Mag Hytec= poor customer service

[DEZLPWR]

I bought my Mag Hytec diff cover for my front Dana 60 when it first came out back in April of 2002. Fast forward to about a month ago...

I went to change my diff fluid and I could not budge the drain plug. In the process of trying to break it loose, we ended up twisting two different allen wrenches like pretzels. (Both were high quality, and one was a Craftsman on a socket)

Long story short, we ended up having to remove the whole front cover which required also removing the tie rod. What a PITA! I paid big money (over $240) for this cover, in large part, because of the drain plug/ease of service, and I ended up having to remove it like the stock cover. Not good.

Also, the drain plug was already installed in the cover when I purchased it new, so it was never removed until I tried to.



I had heard about the excellent customer provided by the owner Jerry @ Mag Hytec, so I figured I'd give him a call, and he would take care of me. Not!



I told him all that we went

through with the stuck plug, and he just

matter-of-factly stated that it must have been put on

a little tight from the factory. He said try breaking

it loose with a centerpunch & maybe some heat. I

mentioned using an impact, and he said that may work

as well. Never an apology, and he even said that I

may want to order a new drain plug in case I damage

the existing one, and that they cost $20!

Needless to say, I was not very happy with his response. At the BARE MINIMUM, he should have offered to send me a new drain plug FOR FREE.



Just thought that I'd pass on my dissapointing experience in dealing with Mag Hytec, and warn you that if you order a new Mag Hytec, make sure that you check the drain plug BEFORE you install the cover. Apparently they use Ivan the Gorilla to tighten them sometimes, (WAY beyond the 30 inch/lbs. spec!)and you don't want to go through what I have had to... .

 

[dlange]

Ivan the Gorilla LMAO!!! I will check mine before its installed. Thanks



Dave

 

[Extreme1]

Originally posted by DEZLPWR

we ended up twisting two different allen wrenches like pretzels. (Both were high quality, and one was a Craftsman on a socket)

Don't let that be a judge of the tool's quality, Craftsman is much like Fram, cheap junk with good advertising. I've broken every Craftsman tool I own, some several times. I've broken 1 Mac crowfoot wrench, broke the end on my 24" Mac breaker bar (it is even better with a 5" pipe on it!) and split 1 Snap-On socket - in 25 years. Less than 5% of my tools are made by Sears and they are pieces I rarely use.



With that out of the way, I'll say that I'm suprised. I've never dealt with Mag Hytec but I'd think they would have torqued the plugs initially. Thank's for the warning, I have a rear installed and a front on the self waiting to be installed.



I shouldn't have to drop the rear plug, when I had the diff carrier out to install the LSD, I drilled and tapped a hole in the bottom of the case. I now have a drain plug in the bottom of the "sump" so ALL the old stuff geas away the next time I drain it.

 

[DEZLPWR]

Update...

Piers will be taking care of me, because he is AWESOME!!!

Thanks, Piers! First class, all the way... .

 

[Ram4Sam]

Just the opposite

My experience with Jerry was just the opposite. I bought a Dana rear cover from Piers that had a casting flaw(not visible to the eyeballs) that would leak just enough to leave a wet spot, but not drip. I called Jerry instead of Piers because I live close to Jerry's shop. Jerry sent me a new cover for free and said to send him the old one, which I actually hand delivered at a TDR event he was at. A nice man who took care of me with a smile!



Sam

 

[Doubleclutch]

Extreme1- "Don't let that be a judge of the tool's quality, Craftsman is much like Fram, cheap junk with good advertising. I've broken every Craftsman tool I own, some several times. I've broken 1 Mac crowfoot wrench, broke the end on my 24" Mac breaker bar (it is even better with a 5" pipe on it!) and split 1 Snap-On socket - in 25 years. Less than 5% of my tools are made by Sears and they are pieces I rarely use. " Remind me not to loan you my lawnmower... . Hey - you guys getting enough snow for snowmobiling yet?

Greg

 

[BillGotthelf]

I can break any tool made... period. I like Husky (home depot) and Sears because swapping out broken tools is fast and weekly.

 

[RJOL]

Steve,



These covers cost way too much to have that kind of result, and the poor customer service you got. IMHO they look nice, but just aren't worth the cost.



That's why, when I changed my front and rear oil, I just used the old cover, drilled and tapped for a 1/8" NPT plug in the bottom of each cover, and put them back on with permatex for a seal. Shouldn't have to take them off again.

 

[Chipstien]

Couldn't agree more Rick. Though I did fork up and pay for a Double Deep transmission pan.

 

[PKleine]

Sorry to hear you had such a bad time with the drain plug; but I appreciate the heads up.



PK

 

[evldsl]

This will make me think twice about any purchase from anyone for that matter. This stuff costs a few bucks and should be taken more serious then just a brush off.

 

[Grunt]

I just purchased a double deep transmission pan through Geno's... I'll be sure to check it out BEFORE the install... . thanks!!

 

[Straight6Jeff]

Just curious, when you tried to remove the plug, was the diff warm or cool? I have found that with a cold diff, the plugs are tough to get out, even if torqued to spec. The aluminum contracts quicker than the steel plug.



I have dealt with Mag Hytec many times, and always have great service. They are fast, and courteous.



Allen keys vary greatly in quality. I just removed the rear dipstick on mine this morning. It was cold out (-10 f) I twisted off a craftsman, husky, and No-name brand allen. I dug out the Snap-on allen and it came out with no problem.



Also, Put a little anti-sieze on the threads. Aluminum + steel = cold weld electrolysis.

 

[Lsfarm]

Don't blame MagHytec

Don't blame the maker of the pan, it is designed to have the O-ring seal the drain plug, not torque!!



I install a lot of MagHytec pans on DTT trans overhauls, and when I drain the ATF for the 1000-mile inspection, I often find the plug to be very tight.



This confused me until I realized that I usually put the truck back up on the hoist after the last road test and check for leaks and give a final torque on the pan bolts and drain plug. Well the pan and ATF is pretty hot at this time so the plug gets torqued into a warm aluminum pan. But later if the pan isn't hot, then the drain plug is pretty much stuck. I often use a heat gun to warm up the pan so the plug will come out.



I only use the supplied allen wrench and tighten by hand, it is pretty hard to over tighten a 1" threaded drain plug with a 3" long allen wrench. !!



There are a lot of methods that can be used to loosen stuck bolts, nuts and plugs without destroying tools or the stuck item.



Just my experiences. Greg L the Noise Nazi

 

[Extreme1]

Originally posted by Doubleclutch

Remind me not to loan you my lawnmower... . Hey - you guys getting enough snow for snowmobiling yet?

No Greg, I can still see grass but the lakes are barely rideable. The UP does have enough in a lot of areas, we have a trip planned next week.