How to buy used turbos

[ry0t05]

Do you guys have any tips on buying used turbos safely? I'm considering buying OEM RS7 turbos but am worried about buying a bad set. How can you ensure they are in good condition?

[dealermaintnd]

Do you guys have any tips on buying used turbos safely? I'm considering buying OEM RS7 turbos but am worried about buying a bad set. How can you ensure they are in good condition?

S R M

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[ry0t05]

Those aren't used. Those are double the price. If I go that route, I might as well get TS1. Been reading too much conflicting things about SRMs reliability. I'm not throwing them out completely, just want to get an idea of how I could grab OEM RS7s, safely, hence the thread. Weighing options....

[VR6Bomber]

Been reading too much conflicting things about SRMs reliability.

You are worried about the reliability of brand new turbos, but you want to buy used turbos?

[daytona rs7]

in person would be best.
a video of shaft play would be 2nd option. sometimes shaft play is hard to capture in video though. you can see it move, but its such small movement its hard to really see how much or how close to the housing it gets.

ultimately, your question is...how do i trust a seller isn't lying about their items? trust and paypal goods and services as a backup.

You are worried about the reliability of brand new turbos, but you want to buy used turbos?

aftermarket parts arent always as good as OEM parts. especially when the aftermarket parts have unknown sources.

where does SRM source the parts and assemble their CHRA?

[ry0t05]

You are worried about the reliability of brand new turbos, but you want to buy used turbos?

**willing to explore buying OEM slightly used.

[mpk1996]

really it will be hard to tell without a good bit of knowledge. there was a video of a guy bitching about his SRM turbos on FB. he shows the impeller being able to be moved "quite a bit". what you don't see is how its balanced. also in the video its clear that the impellers have never touched down on the housing. thats the real killer. as soon as it touches, its toast. so unless you really know what you are looking at or the seller does and is honest, its going to be hard to say. if your turbos are toast, just buy new rs7 or new ts1s. if you can find a guy that has a low mile car and is just upgrading, that might be ok, but again with used parts you might get 50k miles out of it, or 50

[dealermaintnd]

in person would be best.
a video of shaft play would be 2nd option. sometimes shaft play is hard to capture in video though. you can see it move, but its such small movement its hard to really see how much or how close to the housing it gets.

ultimately, your question is...how do i trust a seller isn't lying about their items? trust and paypal goods and services as a backup.



aftermarket parts arent always as good as OEM parts. especially when the aftermarket parts have unknown sources.

where does SRM source the parts and assemble their CHRA?

When it comes to turbos often aftermarket companies have significantly tighter or strict tolerances when it comes to balancing and use better more robust thrust bearing ect. SRM claims to be doing these things better than oem. Anecdotes aren't worth much but my CHRA's from them are almost 20k miles of chasing a 10.49 and feel like the day they came it the male.

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[daytona rs7]

there was a video of a guy bitching about his SRM turbos on FB. he shows the impeller being able to be moved "quite a bit". what you don't see is how its balanced. also in the video its clear that the impellers have never touched down on the housing. thats the real killer. as soon as it touches, its toast.

I saw that. SRM's stance was disappointing to say the least.
while they blamed other components on the car, which could be true, they also said those turbos were good.
regardless of the reason for that shaft play, no way id consider those "good".
if they consider that good, then id be afraid to know what their bad tolerance is.

i have SRM intakes and like them. but id be hesitant to purchase a mechanical/moving part from them after seeing that.

[daytona rs7]

When it comes to turbos often aftermarket companies have significantly tighter or strict tolerances when it comes to balancing and use better more robust thrust bearing ect. SRM claims to be doing these things better than oem. Anecdotes aren't worth much but my CHRA's from them are almost 20k miles of chasing a 10.49 and feel like the day they came it the male.

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20k isnt much.
its dissapointed to know that s6/s7 turbos arent as robust (bad casting) as RS7, so maybe 20k is significant when compared to that.
but id expect my OEM RS7 turbos, with no known defects, to last close to 200k.

also, most aftermarket turbo (kits) are branded by well known turbo manufactuers; garrett, HKS, Turbonetics, etc.
SRM is simply branding a turbo of unknown sources, with unknown QC. i highly doubt they are making them in house, with quality parts. there is a reason why the brands listed above sell for 50% more than SRM.

[ry0t05]

Yah I saw that thread and hence why I'm here. Before that thread (and a 105 comment one where people really started bashing SRM), I was sold on either SRM RS7 or SRM +4. I don't want to go down a rabbit hole of upgrades to support them (maybe a HX, but no ethanol or meth) and don't want to be breaking clutches and shit. So I'm kinda back to square 1 and thinking OEM RS7 might fit my needs best. I just need confidence in buying used. TS1 look great and seem to be well regarded, but I worry about going down a rabbit hole to support them too. I need to pull the trigger on something soon bc I want to address my screens.

I'm stage 2 now.

Anyone have something to say about HPA RS7s? I don't see them bought as much as SRM...

[ItsLarryG]

RS7 cartridges can be had for $300 on Ali Express.

[daytona rs7]

RS7 cartridges can be had for $300 on Ali Express.

does Ali Express sell 4.0t blocks on the cheap too? 'cuase im guessing you'll need one after using one of those turbos.

[ry0t05]

Yeah aliexpress is going to be a hard pass for me.

[qcrazy]

JHM also makes a turbo that looks interesting. I am going through this same thing right now.

I would not recommend used snails on these cars. With the screens and the oil starvation problems, it would be really hard to get any confidence that the one you buy is not already compromised in some way.

I also wouldn't fall into the trap of recent threads. That is just recency bias. You are really making a selection based on the timing of the posts around when you made the decision. Not a good plan. All of the turbos out there will work, and all will have failures. Just make a selection that fits your needs and move on. You are rolling the dice in the aftermarket no matter who you buy from.

I have my first round of parts enroute. I am going TS1 for two main reasons. 1) The TS1/DS1/TCU bundle is nice. 2) Historical lead time issues with SRM.

Maybe it will work out. Maybe it won't. But I'll have fun in the meantime either way.

[Alabama]

Do you guys have any tips on buying used turbos safely? I'm considering buying OEM RS7 turbos but am worried about buying a bad set. How can you ensure they are in good condition?

Interesting discussion. I would think finding good condition used S6 turbos is more likely than finding good condition used RS7 turbos. Not too many RS7s were sold in the US, probably most owners are satisfied with the existing turbos, and probably the most common reason for replacing the stock RS7 turbos in an RS7 is turbo failure. Maybe, just like getting an independent inspection before buying a used car, one could get a skilled mechanic to inspect the used turbos before purchase? Maybe there is some kind of bench test that can be performed? Otherwise, seek a great price on new!

[MattyMarkey]

does Ali Express sell 4.0t blocks on the cheap too? 'cuase im guessing you'll need one after using one of those turbos.

Haha made me actually lol

There is a guy in the DS1 forum with some good mileage on his Aliexpress turbos. There have been talks about the fact these China-made turbos are likely produced in the same factories, as many other mod-sites sell, potentially even OEM.

Still can’t muster the balls to pull the trigger and put those on my car... but it’s does make you consider it.


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[rick504]

I just had the JHM turbos installed two months ago. Extremely good build quality. I am very happy with them.

JHM also makes a turbo that looks interesting. I am going through this same thing right now.

I would not recommend used snails on these cars. With the screens and the oil starvation problems, it would be really hard to get any confidence that the one you buy is not already compromised in some way.

I also wouldn't fall into the trap of recent threads. That is just recency bias. You are really making a selection based on the timing of the posts around when you made the decision. Not a good plan. All of the turbos out there will work, and all will have failures. Just make a selection that fits your needs and move on. You are rolling the dice in the aftermarket no matter who you buy from.

I have my first round of parts enroute. I am going TS1 for two main reasons. 1) The TS1/DS1/TCU bundle is nice. 2) Historical lead time issues with SRM.

Maybe it will work out. Maybe it won't. But I'll have fun in the meantime either way.

[ngustas]

In defense of my cheap just in case "RS7" Aliexpress turbos sitting on the shelf that I have a deep $351.11 shipped investment in 🤣 As always, YYMV, I felt it was worth the cost of admission to check them out in person.



20210301_141325.jpg

[ItsLarryG]

My Ali turbos have been in since November. They look like gray market OEM or they spent an inordinate amount of time copying Audi turbos to sell for $300.

[daytona rs7]

My Ali turbos have been in since November. They look like gray market OEM or they spent an inordinate amount of time copying Audi turbos to sell for $300.

for your engines sake, I hope they are grey OEM.
but the chinese are experts in copying designs and making counterfeit products. in the big picture its relatively cheap to cosmetically duplicate something that's already made.

I'm going to go with the assumption that those are counterfeit. and it makes me nervous for anyone in the used turbo market since they even putting audi part numbers on them. easy money for shady resellers.

In defense of my cheap just in case "RS7" Aliexpress turbos sitting on the shelf that I have a deep $351.11 shipped investment in 🤣 As always, YYMV, I felt it was worth the cost of admission to check them out in person.



20210301_141325.jpg

they look good. but no shaft play in brand new turbos is easy. its the quality of the bearings that could wear down fast or shatter when spinning at 100k+ rpms. Or the shaft shearing, but we know even audi (IHI) isnt immune to that either. so maybe your right?

also, your balance sheets look weird to me, specifically the low RPM spike. while googling photos for comparison, i was led to this facebook post. basically the testing facility knows of forged test results, that look similar to yours.
https://www.facebook.com/95884718421...2810304815847/

im struggling to find a reputable turbo brand's balance sheet.

[Alabama]

There have been talks about the fact these China-made turbos are likely produced in the same factories, as many other mod-sites sell, potentially even OEM.

Just because it's from the same factory does not mean it's made to the same quality level. In the old days "private label" meant the exact same product coming off the assembly line got a different label slapped on it; that was the only difference. Nowadays the retailer who commissions a private label product may make all kinds of specifications (think television sets at big retailers with a "private model number"). So the same CNC machine may make an inferior part if the starting material is inferior (and lower cost).

[MattyMarkey]

I just had the JHM turbos installed two months ago. Extremely good build quality. I am very happy with them.

Anymore info/reviews on the JHM turbos? Any base of comparison with anyone else’s? Since their site says “10% more flow than RS7 turbos”, these must be larger than stock RS7s?

How have you tuned the car? Any other supporting mods? So many question and don’t want to thread Jack haha. PM if you care to let me know.

Makes me want to ask the entire community who is running these.


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[MattyMarkey]

Just because it's from the same factory does not mean it's made to the same quality level. In the old days "private label" meant the exact same product coming off the assembly line got a different label slapped on it; that was the only difference. Nowadays the retailer who commissions a private label product may make all kinds of specifications (think television sets at big retailers with a "private model number"). So the same CNC machine may make an inferior part if the starting material is inferior (and lower cost).

Yup, totally get it and understand the differences - Materials and QC could be vastly different. Just stating what others have been talking about.

I want to see more miles from those who have bought them, before making serious accusations either way!


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[ngustas]

I'm going to go with the assumption that those are counterfeit. and it makes me nervous for anyone in the used turbo market since they even putting audi part numbers on them. easy money for shady resellers.


they look good. but no shaft play in brand new turbos is easy. its the quality of the bearings that could wear down fast or shatter when spinning at 100k+ rpms. of the shaft shearing, but we know even audi (IHI) isnt immune to that either. so maybe your right?

also, your balance sheets look weird to me, specifically the low RPM spike. while googling photos for comparison, i was led to this facebook post. basically the testing facility knows of forged test results, that look similar to yours.
https://www.facebook.com/95884718421...2810304815847/

im struggling to find a reputable turbo brand's balance sheet.

Absolutely counterfeit, they ship from a primary school in Dandong China. Part numbers and QR codes aren't even close to Audi quality. The rest of it is surprisingly good, even with free labor I'm not sure how they can do it. Have seen them for sale for much more online already, people are 100% running these and don't know.

On the balance sheets, I'm not sure how much faith I have in those either. At best they got an old balancer from Turbo Technics, never updated the contact info and are sending out real data with generic 1 - 2 serials popped in. They have been balanced, or at least they have grind marks indicative of a balance , no idea if that was a basic component balance or a real VSR. Would be interesting to see the sheets from an order of 10 sets, are they all the same? If they do vary, does that mean it's real data?

For the price I wanted to see them in person. May send them out to a turbo shop for inspection at some point, but they are mostly here to keep my current genuine turbos happy. I find if I have a spare part on hand, I'll never need it :)

[mpk1996]

My Ali turbos have been in since November. They look like gray market OEM or they spent an inordinate amount of time copying Audi turbos to sell for $300.

Did you get two turbos for the $300. How long did they take to ship? Might be worth it to “put them on the shelf” just incase

[sepheroth86]

In the defense of Chong-Dongin' turbos...

I have used MANY MANY MANY cheapo Chinese made turbo's off of eBay and the like on friends Honda's over the years, the only time we had any issues was with improper oiling. Whether that was not enough oil or too much in some cases. Honda's tend to run a pretty high oil pressure, so a restrictor needed to be added to the feed line, otherwise it would wash out the bearings. A lot of these cars were able to get well into 10 second quarter mile time using a $300 turbo.

Granted the application is different, and I don't know if I would risk my $10,000 Audi engine with a China turbo. But historically, I have seen good results on other platforms.

[MattyMarkey]

Did you get two turbos for the $300. How long did they take to ship? Might be worth it to “put them on the shelf” just incase

I don’t have them, but yes, that’s $300 for both turbos. Check our Aliexpress.


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[mpk1996]

I don’t have them, but yes, that’s $300 for both turbos. Check our Aliexpress.


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I did. That is a damn good deal. Kinda interested to try. Lol

[qcrazy]

Anymore info/reviews on the JHM turbos? Any base of comparison with anyone else’s? Since their site says “10% more flow than RS7 turbos”, these must be larger than stock RS7s?

How have you tuned the car? Any other supporting mods? So many question and don’t want to thread Jack haha. PM if you care to let me know.

Makes me want to ask the entire community who is running these.


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They are about the same size as the TS1's or the SRM +4's. OTS tune would be DS1 Stage 4 (S6/S7). Like the other options, custom tuning on top of that would be possible depending on desired results. When I inquired, I could not tell how plugged in JHM was to DS1.

[mpk1996]

I don’t have them, but yes, that’s $300 for both turbos. Check our Aliexpress.


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did you ever get the turbos in? how did they look? I keep thinking about ordering them to have "just in case"

[MattyMarkey]

did you ever get the turbos in? how did they look? I keep thinking about ordering them to have "just in case"

I didn’t actually buy them - only mentioned that I don’t have them, but the price for both at $300 is real lol. I have looked over and over again at them on Aliexpress, trying to get the kahonas to actually pull the trigger haha


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[mpk1996]

I didn’t actually buy them - only mentioned that I don’t have them, but the price for both at $300 is real lol. I have looked over and over again at them on Aliexpress, trying to get the kahonas to actually pull the trigger haha


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LOL. I know, i am in the same boat. I still have that webpage open on my phone to keep as a reminder. would love to hear some feedback on anyone that actually has a set. i think they are like $266 plus $130 shipping. it was right at $400 to my door. which is a pretty smoking deal. even if they are just a stop gap to keep the car running in the even you blow the stockers until you can get a set of +4s or TS1s in

[ry0t05]

Idk what to think. On the one hand I think hell no, no way I'd put $300 cheap chinese turbos in my car. But on the other, I want to see one company that sells RS7 sized turbos say where they get them from. Tell me they aren't the same exact thing. I have yet to see that happen.

I think my path forward is to just go bigger and eliminate them from the equation.

[MattyMarkey]

LOL. I know, i am in the same boat. I still have that webpage open on my phone to keep as a reminder. would love to hear some feedback on anyone that actually has a set. i think they are like $266 plus $130 shipping. it was right at $400 to my door. which is a pretty smoking deal. even if they are just a stop gap to keep the car running in the even you blow the stockers until you can get a set of +4s or TS1s in

There are a couple people in the DS1 forum that have over 5k miles on them, probably more by now.

Not planning to go any bigger than RS sized turbos (no ethanol near me), so these seem extra tempting. Something is just telling me not to lol

CORRECTION: customers who bought theirs from Aliexpress now have over 10k & 18k miles on and going strong. DS1 Tuned and all. Not sure if this is surprising or not lol


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[MattyMarkey]

Idk what to think. On the one hand I think hell no, no way I'd put $300 cheap chinese turbos in my car. But on the other, I want to see one company that sells RS7 sized turbos say where they get them from. Tell me they aren't the same exact thing. I have yet to see that happen.

I think my path forward is to just go bigger and eliminate them from the equation.

They likely do get it from the same factories or similar, but potentially the QC standards differ (still cannot confirm either).

What you really pay for with other companies selling the CHRA’s, is the warranty behind it.


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[mpk1996]

Idk what to think. On the one hand I think hell no, no way I'd put $300 cheap chinese turbos in my car. But on the other, I want to see one company that sells RS7 sized turbos say where they get them from. Tell me they aren't the same exact thing. I have yet to see that happen.

I think my path forward is to just go bigger and eliminate them from the equation.

I always think it would be good to have and keep them on the shelf. not cause they are bigger, but cause of the cost. $400 to have them and be able to get the car up and running quick would be advantageous.

There are a couple people in the DS1 forum that have over 5k miles on them, probably more by now.

Not planning to go any bigger than RS sized turbos (no ethanol near me), so these seem extra tempting. Something is just telling me not to lol

CORRECTION: customers who bought theirs from Aliexpress now have over 10k & 18k miles on and going strong. DS1 Tuned and all. Not sure if this is surprising or not lol


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Ok, thats pretty awesome really. going to need to make a post on the c7, 4.0t and/or ds1 FB group and get those guys to chime in. if they are truly having that good of luck, for $400 it might be worth the swap. already have stg2 and ethanol. just ordered an AWE exhaust. still trying to decide. LOL

[ItsLarryG]

I have a few thousand miles on mine, maybe 3000 miles since November. I’m no turbo engineer but they have been spun up to full boost plenty and are still alive, so not complete garbage. Don’t know if they would last as long as OE turbos if they are indeed knockoffs. DS1 stage 3 since they were installed.

[MattyMarkey]

Ok, thats pretty awesome really. going to need to make a post on the c7, 4.0t and/or ds1 FB group and get those guys to chime in. if they are truly having that good of luck, for $400 it might be worth the swap. already have stg2 and ethanol. just ordered an AWE exhaust. still trying to decide. LOL

Use the search function and type “Aliexpress turbos”. You’ll see a post from a Mr. Bailey (not putting his first name here lol). Multiple people have chimed in about their experience.


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