524td vs. Ebay turbo manifold

[lifeiskaos]

if you get a great tune and have a healthy engine and quality components, maybe i'd trust it as a DD, but aftermarket turbo systems are simply not as reliable. in any case, you need something to drive while you're doing the work. DIY turbo install can not be done in a weekend and you WILL have to make runs to local hardware stores or order some more parts etc. keep your options open. do a shit ton of research, save 3 times as much as you plan on spending so by the time you spend twice as much, you'll have some left over.

[yberther]

3) dont turbo your only car

that's good.

[lifeiskaos]

666fab will flow better than 524td and is more durable than ebay manifold. used ones often go for about $250. they allow you to run just about any size turbo (you will be restricted to tiny turbo with the 524td manifold)

i had your mindset when i started my turbo m20. i thought i could use a cheap manifold, a turbo chip, with a total btudget of $1000. well a year and $3000 later, i finally finished my build with all quality parts and standalone engine management, then my piston rings took a shit.

moral of story:
1) triple your budget
2) tuning is the most important part of your build
3) dont turbo your only car

[mikeedler]

Pics of crack? imho, that is what a welder is for.... :D

exactly!

I can weld anything that does crack with my welder. I have 2 324TD exhaust manifolds and still decided to go the ebay route. it looks way cooler- and with a few reinforcements works totally fine-- and I have yet to do anything to mine-- except drill it and add the wastegate tube to it. no problems.

[David Alejandro]

I bought a complete kit everything was good except the manifold it cracked on installation I swear

Pics of crack? imho, that is what a welder is for.... :D

[zenn0ne]

I bought a complete kit everything was good except the manifold it cracked on installation I swear

[E30Idea]

The manifold shown above is mine and is pending sale. Ebay is cheap shit........ but it works.

[EvoStevo]

People talk about ebay manifolds cracking over time, but I have to see anybody with an ebay manifold actually have theirs crack. Definitely cheap, crap metal, but a lot of the info about those things appears to be hearsay.

Yeah, it's believable that they would crack but I too have yet to see any evidence that they actually do. If people have pics or personal horror stories, please post them up.

[Miasma]

Then save up?
524TD sucks so much, its NOT worth the money and effort. Id rather go Ebay then 524td.

This is correct. They are durable. But nothing to write home about flow wise, At all.

[Jordan325iC]

People talk about ebay manifolds cracking over time, but I have to see anybody with an ebay manifold actually have theirs crack. Definitely cheap, crap metal, but a lot of the info about those things appears to be hearsay.

[Tchao]

His stuff is nice, but out of my budget.

Then save up?
524TD sucks so much, its NOT worth the money and effort. Id rather go Ebay then 524td.

[EvoStevo]

A forum sponsor here on r3v

http://www.666fabrication.com/main.html

:up:

His stuff is nice, but out of my budget. I originally wanted to go with the manifold adapter when they were a bit cheaper.

[Miasma]

That would be the way to go if you have the money. And you will have a piece of artwork in your engine bay.

With that said the manifold in the above pics in on sale on E30tech for 100$ shipped compared to the much better manifold adapter that is $490. Don't know if that is good or not. Just putting it out there.

No affiliation.

http://www.e30tech.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71139&highlight=524td

[atomic]

A forum sponsor here on r3v

http://www.666fabrication.com/main.html

:up:

[Miasma]

They don't flow the best, But I believe you can port it out a tad to improve flow.

I found these pics of one with no wastegate slot. Looks like you could smooth them out, And maybe open them up a tad bit on the inside to improve flow.