SSautochrome/XSpower Ebay Evo III 16G Knockoff review

[reardrv]

I had recieved a PM asking about my Ebay 16G and wasn't able to respond (doesn't accept PM's). So I decided to make a short review in the newbie section.
I got mine from SSautochrome, the turbo itself is great. But the only thing I'd use from the install kit are the gaskets and crush washers. Everything else in there is junk. I instead used the install kit extremePSI.com offers.
The wastegate will arrive horribly out of adjusment and will need to be adjusted for the safety of your engine, also port the living shit out of the flapper hole. The hole is so small its a joke the way it comes. Its also a decent idea to smooth out the turbine inlet a little, but not a huge deal since it is already cast with the step removed and the inside opened up.
The good news is though if you adjust the wastegate properly and port the waste gate hole you shouldn't get any boost creep. I was running 11psi for a little while and it would creep to 12, now I'm running 16 with no creep at all. It spools just like any other 16G, and pulls strong. After about 1500 miles of use there is no shaft play what so ever, so its not gonna blow up in a week as some people may say.
I had originally ordered a 16G but after having it on back order for over a month I got fustrated and decided to take a chance on this turbo after a good reccomendation from two friends of mine. One with an Ebay 20G on his VR4 Galant that he's been daily driving for over a year with no shaft play. I think this turbo is spectacular for those on a budget, and I'd reccomend it to any one.

 

[JayRolla]

Thats good to hear, these turbos are hit and miss. My buddy had one and the casting on the exhuast bolt holes are a joke and the turbo likes to loosen up and fall off. He ran his fine at 16psi for a long time with no issues.

He turned boost up too about 22psi after 880's and dsmlink install. In about a month the turbo is nothing but a floppy dick. Housing falls off and it blows smoke. They seem to work real well under 20psi.

 

[Evo8You]

Interesting that it works well, too bad they're hit or miss... Maybe SSAC will start doing some qc's on these and put out alot more decent ones.

 

[xioca]

Maybe SSAC will start doing some qc's on these and put out alot more decent ones.

I doubt that.

 

[viperlp01]

Im running the same turbo with no other porting and i also have zero creep. I also have no shaft play after 8000 miles

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

the reviews for these turbos are still inconsistent.. still mix bag which is still too much of a risk to make as popular as the other ebay products which are low risk low failure.. exhaust, short shifter, fmic, etc.. perhaps one day it will get better..

 

[JusMX141]

Maybe SSAC will start doing some qc's on these and put out alot more decent ones.

That would require extra effort on their part, which probably isn't going to happen. If they did do some extra work to assure some durability and reliability, the price of their turbos would be $100 or so more than their competitors, and they would sell less because they wouldn't have the best price. It's still easier for them to sell a turbo for $199 that they paid $30 (or less) for....allowing them the opportunity to give you (5) or (6) of them under warranty.

Honestly, these turbos could be durable if you are willing to take matters into your own hands. Buy a new 16G for $199 on eBay....tear it completely down. Have the rotating parts rebalanced (or balanced to begin with), and replace the crappy chinese journal bearings with a set of Genuine Garrett journal bearings. After that, as long as the turbo has oil it should never fail.

 

[DSMsOwnYourV8]

I have this turbo, had it about a year and a half almost, but the car mostly sits. It definitely has shaft play, so we'll see how long it lasts at 25psi. Forced Upgrades baby!