I have a 03 civic si ap3 and was going to add a turbo kit along with the kpro and bigger injectors etc. would a eBay turbo kit suffice or should I just get a greddy turbo kit?

 

Sure.

 

Greddy would be better build.
Ebay kits will work but alot of time are cheaply made and parts will fail.

But a few side notes.
There castiron manifold will work and last.
Wastegate are good
ic piping and ic are good. Just watch out for thin pipes and cheap silicone couplers.
There turbos are ok just make sure you get an oil restricor.

And i see your in Tx if you need some help and your in the area id help you out.

 

I wouldn't use an ebay wastegate...if it fails and sticks closed, then you are screwed. I'm not even going to bother arguing that ebay turbos are sub-par.


The ebay wastegate failed after 42 minutes of stress testing. Tial gates get tested for 8 hours a day for 5 days and still operate. My 38mm Tial gate has over 40k miles on it, still works perfectly.

 

Another thing to think about is that with a k series and a cast mani there is nothing between you and the turbo besides the fire wall. There is a thread on here titled "why Chinese turbos are junk" or something close to that, it has a video of burst containment of an eBay turbo vs a holset turbo. If it was me I would not want that happening 2 ft from my legs...

 

go to my finally boosted thread. Ebay wastegate just cost me an motor in less than a week of driving.

 

Yeah, have a search on Ebay. Normally the best kit's are the one's titled with "JDM". They make a lot more POWAAAAAA than most of the other kits on there, and are far more reliable. So just remember that "JDM" before searching....

 

People with your experience ought to be more helpful and informative. This is why the tech forums and the honda scene are starting to go down hill.

As I am also here to learn, thank you to the people who took the time to answer the questions.

And to stay on topic.

OP- " search" feature located at the top right hand of page is a life saver. Some people have/ claim success on ebay kits all over this place but most of the guys making power are using quality parts they've bought from reputable companies or members here on the board. However, my uniformed, unintelligent opinion would be to familiarize yourself with search feature and spend less time asking questions. Too many grumblemarcs here who are willing to watch a guy drown instead of offering help when / where it's needed.

 

You can use an Ebay kit as the base for a low budget turbo kit. You will NEED to replace the BOV and wastegate. As for the turbo some have had good luck with Ebay turbos Godspeed I hear is the better of them, others fail in short order. Some have reported good results taking and Ebay turbo and having it rebuilt and balanced using Garrett parts, or just buy a Garrett turbo and not have to worry at all about the turbo failing. In the end all you are left with is the intercooler and piping and the turbo manifold. Just piece a turbo kit together is a good way to go about boosting.

 

People like you that have just seemed to have gotten here, that have no basis to make ANY comments about any other forum member, have no clue what you're talking about. How many of these "Ebay turbo" threads are out there with people asking the same the same **** over and over and over? You don't know because you haven't been around to see them. making snap judgement bereft of any history of the thing it is you're commenting on, makes you look clueless. Shut up about it.

It's been my experience that people that ask about Ebay components will go ahead and jump on them 9 times out of 10 regardless of what information and warnings are being shoved at them. I'm not going to do it any longer. In fact I'm going to encourage them to go out and experience it for themselves because, as my grandfather used to say, "A hard head makes for a soft ***".

There's a full blown FAQ and build threads with more than enough info to get yourselves educated and Google to search for any answers to any questions left unanswered.
The only things you should be asking in this forum is a quick check of your parts list to see if you;re on the right track.

BTW, funny how you thought the post above yours was helpful information.

 

eBay turbo setups are complete and total ****...anyone who says otherwise is an idiot. If you were to read the FAQ at the top of the forum, like you're supposed to as a new member (HINT HINT), you would have been able to answer your own question.

As Grumblemarc mentioned, once you've been here as long as some of us have, you become callous and stop caring. In the past month, there have probably been a half dozen or more of these threads

There are TONS of resources for people who are willing to help themselves before asking to be spoon-fed. HT helps those who help themselves

 

Shiiiiiit. I'd say more than that.

On a side note, don't do it. If you do, don't cry to us when you come back asking how to fix it.

 

Www.hater-tech.com

 

Link doesn't work ??

 

Bottom line, you get what you pay for.

 

Meant as a joke. that's what this forum is known as in other automotive info forums online.

But, what grumblemarc said is harsh but true. No matter what is said and warned, there are 2 things.

1) someone that defends it anyway because they tried it, and so far "has worked for a couple of months". (I always like that one.

or

2) Someone comes in and says "replace X , Y, Z.. About 90% of the kit itself with quality parts, then spend the other part of its life, bracing, welding, and replacing the same garbage repeatedly.


there are LOTs of threads on this, so can we please close it now?

 

I know ha. I was just playing it.

 

it's your motor, when it explodes and shrapnel tears up everything under your hood, and goes through your intake, you were warned, I dont even mess with turbos much and I even know this, chinese cheap turbo=junk

 

Please click the links in his signature and then try to tell us that he is neither helpful nor informative.

 

You get what you pay for ... So if cheaply done is what you want that is your choice. In the end you will spend more time, money and effort in figuring out what went wrong and why then you will by doing your research and doing it right from the beginning. Quality cost money and most often times ebay parts ruin motors ... good luck

 

why would you want to bolt some cheap chinese junk on to your SI? Nothing wrong with building it, but use decent parts and dont end up ruining a great car

 

Thanks for all the replies. It is clear now that I'm getting the greddy turbo kit! Just needed to ask real opinions on the matter considering I've seen success stories and failures.

 

Better option = piece a kit together after doing a little research. Less money spent, more power, better reliability, and most of all, a little knowledge and know-how for free.

 

nothing wrong with egay for searching out name brand parts, but you have to watch for the cheap junk though, I buy a lot of stuff there, but it's used quality stuff not junk

 

This is more of an opinion than an option.