WARNING! DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH JOE ROKOSZEWSKI AND "R & L DIESEL SERVICE."
No respect. Plays games. Robs Peter to pay Paul!
I had a lot of hope for this business. They have a very interesting history and once played a key role in servicing Detroit 2-stroke power in the Central Valley and beyond. But that was then and this is now...
Owner treats ALL of his customers like a they are a burden, not an opportunity, treats his employees like they are an expense, not part of a team. He has NO rebuilt engines in stock, when you order one, he will have it slapped together as quick as possible using mostly aftermarket parts and whatever else can be found laying on the filthy floor or shelves. No system in place to facilitate quality work. Last long-block that went out had a RUSTY camshaft installed in it, we "polished it" with "emery cloth." The engine after that went out with a USED water pump! If its a complete engine it will get painted last minute and any blemishes or imperfections will be hidden at that point, paint will probably still be drying when you pick it up. Two jobs in a row were like that. Your rebuilt engine will be briefly "dyno-tested" on an antiquated rig, and if it doesn't reach it's rated H.P. under load it will be pushed out the door anyways. Not to mention, your engine WILL be built by an underpaid 70 year old alcoholic who smells like liquor at 7am, his hands shake so bad he can barely hold onto his own wrench, he's also not provided with a urinal in the shop or ANY work area so he pisses in the waste oil bin. Shop area sits in squalor, years of poor workmanship and neglect have taken there toll. No clean workspace left so mechanic toils on his hands and knees building your engines rocker assemblies on the ground, sometimes roaming aimlessly for 15+ minutes searching for his screwdriver that rolled underneath a pile of saw dust days before. No quality control here because the owner himself actually has no experience building engines, he has never been a mechanic and does not like getting dirty, he's merely holding onto the legacy of a business that died a long, long time ago. Unfortunately, owner lacks the grit and gumption of his forefathers to successfully manage a diesel shop, thinks he can run the business with a Starbucks in one hand a golf club in the other. R & L Diesel will go the way of Barnum and Bailey, the difference is NOBODY will notice or even care. VALUABLE SKILLED LABOR DOES NOT GROW ON TREES, IT'S HONED OVER TIME THROUGH LIFE EXPERIENCE. YOU BUILD GOOD RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH RESPECT, COMMUNICATION, AND TRUST. NOT BY LYING OR TAKING ADVANTAGE OF FOLKS AT ANY OPPORTUNITY JUST SO YOU CAN SURVIVE. STOP TELLING PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR JUST SO YOU CAN TAKE THEIR MONEY AND RUN.
THERE ARE STILL A HANDFUL OF OUTFITS IN THIS COUNTRY WHO WILL SUPPORT DETROIT 2-STROKE, MAKE SOME CALLS, DO YOUR HOMEWORK, AND FIND THEM.
THERES JUST NO HOPE FOR THIS PLACE, GOOD RIDDANCE!