Firstly, I realize E-bay turbos have sketchy reliability. Im not trying to add to the debate on that issue.

Im going to be using this turbo to get an introduction to building a turbo kit and will be staying well under 15psi (goal=7-8psi on a d-series obd1 Honda). My turbo is a t3/t4 to4e .50ar .63ar. E-bay Garrett knockoff.

My question is what specific internal components are wise to upgrade (DIY only) when stuck dealing with E-bay Garrett style knockoffs.
Bearings? Gaskets? Certain bolts? Anything possible for a DIY?

 

ive had many of these turbos with no issues. i only try and buy the japanese knockoffs insted of the chinese knockoffs as the japs do it better. im currently using one now and have been for 1.5 years with no problems. i took the turbo off for some engine work and its still working great with no leaks or shaft play.

 

Here's my EMUSA ebay turbo. It's seen around 700miles so far and no shaftplay! There was a little out of the box, but after running some oil through it and boosting a few times it went away.


I'm running it at 12psi on a built D16. -3an feed line with a .064" restrictor at the oil inlet, no smoke either!

 

Good stuff!! Im really glad to hear its working well for both you guys. My turbo looks identical to the one in your video SDE780.
The oil restrictor and oil feed line sizing on your emusa turbo are much appreciated information. I read a lot to do with proper oiling being a must on the E-bay turbos. The case of your slight shaft play pre installation is helpfull too, my turbo has a little wiggle that i hope will be ok when there is oil in the turbo.

 

Usually it seems to be the seals and bearings that go, from most stories I've heard. Grenaded turbine wheels and the like are a lot rarer. Exactly how interchangable the bearings are probably depends on the turbos.

 

Ive read up about the Ebay turbo bearings and seals and the problems with them. Its obvious the proper oiling of these turbos is critical to a good installation and long bearing/seal life. From my research with this turbo, a -3an (3/16") oil feed line and a .60 to .65 restrictor is the feed line setup. A -10an (5/8") oil return line. This is for a D-series Honda so different oil pumps in different engines may need different restrictors...

HOWEVER could it be possible that the oil seals can only handle low oil pressure (reason for the oil restrictor of .60ish) without problems but the bearings would be better served if they had a higher oil pressure leaving you choose a happy medium in oil psi? Whats going to be worse, oil starvation to the bearings or over doing the oil feed volume and oil seals limits? Is one method better for lower or higher boost, like saving the seals in a low psi boosted car by using a .65 restrictor and saving the bearings in a high psi boosted car by using -3an line only without a restrictor?
Heres a video of a knockoff Garrett turbo teardown so you can see the bronze thrust bearing and shaft bearings as well as the piston ring like oil seal.

 

Do you know of any sellers that have jap turbos vs. tawain ted or chinese turbos?