Ebay turbo manifold review

[crzykrackr]

As I reflect back, I ponder why I would have purchased a manifold from eBay. Oh, yeah, because it was $700 cheaper than the cheapest GOOD top mount mani out there. So here I am, with this eBay manifold....I'll just let the pictures do the talking.













There you have it, if you buy an eBay manifold and run lots of boots, this is what you will get.

Moral of the story: $800 spent now will be a lot better than $800 spent later, plus the $100 for the manifold you have with a hole in it, and the time you will spend with your car down. Do it right the first time.

[sbird1]

That is what we call "learning the hard way".

[crzykrackr]

Yeah, I knew the manifold was no good and you get what you pay for. I just never thought I'd be "that guy"

[duffman1278]

Yes people STILL continue to cheap out and try their luck out on ebay items such as these....tsk tsk lol

[burntricer]

i have a ebay bottom mount manifold. i havent had a problem with it yet....touch wood

[crzykrackr]

Well, hopefully you'll be one of the lucky few who don't have a problem. I'm probably gonna end up selling my whole turbo setup and get a new setup based on a full race twin scroll. We'll see. It sucks because I just sold my daily driver like a month ago, so now I got no transportation lol

[sbird1]

so now I got no transportation lol

At least you have a good attitude about it!

[NismoDriver240]

Well, hopefully you'll be one of the lucky few who don't have a problem.

So far the count is 1 bad experience vs 1 good experience, I see no "lucky few with no problems." I haven't used the turbo mani yet from ebay, i'm just playing devil's advocate, but I've seen online a 50/50 ratio of good and bad experiences.

Hearsay never counts, because everyone has a friend who's best buddie blew something he got off eBay so NEVER EVER use eBay stuff (but this was in an 8 second supra in an endurance race blah blah )

eBay is a hit or miss, just because you had a bad product doesnt mean everyone who ever uses it will, read ALL the sellers feedback, good and bad, and search for reviews and ignore hearsay, thats where you'll see what I mean by 50/50 ratio

Sorry to hear dude, how much boost is "lots"

[positron1]

Whoa!

[Kalypso]

treadstone makes a cast iron for $300they're worth it

what turbo is that?

how fast was it spooling?

[crzykrackr]

eBay is a hit or miss, just because you had a bad product doesnt mean everyone who ever uses it will, read ALL the sellers feedback, good and bad, and search for reviews and ignore hearsay, thats where you'll see what I mean by 50/50 ratio

Well, I'm ashamed to say this is my 2nd eBay manifold (specifically SSAutochrome. The first one I bought was a bottom mount when I first did my swap. It didn't even FIT on the motor. The stud holes were off by about 1/4'' and I even checked to make sure they didn't send me one for a KA, it didn't fit on that either. I proceeded to buy ANOTHER one off eBay, but this time I tried Megan racing. Fit perfect and never had a problem with it. I can say that I was satisfied with that "eBay" manifold, but the thing is I knew what I was buying before I bought it. I knew it was Megan Racing.Typically, I've found that most of the eBay retailers who are selling these "no-name" manifolds are ACTUALLY selling SSAutochrome. This is what most people that I've talked to at least, associate with eBay. For example, when I bought the top mount pictured above, there was no brand listed and the eBay retailer had no visual affiliation with SSAutochrome. Needless to say I was a little pissed when the UPS guy came and handed me a box with SSAutocrap written all over it. Granted, these are just MY experiences, but they haven't been good. I'm 1 for 3 with eBay manifold purchases, and 0 for 2 on SSAutochrome products. I'm not trying to tell people to not buy them, because they will. That's why they still make them. I'm just trying to inform people of my experiences. And since I have never actually seen pictures to back up peoples claims of manifolds cracking and stuff, I thought I'd share and show people that it DOES actually happen instead of just reading a bunch of wild claims with no proof.

Sorry to hear dude, how much boost is "lots"

17psi - Not too much, but enough

[Kalypso]

For example, when I bought the top mount pictured above, there was no brand listed and the eBay retailer had no visual affiliation with SSAutochrome. Needless to say I was a little pissed when the UPS guy came and handed me a box with SSAutocrap written all over it.

that is grimy!

but wait, what turbo are you running is that an ebay turbo

[crzykrackr]

but wait, what turbo are you running is that an ebay turbo

That's a Borg Warner.....

[crzykrackr]

how fast was it spooling?

Hits full boost around 4200rpm.

[NismoDriver240]

Granted, these are just MY experiences, but they haven't been good. I'm 1 for 3 with eBay manifold purchases, and 0 for 2 on SSAutochrome products. I'm not trying to tell people to not buy them, because they will. That's why they still make them. I'm just trying to inform people of my experiences. And since I have never actually seen pictures to back up peoples claims of manifolds cracking and stuff, I thought I'd share and show people that it DOES actually happen instead of just reading a bunch of wild claims with no proof.

THIS is what I appreciate, I may seem like eBay police around here but honestly there are far to much BS like "dont buy it" but never proof, and a positive attitude to boot

17psi - Not too much, but enough

ummmmm.... that would do it. After stock turbo one might question eBay products

[crzykrackr]

Gotta stay positive! We all know that crud happens, especially more and more when you get into heavier modifications, but this is ALL a learning experience.

Some people have to touch the stove in order to know it's really hot instead of just listening to their mother and saving themselves the pain in the long run!

On a brighter note, I decided to go with the peakboost top mount (lifetime warranty), hopefully it should be here by friday!

[bruinbear714]

As I reflect back, I ponder why I would have purchased a manifold from eBay. Oh, yeah, because it was $700 cheaper than the cheapest GOOD top mount mani out there. So here I am, with this eBay manifold....I'll just let the pictures do the talking.













There you have it, if you buy an eBay manifold and run lots of boots, this is what you will get.

Moral of the story: $800 spent now will be a lot better than $800 spent later, plus the $100 for the manifold you have with a hole in it, and the time you will spend with your car down. Do it right the first time.

I know you get what you pay for but... to be fair, hanging a 5lb wastegate off a dongle like that isn't necessarily the best way to mount a wastegate.

Welding the dump tube back into the downpipe will only delay the problem a few months.

I know cause I been down that road before. Twice. I had additional support brackets welded in to support the wastegate and it helped a little.

[kentuckyslider]

Best cheap top mount tubular I've found http://www.jgycustoms.com/240s...d.htmI think it's megan racing or made in house at JGY and they have good welds.

The treadstone log mani is also very strong but restrictive and I wouldn't suggest running over a 500whp with the treadstone..... http://www.treadstoneperforman...ifold

[Neil]

I didn't read any posts in this thread aside from the OP so Im sorry if it was covered already but if you don't add a flex joint to the wastegate pipe, OF COURSE it's going to crack on you. That pipe sees 1000x more changes in temperature than the main piping does, and along with it, expands/contracts just as often. All that movement with nothing in place to absorb it makes the metal fragile, just like how you can bend a spoon back and forth until it easily breaks in half. I wouldnt necessarily blame the manifold. Get a small flex joint and have another go.

EDIT* I see, it's a "screamer" pipe. I assumed it was routed back to your downpipe. yeah all that weight and vibration will do that too. I suggest Re-routing it back to your down pipe for support and get a flex line to absorb all the expanding and contracting.

[crzykrackr]

Best cheap top mount tubular I've found http://www.jgycustoms.com/240s...d.htmI think it's megan racing or made in house at JGY and they have good welds.[/url]

I'm not out-right saying it, but look at that manifold and look at mine. They are identical....

btw, i want your white coupe.

[crzykrackr]

I didn't read any posts in this thread aside from the OP so Im sorry if it was covered already but if you don't add a flex joint to the wastegate pipe, OF COURSE it's going to crack on you. That pipe sees 1000x more changes in temperature than the main piping does, and along with it, expands/contracts just as often. All that movement with nothing in place to absorb it makes the metal fragile, just like how you can bend a spoon back and forth until it easily breaks in half. I wouldnt necessarily blame the manifold. Get a small flex joint and have another go.

I'm not saying anything you said is wrong at all, but let's be real. The manifold is MADE with the flange for the wastegate. They know what is going to go on there when they made it, so I shouldn't have to modify something that they were supposed to correctly manufacture or design. I bet a full race or even peakboost manifold wouldn't do that....

[Neil]

I understand where you're coming from but I wouldn't necessarily bet on that.. Full-race I'm sure uses thicker and higher grade material but the same forces still apply. given the right time frame I would expect failure from them as well, if precautions were not made.

My view is all aftermarket bits to support items that are too dissimilar from stock equipment such as a T3 turbo are only there to help get you over a major hurdle, and are not intended to specifically be the "end all" for your custom setup. In short, since it's custom, I would expect to have to make the appropriate custom adjustments to ensure longevity.

But then again I could be completely wrong and any effort put into averting disaster could be all in vane as a result from the craftsmanship of the parts in question being beyond redemption..

[crzykrackr]

I just wanted people to be able to see pictures of stuff that does happen. Maybe if I would have braced it somehow it wouldn't have blown apart, who knows. Maybe if I went with the more expensive mani to begin with I'd be in the same place....

[Kalypso]

JGY is good stuff

[safin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WOyb4H44ko