2G Replacing an eBay Turbo.

[mightyguy382]

Hello all you beautiful people! So I want to start modding my GS-T on my own but before doing that I know maintenance is always first, so I was going to do a boost leak test on my car. Come to find out the turbo is an eBay special (or at least I think it is) that the previous owner put on.

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So now I'm on the market for a turbo and have a couple of questions. Is this impostor a 16g replica? If it is, if I buy a real mhi 16g, do I still need to buy the install kit or will that kit already be on the car already?

 

[CrackedDSM]

1) Yes it's a POS fake china-bay turbo. But it's not all bad. Those turbine housings are actually pretty good! Save the turbine housing and WGA for future use, good to have spares.


2) Yes everything will bolt up that you currently have, with the POSSIBLE exception of the oil feed bolt at the top. Some eBay special's use a different size bolt. My old eBay special used a thicker bolt than the MHI center section 16G used that I compared it to.


Talk to @JusMX141 about all your turbo needs btw. He will hook you up with something better than anyone else can build you, with the possible exception of MHI themselves.

 

[mightyguy382]

Thanks for the quick response, I forgot to mention that there is some shaft play and the turbine wheel is chipped. I'm thinking of buying another turbo used, so would $300 get me a decent real replacement?

 

[CrackedDSM]

$300-$400 if you really shop around, but with the current state of the DSM buying/selling parts scene, you truly do not know what you're going to get. Could be exactly as described, or you could be completely ripped off and screwed out of $300-$400. Justin/Jusmx141 will be a more expensive than that, but you'll know for a fact it'll last you the life of the car if you take care of it.

 

[Type1DSMr]

$300-$400 if you really shop around, but with the current state of the DSM buying/selling parts scene, you truly do not know what you're going to get. Could be exactly as described, or you could be completely ripped off and screwed out of $300-$400. Justin/Jusmx141 will be a more expensive than that, but you'll know for a fact it'll last you the life of the car if you take care of it.

Cracked nailed it...seems like there has been quite a few cases of this lately. Just save some money and have JusMx141 build you one or wait until he has one for sale in the classifieds. They are normally a little cheaper that way around 435 +/- shipped.

 

[TunedUp]

Classifieds are pretty slim pickin at the moment. I agree with CrackedDSM it's gonna be 300-400 if you can find one and no guarantee its gonna be good. I think Jusmx141 is gonna be $550 or more, but as previously stated your not gonna get a better turbo as long as you set it up correctly.
Edit: Type1 you must have typed at the same time haha

 

[mightyguy382]

Cracked nailed it...seems like there has been quite a few cases of this lately. Just save some money and have JusMx141 build you one or wait until he has one for sale in the classifieds. They are normally a little cheaper that way around 435 +/- shipped.

Really! Wow! Well I guess I'll explore the classifieds for my local area so I can check the turbo in person, although it's probably worth checking out JusMx141 and maybe see what he can do.

 

[Type1DSMr]

Yeah JusMx141 Evo 3 16g turbo are only between 435 to 475 for a stock rebuilt one. Now a billet wheel upgrade is around 550. I have a billet 16g from JusMx141 and I highly recommend him. If you get lucky to find him just selling one in the classifieds they go quick as in hours after it's posted.


Edit, When I said there has been quite a few cases on bad turbos, I don't just mean in the classifieds but in general from craigslist, facebook, etc. Tip though always look at the buyer/seller rating and read the reviews, also always pay the paypal fee if the seller won't.

 

[mightyguy382]

So on the note of putting a real turbo in its place of the boo-boo turbo, is there anything I should to buy along with a real 16g? (Also I'm assuming a small 16g is the direct replacement but I'm not sure.)
Reason being is I want the replacement to be as simple as it can be because I'm still relatively new at all this.

 

[Type1DSMr]

The install kit is the same from your ebay turbo to a real mhi turbo. However, I would replace the turbo to manifold bolts with oem ones and conical washers (8 of them) with anti seize along with a 6 ply gasket from extreme psi. Oh replace the copper crush washers as well when removing the coolant and oil lines from the old turbo.

 

[Dsmkauai]

What about your motor bro? And all the metal that got sucked into it. That's what I would be alittle worried about before throwing a fresh turbo on. I would be alittle concerned about what those metal chunks did inside your motor and where they all ended up. Hopflully thay just burnt up and got spit out but man I don't know. Might want to inspect some things before just throwing a new turbo at it. If somehow anything got into the oil your bearings could be suffering and a new turbo would hate it also.

 

[mightyguy382]

The install kit is the same from your ebay turbo to a real mhi turbo. However, I would replace the turbo to manifold bolts with oem ones and conical washers (8 of them) with anti seize along with a 6 ply gasket from extreme psi. Oh replace the copper crush washers as well when removing the coolant and oil lines from the old turbo.

Sounds good then. I just recently bought an ecm with Ecmlink v3, you think trading it for a 16g turbo would be a good trade?

 

[Type1DSMr]

What about your motor bro? And all the metal that got sucked into it. That's what I would be alittle worried about before throwing a fresh turbo on. I would be alittle concerned about what those metal chunks did inside your motor and where they all ended up. Hopflully thay just burnt up and got spit out but man I don't know. Might want to inspect some things before just throwing a new turbo at it. If somehow anything got into the oil your bearings could be suffering and a new turbo would hate it also.

I would be looking in to this if that damage happen on your car first.

Sounds good then. I just recently bought an ecm with Ecmlink v3, you think trading it for a 16g turbo would be a good trade?

No, you need ecmlink for everything verse a bigger turbo without fuel mods or a way to tune it with.

 

[mightyguy382]

I would be looking in to this if that damage happen on your car first.

No, you need ecmlink for everything verse a bigger turbo without fuel mods or a way to tune it with.

For sure just wanted to throw it in there, as far as damage I mean I've had this car for about 2 years and have now taken an interest in modding it (and have gain some financial backing from saving money from work). The chip is small and I have taken it to a couple mechanics look into the car for other reasons and found nothing problematic. But it's still worth a check though just to make sure.

 

[darknezz7]

Def go with Justin. We tried ebay, cracked center hosuing, bought good shape evo 16g from member here, turned out to be old china junk. bought 20g from Jus for $600. Good now. the evo 16g was $450 from him. New rebuilt parts, great work.

 

[mightyguy382]

Just wanted update everyone I'm talking with JusMx141 and will most likely buy a rebuilt MHI 16g from him though that FP 68 hta was tempting . Thanks for all the responses.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

sorry to hijack this but i just bought a 91 project and it came with a turbo still in a box. How can i tell whether it is made of China and if it is is there a way to save them from their sudden but inevitable betrayal?

 

[Type1DSMr]

Just wanted update everyone I'm talking with JusMx141 and will most likely buy a rebuilt MHI 16g from him though that FP 68 hta was tempting . Thanks for all the responses.

Can't go wrong with a turbo from jus. I'm loving my billet Evo 3 16g turbo that he built, and won't be using my new fp 68hta anytime soon.

 

[YUPOK]

There are some tell tale signs. Could you post some pics?

One easy way to tell is the compressor cover will have TDO cast into it with a serial number also cast in. Fake MHI turbos don't cast into the housings.

 

[Dsmkauai]

^^ look at the o.p's First post . Already knows it's a fake bro

 

[mightyguy382]

Final update. I got the turbo from Justin and put it on a couple days ago. Night and day difference . Now I have to finish that boost leak test that got me into this mess.

 

[HeadsUp Panda]

Awesome . I've only heard good things about justin and his services. So did you end up going with the 16g?