I know that some people have success with these things but really? I had a Godspeed turbo which most people consider to be the best of the eBay turbos and it lasted 3 months with a properly sized restrictor before it was leaking tons of oil and had large amounts of shaft play. It's like playing Russian roulette with your engine which is gonna cost a whole lot more to replace than just buying a turbo that has been proven for years.

 

If you google images of the GT4088 (pay attention that you will get the R version coming up also)

The markings on the compressor housing are off and the casting is different also.

 

Actually, I do. I spent many hours and nights helping my best friend in college fix his damn Integra that had an Ebay kit on it and he went through 3 eBay turbos before finally growing a ******* and getting a 5858.

 

You say it like its a bad thing lol.

 

Just to add a couple cents the ebay unit i got performed but smoked even when i first started it...a restrictor later on made no difference. 50trim powerband was entertaining 175 wtq at 3900. shaft play occured after a season of little driving but a lot of racing and you could see it on the housing where shavings would probably start sanding off the housing from the turbine. the turbo still worked, so I sold it as is and never heard back from the guy.

moving on the brand name turbo I have yet to ever see smoke at idle, the shaft is stiff with oil pressure zero shaft movement. I use a restrictor on the oil line and put about 20,000KM on it (6 oil changes pretty much) less racing but a lot more pulls and full boost daily driven. Im glad to have it!

 

Just read this whole thread. Some funny people in here dead set on owning junk. Let them by what they want. In the end they have to live with thier poor decisions which will lead to spending more overall then just a little extra up front. Cheers !

 

i'v seen t3/4 turbos that lasted more then 5 years on low boost on DD cars.

i also seen ones that started smoking after a week of driving, i also experienced in a jammed shaft on the dyno once we raised up the boost,

its a luck thing,

ps.
most "big hp" show cars in the world (world=not usa ) use chinese turbo's

i never owned one and never will.

But this power spirit looks nice POWASPIRIT JDMFTW
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GT3037-GT3076R-T3-73-A-R-78-TRIM-TURBO-TURBOCHARGER-COMPRESSOR-GT30-500-HP-BOOST-/170896278050?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item27ca364222&vxp=mtr

 

Any notable differences in the combos that lasted and the ones that didn't?

 

I saw them on all kinds of engines, hondas, vw's and more,

but they start giving up when you go up on boost.