EBay turbo yes or are you crazy
Discussion
Vw nut said:
Hi everyone currently modifying a a4 b5 1.8t and looking at a new turbo the question is just how bad are cheap turbos has anyone got any experience with them are they as bad as people think any input would be much appreciated cheers
No harm in trying again I suppose:https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
I'd be looking at a BorgWarner K04 from a Leon Cupra R, S3 or TT 225, rather than one of the eBay specials that the seller claims fit a particular vehicle. Plenty of refurbished ones on eBay for not that much money.
https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Turbocharger-Audi-S3-TT-1...
Good seller feedback and only £338.
https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Turbocharger-Audi-S3-TT-1...
Good seller feedback and only £338.
Loads of videos on Youtube where people have had some pretty good results with cheapo turbos, running big power for ages and then cranking it up and up until they kill it.
It will work, wont be as good as an OEM unit but at the end of the day, it is a couple of fans in a housing spun by exhaust gas to drag more air in, of course there will be those coming along to say you need a top of range, taste the difference, rare earth metal turbo or the world will end, worst case scenario is you break it and maybe it screws your engine.More like is that it just dies quietly and you have wasted a few hundred quid and some of your spare time.
Its an old, fairly cheap car I assume, one that you want to mess with on a budget, just go for it, have some fun and learn stuff, but do a bit of research (like you are doing by asking here) There are a lot of folk on here that get their hands dirty at various levels, from the lower end, like me to some of the guys building stuff in Readers Ride, there are also a lot that tend to just throw money at stuff and tend to think only the most expensive option will ever do, I wouldn't be buying brand new Borg Warner Hybrid turbos for an old Audi A4, but a cheap and cheerful Chinacharger, well why not.
A good point about the OEM K04, am sure someone will have a manifold/modification to put one on a longitudinal engine, am planning a summer of messing with my old TT, just a ghetto map and a new N75 so far but it scuttles down the road pretty well (prob around 250 bhp now) I could lash a load of money on a new car or sink 10 grand into this, but it doesnt make sense, but cost effective mods, with me doing the spannering do, if I break it, I can buy another !
In the meantime, peruse the YT videos, they give a really good flavour of what can be achieve, old Hondas and producing 700 bhp,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg2bhcw8mG0
It will work, wont be as good as an OEM unit but at the end of the day, it is a couple of fans in a housing spun by exhaust gas to drag more air in, of course there will be those coming along to say you need a top of range, taste the difference, rare earth metal turbo or the world will end, worst case scenario is you break it and maybe it screws your engine.More like is that it just dies quietly and you have wasted a few hundred quid and some of your spare time.
Its an old, fairly cheap car I assume, one that you want to mess with on a budget, just go for it, have some fun and learn stuff, but do a bit of research (like you are doing by asking here) There are a lot of folk on here that get their hands dirty at various levels, from the lower end, like me to some of the guys building stuff in Readers Ride, there are also a lot that tend to just throw money at stuff and tend to think only the most expensive option will ever do, I wouldn't be buying brand new Borg Warner Hybrid turbos for an old Audi A4, but a cheap and cheerful Chinacharger, well why not.
A good point about the OEM K04, am sure someone will have a manifold/modification to put one on a longitudinal engine, am planning a summer of messing with my old TT, just a ghetto map and a new N75 so far but it scuttles down the road pretty well (prob around 250 bhp now) I could lash a load of money on a new car or sink 10 grand into this, but it doesnt make sense, but cost effective mods, with me doing the spannering do, if I break it, I can buy another !
In the meantime, peruse the YT videos, they give a really good flavour of what can be achieve, old Hondas and producing 700 bhp,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg2bhcw8mG0
When I used to work in turbo development, we used to test ebay turbos to see just how bad they are. I wouldn't trust one!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za0DieZHMKc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za0DieZHMKc
Vw nut said:
They do mate but don't really want to spend 700 pounds
I think the choice you have is probably between something like that and a no-name Chinese unbranded turbo that may or may not make its quoted boost, may or may not fail early, may or may not take other components with it, and which you may or may not be able to claim on the supposed warranty for it.If it was my P&J I know what I would prefer.
J4CKO said:
Loads of videos on Youtube where people have had some pretty good results with cheapo turbos, running big power for ages and then cranking it up and up until they kill it.
It will work, wont be as good as an OEM unit but at the end of the day, it is a couple of fans in a housing spun by exhaust gas to drag more air in, of course there will be those coming along to say you need a top of range, taste the difference, rare earth metal turbo or the world will end, worst case scenario is you break it and maybe it screws your engine.More like is that it just dies quietly and you have wasted a few hundred quid and some of your spare time.
Its an old, fairly cheap car I assume, one that you want to mess with on a budget, just go for it, have some fun and learn stuff, but do a bit of research (like you are doing by asking here) There are a lot of folk on here that get their hands dirty at various levels, from the lower end, like me to some of the guys building stuff in Readers Ride, there are also a lot that tend to just throw money at stuff and tend to think only the most expensive option will ever do, I wouldn't be buying brand new Borg Warner Hybrid turbos for an old Audi A4, but a cheap and cheerful Chinacharger, well why not.
A good point about the OEM K04, am sure someone will have a manifold/modification to put one on a longitudinal engine, am planning a summer of messing with my old TT, just a ghetto map and a new N75 so far but it scuttles down the road pretty well (prob around 250 bhp now) I could lash a load of money on a new car or sink 10 grand into this, but it doesnt make sense, but cost effective mods, with me doing the spannering do, if I break it, I can buy another !
In the meantime, peruse the YT videos, they give a really good flavour of what can be achieve, old Hondas and producing 700 bhp,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg2bhcw8mG0
That's how I look at it too one of my mate got a brand new geniuen Garrett turbo which he paid 900 pounds for that had shaft play and only lasted 20k miles It will work, wont be as good as an OEM unit but at the end of the day, it is a couple of fans in a housing spun by exhaust gas to drag more air in, of course there will be those coming along to say you need a top of range, taste the difference, rare earth metal turbo or the world will end, worst case scenario is you break it and maybe it screws your engine.More like is that it just dies quietly and you have wasted a few hundred quid and some of your spare time.
Its an old, fairly cheap car I assume, one that you want to mess with on a budget, just go for it, have some fun and learn stuff, but do a bit of research (like you are doing by asking here) There are a lot of folk on here that get their hands dirty at various levels, from the lower end, like me to some of the guys building stuff in Readers Ride, there are also a lot that tend to just throw money at stuff and tend to think only the most expensive option will ever do, I wouldn't be buying brand new Borg Warner Hybrid turbos for an old Audi A4, but a cheap and cheerful Chinacharger, well why not.
A good point about the OEM K04, am sure someone will have a manifold/modification to put one on a longitudinal engine, am planning a summer of messing with my old TT, just a ghetto map and a new N75 so far but it scuttles down the road pretty well (prob around 250 bhp now) I could lash a load of money on a new car or sink 10 grand into this, but it doesnt make sense, but cost effective mods, with me doing the spannering do, if I break it, I can buy another !
In the meantime, peruse the YT videos, they give a really good flavour of what can be achieve, old Hondas and producing 700 bhp,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg2bhcw8mG0
Jim AK said:
Slow said:
From what I have heard the ebay special chinese turbos have come a long way.
FTFY!! 
Friend of a friend put one on an AUM Golf, lasted about 3 months running about 2/3 of claimed boost apparently when the Compressor cover split!!
t chinese turbos still, got a friend who has one on his R5 turbo and its not failed in 3 years now.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff