the wheels of fortune using it :burnout:

 

[rlhay2]

I do appreciate the reply from JPC but the the events that I shared are factual and are presented exactly how they played out.

I do clearly remember being told by a gentleman named Tommy that "I would not have any fuel supply issues with my setup."

It was Eric (or Aaron), whom told me that they fuel system with the Walbro pumps had generated as much as 1400hp.

If the masses would find it believable I could provide copies with time stamps of the emails I sent to JPC and then provide cell phone logs to show the corresponding phone number that was used to reply.

If there was a lesson learned from my saga, hopefully it will be beneficial to the next person whom inquires.

 

[Zacharyx]

Are you doing triple 465's?

the 405s would be more cost effective for what I am told the actual flow difference is between the two, Fore had them both flowed in gasoline and e85

 

[Tommy@JPC]

I do appreciate the reply from JPC but the the events that I shared are factual and are presented exactly how they played out.



I do clearly remember being told by a gentleman named Tommy that "I would not have any fuel supply issues with my setup."



It was Eric (or Aaron), whom told me that they fuel system with the Walbro pumps had generated as much as 1400hp.



If the masses would find it believable I could provide copies with time stamps of the emails I sent to JPC and then provide cell phone logs to show the corresponding phone number that was used to reply.



If there was a lesson learned from my saga, hopefully it will be beneficial to the next person whom inquires.

There is obviously a lot of confusion here throughout this process. I understand you had some issues with your build and the DW300 pumps were not cut out for your monster. You purchased the system off our online store. What you are saying I said "clearly" is hard for me to digest. I do this job day in and day out and I do not state claims or guarantees on what something will hold or support unless we have done it in house, no if ands or buts because I do not want to have issues like your stating. We as a hole will state what we've done or what our customers have done, after that it's up to you or the customer to determine if it's going to be enough in their mind. At the time you wanted what could be used for E85 and that is what you got. You overpowered the system and since have change fuels and now pumps. Eric also never put a rated hp number on the Walbro's. If pushed hard enough by a customer for a rating we would give an educated guess but it's just that not a guarantee, again why we do not state HP Ratings on our systems PERIOD. I don't know what cell phone logs would prove since we've spoken to you countless times about just the fuel level sender issue more than anything until the recent fuel issue which we had still never gotten any logs to show data to determine the issue, which may or may not have been the pumps alone. Again which is very well possible. We offered what we thought was helpful due to the nature of the issue. Again we are sorry you had some problem and we are glad you are getting it straighten out but we are the last company out there that is out to deceive or get over on a customer. We pride ourselves in our customer service reputation.