So are we leaving this thread open for profiling reasons. This would be a great way to know who to ban...

We're leaving it open because, frankly, it amuses the hell out of me.

Listen, folks. You all know that I'm pretty lenient when it comes to the ban stick. If somebody is spamming, or post-whoring their way into the classifieds, then they're gone. If somebody like Hyper shows up and basically demonstrates that they're nothing but a troll, then they're gone.

But if a newb shows up and asks a couple of dumb questions, even if they have already been asked and answered a dozen times already in the same thread, I might give them an avatar befitting their level of offensiveness, but I'm otherwise inclined to cut 'em some slack on the hope that maybe they'll learn something eventually. If we just ban every person who shows up that doesn't already have a PhD-level understanding of how Miatas and turbochargers react to one another, well, that's one sure-fire way to kill a forum.

Agreed. It is very funny :)

but what about the downpipe elbow comming off the turbo? or is that considered part of the downpipe?
thanks for the info ^_^

Don't buy anything until you've spent 6 months familiarizing yourself with all of the different aspects of the possible arrangements and their benefits or drawbacks. If done properly, it will involve much use of the search button at the top of this page and reading through sometimes initially unrelated threads that distill into morsels of useful information. There are years of trial and error and accompanying advice from thousands of contributors and sources. Every question you have asked had been posed and resolved thoroughly and repeatedly such that our elder members can become weary of the questions. They see it as a sign of laziness when newcomers ask to be spoon fed. They treat those noobs less than graciously as an offhanded way of dissuading this behavior. As was once simply stated regarding this forum, "We are a helpful bunch, but we will not spoon feed you."

As one who has been there, there are three ways to proceed from this point. You may study and learn with the help of the forum and its tens of thousands of pages of resources, proceed against the grain and become more deeply frustrated, or acquire a complete kit from a reputable manufacturer and have someone tune it for you. I chose the first. Most that remain here did as well. The ones who chose the second option often leave without the information they seek. And many of the ones that choose the last option either don't need us or don't want to be bothered understanding how everything works beyond the ignition switch and the throttle pedal.

Most importantly, don't peragrate your build without proper time invested in study or regret will be your constant companion.

Most of us are quite friendly and very gracious, but tire quickly of the deluge of noobs every week requesting we regurgitate pages of data on demand. This is one reason you have been treated harshly by some. They also see it as an affront when sentences aren't begun with capital letters and ended with punctuation of some sort. It is seen as a sign of disrespect to the forum. Do not feel unwelcome, but instead feel a renewed understanding for the value the members place on the sanctity of our forum and its etiquette and decorum. Their remarks to you are to them as shooing a fly from their potato salad.

Good luck with your quest for enlightenment and your subsequent construction.

I guess you could call the thing hanging off the back of the turbo the beginnings of a downpipe, but don't expect to get anything working with that setup if you don't have a MIG welder in your garage.

SixShooter summed it up pretty well, actually. We've been down this path so many times it's started to get frustrating. A lot of folks have bought turbo "kits" of that nature and either been so frustrated with what they got that they never actually managed to get it installed, or if they did, wound up having to re-weld or replace just about every part in it.

Now, there have been exceptions, of course. The first couple of folks who bought the cheap, Chinese-made turbochargers that you now see everywhere were initially laughed at and called idiots. But they persevered, had some failures, learned some things, and eventually proved that a $200 turbo can be made to work reliably. At that point, they went from idiot to pioneering hero.

But, it was a difficult row to hoe. And the folks who did it, for the most part, already had some knowledge and experience under their belt. IOW, they were equipped to deal with the challenges that once encounters in being a pioneer.

So, you originally asked "would it be a good or bad idea to buy this kit, and eventually replace the turbo with a legit turbo down the road?"

I think that the collective answer is that no, it would not be a good idea to buy that kit and then pour another $500-$1,000 into making it work, especially if you know you're just going to have to replace it all down the road anyway. If you're specifically looking for a challenge, know how to roll your own fuel & ignition controls, and don't actually need your car to work reliably, then by all means, give it a shot. Worst case, you're out a couple grand, an engine, and some downtime, and I give you an avatar of a broken piston over a rainbow. Best case, you wind up proving us all wrong and we laud you as a pioneer. :D

I'll add some random thoughts that recently popped into my head.

Part of the problem for us in knowing how to craft our responses, blindboxx2334, is that we don't know you. You're new here, and you haven't given us any information at all about your past experience, your fabricating skills, your budget, the sort of tools and equipment you have available to you, your level of competence and comfort in dealing with electronics and engine management, etc.

For all we know, you could be a master craftsman who fabricates chassis for Richard Childress, you could be someone who has worked on cars for a few years and knows basic mechanics but has never done a turbo system before, or you could be some random guy who lives with his parents, owns a 15 piece socket wrench set and two screwdrivers, and has never actually seen a turbocharger in person. We'd craft entirely different responses to those three people.

Experience has taught us that most folks who sign up and then, in their very first post, ask "is this $600 eBay turbo kit any good" tend to fall into the latter group.

So, seriously, give us something to go on here. We don't hate you... yet. :D

I'm a retard, and the moderators had to clean up all the shit that I posted.

Electropunk (aka DecoyOctopus) has been warned against his transgressions, and I've pruned the thread a bit, leaving only one of his posts intact as there's a waring attached to it. I'm feeling particularly generous today, which is the only reason that the ban hammer is still in the drawer.

Further discussion that it relevant may proceed. There shall be no further thread-crapping here.

I'm a little curious about how well one of those cheap-o fleabay manifolds would hold up with a shit ton of bracing and such

jeff im still waiting on the links to those cracked manifolds buddy

18psi one brace to support the weight of the turbo should be more than enough. once the weight of the turbo is removed from the manifold then all it has to do is channel air without melting and im sure its more than capable of that. even the begi tubular manifold requires a brace so i dont think the quality of the steel is to blame for the cracking. and from the pictures this guy posted the welds dont look all that bad.

Jeff isn't your buddy.

Comparing that manifold to another manifold on the basis that they look the same is precarious. You have no idea what the thickness of the material is, what alloy was used, etc. Merely looking at the weld beads doesn't tell you much about what's underneath.

and I've personally seen them crack in non "joint" or welded spots before so saying "its just a metal tube that channels hot air" is bullshit too.

However, I'm still a bit curious as to what kind of heat EXACTLY they will take before shitting themselves strictly from a heat point of view. Assuming there is enough bracing to eliminate weight from being the culprit.

If with enough bracing and all welds redone (or reinforced) they become somewhat reliable I'd still get one simply cause they're so cheap and I have access to a welding machine and scrap metal.

As Mr. Perez said, I'm not your buddy, friend, and I'm not going to waste my time searching for links to old ass posts.

I'm not under the delusion that all of them crack 100% of the time, but I've heard enough 1st hand accounts from people to make me wary of them. And before you get your lacy panties in a bunch and accuse me of sucking off the man and being loyal to a label, know that I have more ebay parts on my car than I care to admit, and some of them are a bit more critical than a manifold.

Perhaps getting the manifold properly re-welded so they penetrate all the way and utilizing a flex-joint and turnbuckle/heim joint brace to the 'shelf' would help longevity. Just from looking at them I honestly think the weak point are those shitty 'too neat' dime stack welds.

turbo manifolds are a series of tubes.

It also has to handle a 20lb turbo, maybe 20lb of exhuast, 360* of 1g+ at 1300*, lots of torsion, thousands of extreme heat cycles, 1.5-2x the pressure as the cold side typically, and survive harmonic vibration. Its not "just pipes to move air." The crane stops the harmonic vibration, not the load of all the parts or even the g-loading.

What about this one?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=260580978211
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mazda...Q5fAccessories

There is so much fail in that kit it defies reason.

No manifold
No fuel control
No timing control
No complete downpipe
Water temp sensor relocator.....:facepalm:

and my favorite...

Battery relocation box/kit to move your battery to the trunk :laugh::laugh::laugh::facepalm:

There's an awful lot in that kit you don't need, not to mention its horribly overpriced. If this was a kit "specifically" for the Miata, there definitely wouldn't be a battery box- haha

its okay
it comes with new radiator fans

lol good points. Last one im going to bed.

I havent seen this one in forum but perhaps im not looking hard enough. Attachment 198650


still on sale for another day if you wanna look
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/94-05...Q5fAccessories

Well the TURBO NOT HIT BLOCK, so that is good
http://trendgears.com/ebay/TacoTacoN...ata-turbo5.jpg

But you get a downpipe that goes nowhere, no intake setup, no oil/coolant fittings, nothing to increase your fuel delivery, and intercooler with no mounts, and piping which I would question that would actually fit.

That kit was discussed on page 3 OF THIS THREAD, lol

At which point we made fun of it up until you posted it again, at which point we will continue to make fun of it.

did you look at the websites i told you to look at?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/90-91...Q5fAccessories

Maybe were reposting kits now, but that looks mildly acceptable, has dp mani turbo, diy intercooler piping oil lines and some crap ass looking fpr.

Yes you are reposting utter shit

LOLZ i know the essence of these kits are utter shit, why not just say the hell with it, and build your own, or pay 600 more from a reputable vendor.

I've decided to take everyones advice and save until september when i get my bonus .. shit i may just get a supercharger but hey I got time to research and listen to you miata nerds i mean uh experts ;) no for real though.. thanks for helping Full_Tilt_Boogie and WonTon

Don't you ever mention or think about a supercharger again. Just because supercharger not hit block doesn't mean it's awesome.

haha yes master :bowdown:

I have a supercharger and I want TURBO NOW
trade me

Best 1st post ever!

I'm running the CXRacing turbo kit.
1st. I had to mod out both the mani to get the turbo on, and the downpipe to get it to mount to the turbo.
2nd. It did not come with a return ( though I knew that when I bought it.)
3rd. It didn't come with any management system, FMA, or anything, but luckly I had read though DIY FaQ so many times and had bought everything Brain suggested that I didn't even start it until I had one of everything on the list. (still want MS DAMNIT)

In the end, if you just a tech don't buy this kit (nor any other off EGAY), but if you are a true mechanic that can problem solve maybe you'll be alright. I will stick up for CXRacing in that they sent me quality parts.

FYI RPM's kill engines. Well not kill, just spin bearings. Just gave me a reason to go with MS, and I'm only a few days out till I get my engine back from the machine shop with all new internals!!!!! SO HAPPY!!

bad tuning kills engines. not 14psi.

Bipes!!!! But the problem turned out to be main bearings. Thanks god I caught it early. I didn't spin any I caught them just before. But no matter, balanced, polished, honed, and cleaned. Now Wisco Pistons/ rod kit, fresh seals, and ready to put back together. Still waiting to hear from a few people on a built MS, or I'll have to get me a PAP.

FMU. Not FMA.
PnP, not PAP.

And if the parts are so quality, they would have fit properly without needing to be modded.

I don't mind the "need modification to fit" part of it. Its the "cracking a month later" part that bugs me

:bang:

LOL, my bad. Well the turbo is okay, charge pipes are good. Mani, and downpipe questionable. Luckly I know how to Tig. I do know that the bolts that came with the kit suck. Other then that a different BOV its a good starter kit.

Ahhh shit, dont know if anyone else has seen but but theres a new turbo kit on ebay and its 3 times the price as the shitter one...http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/TURBO...item45f02655f1

That appears to be this kit: http://www.turbospecialties-race.com/mazda/mm2502e.asp

Hate the turbine discharge.

2800 and they can't be bothered to list any specs.

No thanks.

Wow, the turbo and manifold is pre-assembled?! That will save me a whole 15 minutes!

You don't have to worry about engine management too! That's so awesome...

The TS kit has been around for years and sold under a few different names. The best part is that it comes with an actual Garrett GT2554r. I also like the coolant hardlines. I've seen one of these kits installed and it does bolt right up without too much hassle, but nobody who buys one is ever heard from again, so no telling on longevity.

The couplers are rubber and the BOV is plastic... I wouldn't trust the FPR either. Beyond that, the rest of the parts appear budget but no worse than other eBay stuff.

Bottom line is that a Begi "S" kit with IC upgrade is the same price.

Bingo.

lol...man this is a great post...because im def. going to be an ebay turbo purchaser
i just hope i get a good one to start with and upgrade it later

ebay turbo's are fine, but the kits are crap. Make sure you know everything that's missing and what you'll need to get to make it work.

+1^ I'd recommend getting the important stuff from reputable places (not reputable ebay sellers). You can save on stuff from ebay such as lines, intercooler, tubing, even turbo. But for manifold, downpipe, and fpr I'd definitely look to FM, Begi, etc.

I don't think that Ebay is terrible, but many of the kits are cheap and will break faster than you want them to.

Exactly. I went with the Flyin Miata DIY manifold & downpipe, and then bought a Godspeed turbocharger from ebay for $300 bucks. Everything works great.

ebay turbo kit.
 

god almighty, what a load of crap this kit is good job my friend owns his own garage. the turbo seems fine, the intercooler is ok the rest is rubbish we had to rework everything. this is not bolt on diy kit this is a nigntmare on elm st kit, stay away from it far far away.the pics of the manifold show the weak welding that failed after 1000 miles approx, the manifold has now been to another genius with a tig welder and rewelded and strengthened will show pic's later. jonny.

Aaah, the good old SS turbo manifold!

Johnny,
The tubing is so thin that it will continue to crack forever. What you have bought is a set of flanges because the tubing will always crack like a tacotaco.

Ebay turbo is ok.
Ebay turbo kit is junk.
Ebay turbo manifold is junk.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/94-05...item4ceaf51df4

"# Light weight design. Made from Aluminum.(Increase 10-20 HP)."
"PSi Drop under 0.2. Other Intercooler usually drop 10Psi Some are More. "

:bowrofl:

i figure for my first turbo i expect for stuff like that to happen....so i plan on just biting the bullet and excepting it
as long as the turbo doesnt go...the rest is easy to replace....

That's the thing though, it's not easy to replace... the ebay typically doesn't match up with anything from FM or Begi. Why do it? You're just setting yourself up for failure.

mmmm watch this space...jonny.

Why? Thats bad logic. I am going to put a bunch of hard earned cash into this thing, and I know it will be a failure, but I am going to do it this way because I have never done it before. Then I will use the information I have right now to do it right.

Do you owe some parts-slinger something? There's no reason you have to do it wrong the first time. It does not benefit you at all. You will not learn anything by having a crap manifold in compairison to what you will learn going with a quality piece.

Get quality parts from a reputable seller, get an ebay turbo to save massive dollars, and have a relaible setup. In other words, what DustinB said. In the end you will have more fun for less cash.

Better yet, keep an eye on for sales here and readup on how to go about the job properly. That may be cheaper even in terms of the initial purchase even in compairison to ebay. Let alone that money you wont have to spend down the road to replace crap.

ok... i have been looking for someone selling a decent used turbo kit for my car
i have yet to find anyone that has been willing to sell it.....and where would i find a good kit that will run me about the same as an ebay kit...or even a few hundred dollars more
...and i would be willing to buy a better kit if i could find neone selling a used plug and play ecm.....

https://www.miataturbo.net/miata-parts-sale-trade-5/1990-1993-mazda-miata-1-6l-flyin-miata-fm3-manifold-downpipe-%24450shipped-46919/

https://www.miataturbo.net/miata-parts-sale-trade-5/new-build-sale-gooooooooooooodies-48233/

https://www.miataturbo.net/miata-parts-sale-trade-5/fm-turbo-manifold-back-2560r-texas-47596/

https://www.miataturbo.net/miata-parts-sale-trade-5/fs-megasquirt-stuff-48300/


Now you can't veiw those threads yet IIRC. Every one is a for sale section thread thats very active right now. Everyone has parts for cheap which you mentioned in your posts. Just make some smart posts, ask some questions that dont suck, and then you will be able to take a look. Have you introduced yourself yet? That alone would do the trick, and you could probably get some great info from members in that same thread too. One peice of advice would be to capitalize though.

Edit: ECM? At least two members here will build you a MS system that will crap all over band-aid type management solutions, and its usually below 500 bucks by a good bit too. :)