A warning for those considering the ebay kit
wowww
02-18-2014, 12:55 PM
#23
fixit
I'm with Pinky and shammed- make it work. That $150 it cost to return can buy you a MIG/flux core welder (HF new or CL used), a grinder, some cutoff wheels and other miscel supplies. Certainly enough to fix the problems and fab a brace for the manifold. And you'll come out the other side of the project knowing a lot more than not to buy the kit.
You can use aluminum brazing rod and a good propane torch head to fix the IC hole.
You can use aluminum brazing rod and a good propane torch head to fix the IC hole.
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02-18-2014, 01:21 PM
#24
I'm with Pinky and shammed- make it work. That $150 it cost to return can buy you a MIG/flux core welder (HF new or CL used), a grinder, some cutoff wheels and other miscel supplies. Certainly enough to fix the problems and fab a brace for the manifold. And you'll come out the other side of the project knowing a lot more than not to buy the kit.
You can use aluminum brazing rod and a good propane torch head to fix the IC hole.
You can use aluminum brazing rod and a good propane torch head to fix the IC hole.
She was probably really excited about this, and she spent quite a lot on it (relative to most gifts--if not relative to most full turbo kits) and I'm sure we've all "been there" where someone just straight up didn't like a gift we gave them..
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02-18-2014, 05:29 PM
#26
I have the kit on the car, I wanted to see how long before the first crack happened. thats how I found the intercooler leaked lol
Don't know how to describe putting something you know will break on your car.. On the bright side the turbo sounds nice spooling up.
waiting for it to break and then just be all like "hey babe I need an FM turbo manifold"
Don't know how to describe putting something you know will break on your car.. On the bright side the turbo sounds nice spooling up.
waiting for it to break and then just be all like "hey babe I need an FM turbo manifold"
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02-19-2014, 12:08 PM
#28
It ran great tell I had a backfire through the intake start a random fire, fortunately only hoses damaged. People call my paranoid for insisting any modified car carry a fire extinguisher, today it paid off and saved my ***. I think my fuel line cracked or fuel injector grommet, time to just rehose the entire engine.
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05-03-2014, 01:20 PM
#32
200 miles on it and my first crack, weirdly enough it isn't on the piping but the turbo intake flange the rest of the manifold is just fine. I went ahead and welded a washer onto the flange as well as patched the crack. I'll be ordering a DIY log manifold soon though.
I think I overtightened a bolt on it, but oh well lol
I think I overtightened a bolt on it, but oh well lol
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07-22-2014, 01:11 PM
#37
Elite Member
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Harpers Ferry WV
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As bad as it may seem I have used many parts form ILOVETACO and most of them have been decent. I learned a long time ago that the ebay mini ram or ramhorn or basically any tubular manifold is to thin and junk. With one exception witch is the XSpower manifold for my 2jz witch is still holding strong along with many other people with the same one.
Ebay parts are good and bad. I have had two china chargers on my 1.8t volkswagen both have gone just over 100K at 15-20 psi on a daily driver one was a mild upgrade stock turbo other was an ebay 50 trim. They do not make the same power as a real one but work pretty well.
I guess I am with Braineak. Ebay parts rarely bolt on perfect and always need tweaking and I would not trust anything other than a cast manifold from them. Other than that look at all the build threads from hondas to toyotas, even here universal inter cooler kits work but are not as efficient turbo manifolds and turbos work but make less power than Garrett. Use the china charger on a cast mani throw a good gate on it and use the china bov and make 180whp at 11psi. Thats what they are good for decent power at a decent price. If you want 100% perfect fitment and the absolute most power you can get from a setup buy they best of the best and spend 10X what you can build on an ebay kit.
My old civic made 200whp on 12psi with a ebay turbo
with the same size turbo but a true garrett gt30r ball bearing it made 200whp on 8psi. That being said one turbo was $150 the other was $1400 I would expect more from the $1400 turbo. Ebay is cheap replaceable throw away turbo parts made to last 50k miles max in most cases. Dont buy ebay parts and expect a begi S3 kit to come in the mail.
I hate the beef everyone has with ebay parts. Look closely before you buy buy parts that have been known to work by other members and then expect to fab everything. If you dont want to deal with all of the above spend 3K and forget about ebay.
end rant.....
Ebay parts are good and bad. I have had two china chargers on my 1.8t volkswagen both have gone just over 100K at 15-20 psi on a daily driver one was a mild upgrade stock turbo other was an ebay 50 trim. They do not make the same power as a real one but work pretty well.
I guess I am with Braineak. Ebay parts rarely bolt on perfect and always need tweaking and I would not trust anything other than a cast manifold from them. Other than that look at all the build threads from hondas to toyotas, even here universal inter cooler kits work but are not as efficient turbo manifolds and turbos work but make less power than Garrett. Use the china charger on a cast mani throw a good gate on it and use the china bov and make 180whp at 11psi. Thats what they are good for decent power at a decent price. If you want 100% perfect fitment and the absolute most power you can get from a setup buy they best of the best and spend 10X what you can build on an ebay kit.
My old civic made 200whp on 12psi with a ebay turbo
with the same size turbo but a true garrett gt30r ball bearing it made 200whp on 8psi. That being said one turbo was $150 the other was $1400 I would expect more from the $1400 turbo. Ebay is cheap replaceable throw away turbo parts made to last 50k miles max in most cases. Dont buy ebay parts and expect a begi S3 kit to come in the mail.
I hate the beef everyone has with ebay parts. Look closely before you buy buy parts that have been known to work by other members and then expect to fab everything. If you dont want to deal with all of the above spend 3K and forget about ebay.
end rant.....
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07-22-2014, 01:40 PM
#39
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Harpers Ferry WV
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Stock turbo died at 80k first eBay turbo went from 80k to 175k second eBay turbo is still on the car at 270k and going strong yes my 1.8t has 270k on it and it's still together and I have never replaced the engine
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