Riverside Performance Engines

"Absolutely terrible service! Do not use!!! Stay away! The owner told me if I would bring him my 6.0 LS that he could give me an estimate on what it would take to rebuild in about two weeks. That was in October 2021. After multiple excuses and ten weeks. He moved shops I stopped by to pick my engine up it wasn’t there. He kept telling me that he would in fact tear into the engine. He did in February 2022. The engine needed a lot of work but I asked him if we had a path forward and asked for a quote. I have called, sent emails and now I cannot get a response at all! It’s ridiculous to run a business like this! I gave him several chances for me to just pick the engine up. All the excuses and all the problems I’ve heard over the last six months…. And now won’t return a call! I trusted this shop and looks like I’ve lost a engine at this point."

"Recently needed work on 2 different boat engines. Neither one was fixed to run after $700 spent. Brought one boat back to shop where it sat untouched for 3 weeks with no communication from shop. Boat picked up & brought elsewhere & it was fixed in 1 week. Finally running great!"

"This has been the worst experience I have ever had and the worst I have been treated as a customer.I took my engine here to get machine work done.First I wanted my engine block checked over before I spent $2,000 on a rotating assembly.The guy that was doing my machine work ( Eric ) told me that the block was good to go. He told me that he could line hone, bore it, and install new cam bearings. I also had some Main cap issues that he was going to correct for $450. I'm thinking great. I trusted him Because I work at a dealership and I send all my customers heads and blocks there to have them checked over and worked on. I paid Eric $450 and ordered a rotating assembly and all new bearings. As I installed the bearings and crankshaft I noticed that the crank would not fit or turn properly once torqued down to spec. I called Eric and we came to the conclusion that I should bring it back to him to make sure it was nothing he did wrong. Eric told me that my crank was a piece of junk and I can either have it turned to fit or I can send it back and buy a new one and all new bearings. I called the supplier I got my crank from and they said the crank was checked before shipped to me. I then called with Eric on the phone and he said they were full of s***. He said that their crank was oversized and he line honed my block to factory spec. He said my block checked out perfect. I trusted Eric and took his word. So I decided to do as he said and just have my brand new crank turned because he said it was oversized to fit my block that he machined. I took my crank to a different machine shop to have it turned and the guy told me my crank was perfectly fine. He said he would hate to ruin a perfect brand new crank, but he will do as I want. He then told me that I either have line bore issue or a bearing issue.I paid him for his time and called Eric and explained​ to him what the other shop said.Eric said he would check his guages and mics and get back with me. He said if he did something wrong I don't owe him anything and he would fix it.I began to ask questions because the more people I talked to the more it seemed as if Eric did not do the work I paid him $450 to do.I did not want to throw away any more money so I told Eric whatever it takes to make it right I'm willing to do what he suggests.He told me he will rehone my block and make it right. He said I would have to pay him again and buy new bearings.I didn't feel I should have had to pay again.But I was so frustrated I was willing to. I then asked Eric that once he is done what if the crank still want fit and we still have issues once I pay him the second time he told me ( well I guess you will just have a piece of s*** crank and a piece of s*** block then ).I felt totally disrespected as a customer. I told him let me think about it and I'll call you back. I immediately drove there and picked up all my parts. When I arrived there all off my main caps were off and the bearings were out. It looked as if he wacked my main caps and block with a pry bar. When I saw that I was highly upset. He said he noticed it once he took bearings off.I am positive the block was perfectly fine when I dropped it off. I then took my block somewhere else.I explained everything to my new machine guy. He asked that I give him a day and he will let me know what he can do. He told me not to worry he will help me one way or another.He then called me back and verified that the work I paid Eric to do was not done.He Explained everything to me very thoroughly and had specification numbers to prove what he was saying. He also machined my block and installed my crank and everything is working perfect. If anyone needs any machine work DO NOT USE Riverside marine. You will be mislead and treated horrible. They also do not have the proper equipment to turn crankshafts. I thank God that I had to take it somewhere else to get crank checked before I paid someone to turn it.If Eric would have been able to turn my crank there is no telling what kind of hole I would be in right now as far as money spent to correct this issue."

"Riverside Performance has done TONS of work for me....anything from replacing liners in my blocks to complete freshen up the motor....Tom and Eric are knowledgeable and fully capable of just about anything to do with machining and assembling engines. I don't have just some small block either.....I've had my 632" all aluminum nitrous motor there and my 780" nitrous motor....they have done nothing shy of excellent machine work and it was done when they said it would be done....I RECOMMEND and TRUST them to do any machine work and assembly."

"I do 99% of my own work but when i cant, i rely on Eric to either finish the job, do the machine work that i cant or fix what i broke.My latest experience was on a 94 Bronco with a 351W. i was chasing a coolant leak and due to the vehicles age the thermostat housing bolts broke off in the intake. Well i HAD to pull the intake off to replace it and several bolts broke off in the heads. They were rusted and seized up. That put me dead in the water. That's when i called Eric at Riverside Marine. I told him my situation and he said to bring the heads to them and he would see what he could do to fix the rusted and seized up and broken bolts. The next day he called me and let me know that he was able to remove the bolts and fix the holes. Since he did it so quick i decided to let him go ahead and do a valve job also. A few days later he called me and said the heads were ready. I also had him clean up a used intake i had purchased to replace the one that had bolts broke off in it. When i picked them up i was quite shocked. The intake looked almost new and the heads looked amazing. He even painted the heads...and the right Ford color!!!!! I have dealt with MANY machine shops in my time and none compare to the quality of service and the finished product. I have always had to rush home and paint my heads so they wouldn't rust. This time i had a little time to spare. I would recommend these guys to anyone in Arkansas....and even surrounding states. If its a simple valve job or massive muscle build.....these guys know their stuff!!!!! If you want quality, reasonable price and great service, call these guys or just drop in and say hi and check out their amazing facility!!!!!"