Well then,
I think i have decided to buy one. but before you go crazy let me explain. I can find the exact turbo i want for 180$ this means, i can do 2 things at once.
1. Make sure that i do want that turbo before i spend 600$-1000$ on a garrett (you can find any size knockoff turbo on ebay. t25 to gt40 im sure.)
2. See if those knock off POS turbos last more than a few days.

I dont mind spending 180$ to make sure that i will be buying the turbo i want when i get a good one. What if i decide after i buy this that i want something smaller or even larger? easy, i'll know to look for a slightly smaller or larger Garrett. if i like the way the ebay turbo acts, then i'll buy the same a/r garrett and sell the ebay crap. i just feel its safer to spend 150-200$ and make sure before you spend 600-1000 and get a turbo you dont like.

I know its a "risk" to run that cheap shit on my car, but id really like to find out once and for all, if these things are any good at all. I know for someone on a REALLY tight budget that isnt into junkyard parts it would be nice to know that an ebay turbo might last them untill they could afford a good turbo.

Any thoughts on the subject would be nice.

I recently spoke to a guy on dsmtuners with a 420a engine who said he had an ebay t3/t4 turbo last him months and run very strong until he sold his car. But it's a huge chance that you are taking when installing one of these cheap turbos on your car. You have to think about it this way. $500 for a brand new garrett t3/t4 or $1,000 or more to have to buy a whole new engine because your cheap $180 ebay turbo blew up and took your motor along with it. :scratch

I understand your reasoning on how you want to try a cheap turbo and then buy the real deal later. But your just butter off buying a name brand turbo and selling it if you decide you want a different turbo.

I'm doing a full rebuilt bottom end using a different block, and a different rebuild head. i'm not to worried about the motor thats in it at the moment. And the motor in it has 157k on it. i'd expect it to go before the ebay turbo would, so mabye i should say this would not only be a test of an ebay turbo, but also a high mileage motor being turbocharged.

On a side note: For some reason, i really want to blow up the motor in this car when i get my new one built. i paid way to much to finance this car because it runs so damn good, and i wanna see what it takes to kill it.

Have the compressor wheel shatter into a million little parts and get sucked down your engine at WOT......thats a common issue with the ebay no-name turbos. The parts are so unreliable that its almost inevitible that something will usually fail, causing the turbo to self destruct.

Like you said, its a risk. As long as you are willing to pay the consequences if it does in fact fail....go for it.

i'm not really a ebay turbo supporter, but i have bought 3 of them so far. guess i'm a cheapskate. the first one was a 48/42mm t3 and i loved it. good response and reliable. i bought a spare and tried it out. the shaft was broken and glued back on. it came apart after 2-3 miles and nut killed the compressor wheele and housing. the engine was fine. the third is currently a 60mm t3t4. i've had it 2 months and spools at 4800. a bit slow but its ok. i say, if you have the money, go for the good stuff.

modding has come a long way since I've started. As far as I can remember, the only things we've ever bought from ebay that were knockoffs were bodykits. Otherwise we'll use it for the best price on tested and proven brands. Now when you say Ebay turbo are you referring to remanufactured, refurbished and/or stock turbos or flat out third party backyard manufacturing incoporated? Because I honestly don't understand your logic and I don't think its reasonable. You're willing to spend 150 up front to blow up a motor in a car that you spent so much on financing only to spend more very soon on a rebuild? How about you get the proven stuff, install it and run it until the motor blows. Because then it saves you from buying another turbo. Ultimately, you save more money. Just think about it for a sec.

Mabye i presented this the wrong way.

I am already planning to rebuild using another block and head in the near future. If i were to buy all the good parts i am going to need like the sfmu, manifold etc, and just install everything but the good garrett turbo i'll be using. i could also spend 175$ or so on one of the ''t3/t4'' turbos on ebay (just look on ebay you will see what i mean they are everywhere) just for the hell of it.

i think this could do a few things.
1. it will be a test to the crappy ebay turbo
2. it will be a test of the old motor
3. From my point of view: seeing as how my cars got 157k on it, it wont last long even at lower boost levels. Its going to blow sooner or later, id think sooner. when it does, there is a chance However Small it may be, that something could fly out the manifold and fuck up the nice turbo i spent a lot of money on, OR it could kill a shitty 175$ ebay crap turbo.

This not only Saves my good turbo for the rebuilt motor, but lets me enjoy the turbo feel and get somewhat used to the car (at higher power levels) while the other motor is being built, so after i break it in, and turn it up to 15psi i would be more prepared than if i waited untill after the rebuild to boost the car. (i dont plan to run low boost more than a few days on the build motor)

From what I've seen personally, ebay turbo's are kind of a hit or miss thing.

Some people will have amazing luck with and have it last for 2 years, while some people get the sh*t luck and it won't last them 2 weeks.

I've got a buddy who pushed out 587whp(dyno dynamic) on his 10-sec civic using an ebay turbo. Its not really a matter of if it will blow, its when.

The reason the turbo's are so hit and miss has to do with the china manufacturers can't gaurentee the same quality out of each turbo produced.

well, if you do buy one, you should tear it down to the last peice. inspect everything. then put it back together. then you should know if the shaft has been broken off and glued. then you wont get burnned for $350