Jeffk

Why did I ever buy Pypes? After the header not fitting the seller and I kept in touch. He suggested that I try emailing Pypes and see what they had to say.

It has spiraled into a royal you-know-what storm ever since. Pypes customer service sucks!

Here is my initial post on S197forum

I was hoping that I would be writing this as a good customer service experience regardless of what I've read. But here's the story.

I bought a used set of headers from a member here. He had them installed on his 06 so naturally they should fit my 09. I was hesitant to buy Pypes initially because I've read that some people have had issues with leaks but he said he didn't have any issues so I bought them.
Last Sunday my buddy and I decided to install these. Now by now means are we ASSE mechs but we both have lots of wrench time on cars. I read over the Kooks install instructions since the ones that I found on the Pypes site were ****. And away we went.

Drivers side went on perfectly. I wanted to tackle that one first since everyone says that it's the hardest.

Get over to the passenger side. Starter is out, stock manifold out, motor mount bracket out, all of the studs are out. I put 4 bolts along the bottom holes and slide the header up in there. It stops about 1/2" back from aligning with the holes. I pull it back out and investigate. I don't see anything that looks out of place so I slide it back in there. Still not even close. There are two down tubes hitting the K-member and because of that the flange will not align with the holes in the head nor will it lie flat against the head. I pull it back out and have my buddy get under the car. He tries it a couple of times. Neither of us have been drinking at this point. Maybe that's the problem..? Either way this thing was not going in.

I email the member that I bought them from. Although I don't put the blame on him, I am not absolutely baffled at why they fit his 06 and not my car. I ask him if he has an aftermarket K-member or something. He didn't have any aftermarket chassis pieces under the front end of his car.



So, I crawl back under the car and try it again. No dice. I lie there and think on it a little. I figure that I now own these headers regardless of if they fit or now because I am not asking to return them since he had them on his car. So my buddy and I decide to heat the offending tubes up and try to massage them some. We started out with a 2lb sledge and a block of wood and initially slightly redesigned the 2 pipes that were hitting. Eventually I just went straight to it with the hammer since where it had to be moved was in a compound area the metal started to wrinkle. I got a little pissed at one point and after nearly crushing the 2 tubes the ****ing header still would not go on. So we put all the stock parts back on my car and called it a loss... an entire day.

After.. yeah, it's ugly.











So now I have a set of headers and an X pipe sitting in my office staring at me. I've been thinking that I will just get someone to cut off those 2 pipes and welding in new pieces bent in a fashion in which they will actually fit.

I figured what the hell I will email Pypes and see if they will sell me a header to replace this one. I read online somewhere that at one point they had a bad jig so maybe they have some singles lying around.

Their Product manager that answered my email was not at all interested in trying to help since I was not the original purchaser. I was completely open and honest. Told him that I tried to make it fit but it would not and that I wanted to BUY a new header not have them give me one.

I finally got pissed and told him that while I wouldn't openly bash Pypes I would be sure to post pics of the Frankensteined header and let people know it was their product.

He went on to say that I should be pissed at Tim for selling me the header. And that's when I decided to start openly bashing Pypes..

I will post the emails since he Threatened to post them.. because I'm dishonest or something.

I sent the first one from my personal email and after a couple of hours I figured that no one was monitoring their Tech email inbox so I sent another from my work email. I was busy at work and didn't type all of the details just a quick " I got a used set of your headers and they don't fit"

Jeffk

This is a picture from the seller, of the headers on his engine, in the k-member.

the arrow indicates where it was hitting on my K-member.



What really baffles me is why it fit on his car and not mine. If the Pypes guy had even said "I have no clue" that would have been better than not addressing that at all. Or even an "Damn dude, I'm sorry it doesn't fit"

Jeffk

Emails...

I already figured this was the respone you would give. You should be pissed at the person who sold you the headers. If they were already installed on a vehicle then they should fit yours. If not, then the original purchaser could have returned them to us for warranty replacement. And while posting pictures and comments, please tell the truth about your situation. We can also post the series of emails for all to see. We did not sell you a used set of headers. Thanks and have a great day.



Mike Zimmerman
Product Manager Pypes Performance Exhaust
2705 Clemens Road; Bldg 105A
Hatfield, PA 19440
mikez@pypesexhaust.com Tel: 800-421-3890
Fax: 267-638-3507


----- Original Message -----
From: Jeff Kresge
To: Tech @ Pypes Exhaust
Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2012 12:17 PM
Subject: Re: 09 Mustang HDR 55 fit issue

That's fine. I had already assumed that Pypes wasn't going to offer any support. I don't know what difference it makes whether or not I am the original purchaser. The Pypes name is still on the plate that is welded to the header... so when I am at shows or posting pics of my car on the internet and people ask me why I had to frankenstein one of the headers how do you think they are going to react when I tell them that it's a Pypes product. Regardless of what following story I tell them. In their mind your company is still branded with that image.

Now flip the coin. Pypes decides to provide excellent customer service and sell a guy who was open and honest from the onset a replacement header even though I bought them used. And I tell that story everywhere I go...

Thanks for your time.

Jeff Kresge


Unfortunatlly we can only sell sets. If you were the original purchaser ther could be a possibility of a single piece sale due to an accident. Hence why I would ask you specific questions. We manufacture in complete sets and must sell in complete sets.



Mike Zimmerman
Product Manager Pypes Performance Exhaust
2705 Clemens Road; Bldg 105A
Hatfield, PA 19440
mikez@pypesexhaust.com Tel: 800-421-3890
Fax: 267-638-3507


----- Original Message -----
From: Jeff Kresge
To: Tech @ Pypes Exhaust
Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2012 9:55 AM
Subject: Re: 09 Mustang HDR 55 fit issue

Mike,
I hate to keep bugging you but I have these headers sitting in my office tormenting me.

Thanks,
Jeff


--- On Tue, 11/6/12, Tech @ Pypes Exhaust <tech@pypesexhaust.com> wrote:

From: Tech @ Pypes Exhaust <tech@pypesexhaust.com>
Subject: Re: 09 Mustang HDR 55 fit issue
To: "Jeff Kresge" <kresge1975@yahoo.com>
Date: Tuesday, November 6, 2012, 2:58 PM

Where were the headers purchased from?




Mike Zimmerman
Product Manager Pypes Performance Exhaust
2705 Clemens Road; Bldg 105A
Hatfield, PA 19440
mikez@pypesexhaust.com Tel: 800-421-3890
Fax: 267-638-3507


----- Original Message -----
From: Jeff Kresge
To: tech@pypesexhaust.com
Sent: Monday, November 05, 2012 7:07 PM
Subject: Re: 09 Mustang HDR 55 fit issue

Either way. I am now just asking if I can buy just the one header. I damaged it trying to make it fit my car. I am not asking for a free header to replace it.
As to why it fit the other car and not mine, I am not sure. That is what has me scratching my head. Unless there was some sort of chassis change between 06 & 09.

From: Tech @ Pypes Exhaust <tech@pypesexhaust.com>;
To: Jeff Kresge <kresge1975@yahoo.com>;
Subject: Re: 09 Mustang HDR 55 fit issue
Sent: Mon, Nov 5, 2012 11:50:15 PM

Damaged or used? You sent an email earlier stating you purchased a used set and now they didnt fit? Im unsure how they fit the first time. Our headers are only sold in sets. Do you have aa purchase receipt for the headers?



Mike Zimmerman
Product Manager Pypes Performance Exhaust
2705 Clemens Road; Bldg 105A
Hatfield, PA 19440
mikez@pypesexhaust.com Tel: 800-421-3890
Fax: 267-638-3507
----- Original Message -----
From: Jeff Kresge
To: tech@pypesexhaust.com
Sent: Sunday, November 04, 2012 9:37 PM
Subject: 09 Mustang HDR 55 fit issue

Good morning,
I bought a slightly used set of your long tube headers for my 09 Mustang GT. The passenger side would not fit at all, it contacted the motor mount plate, the K-member and the floorpan. I tried to make it fit but had no luck. I beat one of the tubes nearly flat and it still would not bolt up to the head without hitting the k-member. At some point was this a known issue with these headers?

Can I possibly buy a just new left side header?

Thank you,
Jeff

clowe1965

Wow.........wtf? Only question that comes to mind is did the other guy actually have them installed on his car? No offense intended, I don't know if you know him personally, saw them on his car, or he already had a bad customer experience with Pypes and was trying to get what money he could out of the headers.

What I don't get is the complete inability of Pypes to make a new passenger side header. Only made in sets BS doesn't make any sense. Headers are always made by hand. They may have a robotic bender that has preprogrammed bends in it but that doesn't mean you can't have it make one header. You'd probably have to pay over half the price of the header simply because they would have to make it just for you since they couldn't split a set.

Keep us posted and let me know if you find a fab shop to fix it.

Jay@Hypermotive

Let me know if you need anything man. I'll try and help out.

Jeffk

I kind of want to run the frick'n things over at this point and never buy another Pypes product again but i am invested financially and time wise.

Clint the guy that i bought them from did have them installed. He even jumped in and sent Pypes a pretty strong email.

HT

I have Pypes exhaust. I knew going into it that they tended to be a pain, but the sound was worth it to me. I took it to an exhaust shop and they basically used everything as a template and just worked around the problems. Had I known their customer service was this bad, I wouldn't have purchased from them, but in the future I would just take the problem piece to an exhaust shop and let them at it. Granted, headers are obviously a bigger pain than the pipes further back, but still.

I understand the frustration though. I hope you can get something worked out.

2008saleen

I am waiting on a new set of pypes long tubes to be delivered to me. I hope that i dont have these type of fitment issues. I just fought with a boost brothers header with some similar issues. mine were not as bad as yours though. Mine was hitting on the bottom of cyl 2 right on top of the motor mount bracket. would not allow me to bolt it up. I dented the crap out of them as well trying to make it fit. Pyes are my second attempt. Everything else on the rh side of mine would have fit perfectly except for that one critical spot.

Jeffk

I wish you luck and I hope yours fit.

Widow Maker

WOW... what a nightmare. Ya know after all this being posted on a "Mustang Forum" I would think it would have been a great opportunity for Pypes to step up and take care of this problem. This is the last place they need any negative publicity... I am glad I left my Pypes exhaust on my 2010 when I traded it in... cuz sfter reading your dilemma Pypes would be the last exhaust system I would ever purchase... Just sayin'....