knock off 16g's...

[Boosted19]

Sorry if there are other post about em. But I searched knock off turbos and didnt get much. How are they? This one company has one for like 300 something shipped. Has a one year warranty, comes with and install kit for my 95tsi. and an ADJ> wastegate. This setup junk? How bad are they? Thanks!

 

[Dream On]

They seem to be hit or miss. Only time will tell though. I personally wouldn't risk it on something like a turbo, but it's your money, do with it what you want though.

 

[eboy0]

I am having the same dilemma, spend 500$ for an entire kit w/ manifold + WG and turbo and install kit and get 1 year warranty, or spend 600$ for just the turbo, then another 300$ for install kit and manifold... and get no warranty(some places).... but know the turbo is built to last.

 

[bigdrew123]

you get what you pay for, you have been warned

 

[EuroGSTSpyder]

i still wanna see someone get those companies to live up to the warranty as well..?

 

[Boosted19]

It sucks because there so dang cheap!!! Who has the cheapest small16g out there thats still mhi...

 

[Eclipsethis90]

Spend the money and get a true MHI. I did two years ago and my 16g is still rock solid and no shaft play even with weekly abuse. When it comes down to it just how close are the tolerances in those knock offs and are the metals of the proper grade/strength? I wouldn't risk it. Save money elsewhere, for example, your exhaust or something that won't kill the engine if it pops under full boost.

 

[Steve93Talon]

I am having the same dilemma, spend 500$ for an entire kit w/ manifold + WG and turbo and install kit and get 1 year warranty, or spend 600$ for just the turbo, then another 300$ for install kit and manifold... and get no warranty(some places).... but know the turbo is built to last.

You can get a real MHI EVO 16g for $500, you already have a perfectly fine 2G manifold, just port the outlet to match, and you don't need an expensive install kit, just re-use your stock coolant lines, either modify your oil return or buy a 1G return, buy a braided oil feed, and either pick up a stock 1G turbo outlet elbow and stretch your stock lower IC pipe to fit or buy a 2G j-pipe. You're talking like $100-125 for everything you'd need.

 

[TSIMonsteR]

Get a MHI EVO 3 for $500 and get the ssautochrome install kit(works great, ss oil feed and jpipe) http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mits...emQQcategoryZ33742QQihZ005QQitemZ150079411040

 

[Boosted19]

just bought a big16g for $449 of fp!!!

 

[BISHILVR]

Mitsu turbos come with a 12 month warranty!

 

[TurboDSMer]

Mitsu turbos come with a 12 month warranty!

Yea but that is more a sign of good faith than any thing else. I had a friend who bought a small 16g and it broke on him 6 months later and that warranty was about as valuable as a piece of dirt.


Also the only "knock off" 16g is the evo 3 gt. I have never heard of a big or small 16g "knock off".

 

[selmerguy]

I can only put out my experiance. I bought a XS power t3 more that 2 years ago. I put it on my RST and beat it pretty hard. It still works great. I recently bought a SSAC 50 trim and after a week no problems on my 1g AWD. To me a turbo is simple and not hard to make. Couple bearings, two wheels, a nice shaft and there you go. I know it is alittle more complicaed than that but you get the idea. The thing I find funny is when I put togeather my kit for my RS, I bought a 300 dollar manifold. It is the only thing on my kit that messed up. It cracked and had to be repaired. I bought a turbo, 38mm wastegate, and bov for 300 and they all still work great. Only time will tell on my turbo projects but I have a friend that is on his third MHI 16g in four years. If you want to pay for a name then go for it. You have to pick and choose your products and who makes them. Do Levis last longer then whatever walmart brand? Some people think so... I dont.

 

[eboy0]

You can get a real MHI EVO 16g for $500, you already have a perfectly fine 2G manifold, just port the outlet to match, and you don't need an expensive install kit, just re-use your stock coolant lines, either modify your oil return or buy a 1G return, buy a braided oil feed, and either pick up a stock 1G turbo outlet elbow and stretch your stock lower IC pipe to fit or buy a 2G j-pipe. You're talking like $100-125 for everything you'd need.

Not a bad setup... since my current exhaust manifold is leaking...(seafoam) can't figure out if it's from the gasket or underneath there's a crack... but yah buying an MHI would be the better route to go, but those kits on ebay are getting nicer and nicer.... either they're trying to cram more "junk" into a kit in order for it to sell, or those kits actually work?

 

[1gcrazy]

Shit I just bought an E3 16g from a buddy locally for 310. Has 300 miles and its CLEAN. MHI of coarse.
I bought an e3 manifold for 80 and the 02 housing for 30.
Look for the deals and your shit wont fall apart.

 

[BISHILVR]

I can only put out my experiance. I bought a XS power t3 more that 2 years ago. I put it on my RST and beat it pretty hard. It still works great. I recently bought a SSAC 50 trim and after a week no problems on my 1g AWD. To me a turbo is simple and not hard to make. Couple bearings, two wheels, a nice shaft and there you go. I know it is alittle more complicaed than that but you get the idea. The thing I find funny is when I put togeather my kit for my RS, I bought a 300 dollar manifold. It is the only thing on my kit that messed up. It cracked and had to be repaired. I bought a turbo, 38mm wastegate, and bov for 300 and they all still work great. Only time will tell on my turbo projects but I have a friend that is on his third MHI 16g in four years. If you want to pay for a name then go for it. You have to pick and choose your products and who makes them. Do Levis last longer then whatever walmart brand? Some people think so... I dont.

If your buddy has gone through three evo3 turbos in four years he is the one to blame. I have a 90gsx with the original 14b on it with 170,000 miles on it and its still going along.

 

[selmerguy]

If your buddy has gone through three evo3 turbos in four years he is the one to blame. I have a 90gsx with the original 14b on it with 170,000 miles on it and its still going along.

I agree. I just took of my 14b with about 150,xxx. It is still in great shape. The purpose of my statement was it all depends on how you treat your investment.

 

[TurboDSMer]

Shit I just bought an E3 16g from a buddy locally for 310. Has 300 miles and its CLEAN. MHI of coarse.
I bought an e3 manifold for 80 and the 02 housing for 30.
Look for the deals and your shit wont fall apart.

I agree. look for some used stuff if you want to save money. But if you are on a tight budget get the "knock off" stuff. whats the worst that happens it breaks within the first year and you egt it replaced for free? Some guys run the EVO 3GT with no problems, others have problems. Like it was also stated above it's how you use and treat the turbo that will decide how long it lives.

 

[chicagoavenger]

That's why the saying you get what you pay for is sooooo over rated these days. People bi*** about knockoff's but love vendors and say buy from reputable companies, but wait you have vendors that buy knock off's and slap there name on and it's ok then. Just for example look at Dejon and there Greddy Type RS it's just a ebay unit that says Dejon sticker on it that they charge more for it. Lets look at Megan Racing's $150 bucks for a downpipe that's a true 3" for 95% of it AND it's stainless steal. Sounds cheap so it must be shit right? Wrong that thing gets nothing but praises and is a work of art and I have one myself and when I compared it to my friend's overpriced Apexi I just wondered why he bought it and so did he. People talk about all these smim and only go with Magnus, SBR etc etc but hell I can list numerous threads how vendors smim have blown the welds off or blown apart but hey people spent 600+ for that thing so it should be gold right? Nope wrong guess what there shit blows to and noone really says anything hmm wonder why?.


Let's not get me started on the ebay FMIC for 295 shipped that is just as good if not better then say SBR or an extreme etc etc kit. That SSAC ebay kit has been proven at the track and strip and dyno so yeah why would I overlook that and spend 800+ on the same shit? I'm just wondering but didn't someone say that agp uses the same core that comes with the SSAC fmic they overcharge for ? I'm not saying hey go out and buy nothing but knockoff items but do your research and see if there are other alternatives because there are then paying some rediculous price just because Joe has him name on it. Don't get me wrong some of the vendors out there make some quality stuff that can't be touched BUT there are other items out there that may make you think twice when it comes to decide who you are going to spend the mony on. Let's face it it all comes down to pricing period hey look at a Dave Brode uicp nothing but praises and that thing is cheap in price and I would have no problem paying that man for a quality piece then some over priced Greddy product for the same quality. Take it for it's worth look at my set up my turbo is a pte, tial wastegate etc etc. But other things yeah I'm gonna go see what else is out there but that's just me.

 

[BISHILVR]

The problem with a turbo failure is that it can not only leave you stranded, but there are countless ways that it can destroy your engine if it fails, just some food for thought.

 

[Boosted19]

yea thats what i figured. if im going to do it might as well do it right.

 

[selmerguy]

These turbos are just like LCD tv's. Would you buy a Sony, or a Walmart brand? One company had a patent on LCD screens. So nomatter what brand you buy you get the same screen. That is why you see the adds on ebay "garrett wheel" Just the housings are different. Most have the same internals.