Warning for SRM!!

[Klingan_RS4]

WARNING FOR SRM!
To all of you dealing with SRM and Sean.
This is what my RS6/K24 turbos for my RS4 B5 look like after just 200km. This is how wastegates look after just 200km (both turbos)....Sean is not going to refund me and he is not responding to my mail anymore.. I have spent over 15k on my new build an now the engine out again and new TTE turbos going in instead of this...

Link to video.
https://1drv.ms/v/s!AimgE8nspdnJiyJERyr4P9ruGryO

[jaychen]

yes, your wastegate rattles. that is definitely grounds for a thread of this nature..

here's my advice. suck it up. move on. pay someone to fix them or buy something else and be done with it.

Welcome to the world of modifying 15yr old cars with chinese garbage.

[Klingan_RS4]

It was Fully build RS AZR engine
2.8L
2.8 heads, oversized valves, 2.8 cams, custom big ex mannies, bigbally IM, custom bigger piping. Dual 450 from SRM. Huge time and money spent on build. Brand new SRM k24 turbos preloaded and firm at istall. Made about 200km on WG pressure. Both WG plates got loose. Shit china quality. Yeah - shit happens. It is how the vendor deals with it what counts.
He basically said - you know nothing Mikael. It's your fault.

[jaychen]

Well i really think you only have yourself to blame for this one.

You spent big $ on everything else and cheaped out on the turbo's.

Live and learn.

[Klingan_RS4]

Yes...that I have to blame me fore...but I think Sean can take his response!

[FlyboyS4]

What did you set the preload to initially, and what is it now?

Did you confirm that the door was closed adequately prior to the install?

[Klingan_RS4]

The preload was set at 0.9bar cracking pressure. And yes the door was closed before installation.

[lo.boost]

Yeah SRM has the worst customer service. When I bought my intercoolers there was almost no communication on their part after I had paid. No body ever picked up the phone and I was provided with a tracking number a week before the package actually shipped. Website said 10 business days? Yeah I waited a month and a half.

I don't mind waiting but I don't like that bullshit regardless of the parts performance.

[frrg]

I've been following your build and when I read this.....I said crap. I feel for ya. The one thing I have learned over the years by reading all the B5 stories is that you should never go the cheaper route on those critical components. Turbos being one of them. TTE looks to be a sound product and the build quality is second to none.

[S4James]

dont they still work though?

just noisy when they opened right?

[Mocke]

dont they still work though?

just noisy when they opened right?

No. Not even close.
The arm is loose from the WG housing but preload and nuts are the same and in place. And the flapper is 3-5 mm from to a beeing able to seal.
Those WGs are trashed. Nothing to preload. Just to throu away.
I would never put those in my car even with new WGs.

[LINDW4LL]

You guys are quite active today I do appreciate you sharing your experience, but I think the "WARNING" is over the top when there are many dozens of AZ members happily running these without issues.

[vavJETTAw36]

We go over this time and time again. All turbos are most likely coming out of China. It's the balancing and QC that makes the quality.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Audi2.7what]

Take a video of the rod with the nut tighten, and it maxed out with the wg still shaking like this. Guessing you won't because this is nothing, but a flame video until that point when we can see the WG actually failed this video is discredited. 75% of the lench mob here don't even know what they are talking about. This is a old tech wastegate no matter if it is good now it will loosen up in the future from hard cycles it just happens. Clearly your not built to do some little maintenance to have some cheap go fast fun. So buy TTE and be on your way, but really when you're ready to sell theres a handful of people that would buy them. So your just loosing out from stupidity.
*Double post dudes posting all over the web because he set 1 bar wg to 0.9bar and can't figure out why it won't stay shut*

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[S4James]

both my BW K03s sitting on my bench have "loose" wastegate flappers... those parts are supposed to be able to move. The video demonstrates nothing out of the ordinary.


If you have an issue, the video you posted is not showing it.



Ive seen wastegate actuator failures on BW, Tial, and Garrett turbos. I know Tial had a bunch of problems with theirs in the early days.

but for both to fail within 200km in the exact same way?? seems a bit odd.


Best of luck with it. Perhaps give SRM a chance to respond and maybe you can save yourself an uneeded expense and get your turbos working to your satisfaction?

[FlyboyS4]

Two independent parts failing because of poor quality in less than 200km of use, on a product that's been around for a few years without many reports of similar failures, is hard to believe just based on the odds of it occurring. I'm not saying it wasn't a product related issue, but you've not presented enough information to convince me it was.

TTE looks to be a sound product and the build quality is second to none.

Stuff happens, nobody is immune from it, including TTE.

[Drehmoment]

Why take the studs out in the first place... IMO stud fatigue on BW turbos is s myth

To the thread starter , why in world would you use cheap Chinese knock off turbos on a European build when you have the best of the best racing R&D on the world in Europe, but you got lucky that poor quality showed up instantly because those turbos will never ever take sustained 300 km/ h autobahn abuse , no way no how.

In the end you will have SRM apologists chime in 5 rows deep how great the product is besides almost zero performance data exists despite endless "builds"

[S4James]

I think i understand... he just needs to re-adjust the rods.. hardly an engine removing exercise...

Hell ive had to do it on my k04s... just normal adjustment after brand new parts are put in... heat cycle, and adjust for variances.....

So the brand new wastegate springs have settled in after being heat cycled... This happened on my brand new BW wastegates. Its not a new phenomena...



He might have an issue if it needs so much adjustment that it can no longer operate the rods fully. But that hasn't been shown to be the case.

[FlyboyS4]

Why take the studs out in the first place... IMO stud fatigue on BW turbos is s myth

Because the turbine housing does not make a good seal with the flowbench when the studs are in place.

[getslideways]

Yeah SRM has the worst customer service. When I bought my intercoolers there was almost no communication on their part after I had paid. No body ever picked up the phone and I was provided with a tracking number a week before the package actually shipped. Website said 10 business days? Yeah I waited a month and a half.

I don't mind waiting but I don't like that bullshit regardless of the parts performance.

Seems to be about the norm these days for SRM unfortunately.

It feels like it is only a matter of time before someone gets ahold of the now outsourced endtanks and undercuts SRM with better customer service. I think the price/performance ratio is the only thing keeping these things selling, as it is certainly not the customer service or ship times.

[Mocke]

If the nuts are still in Place and locked as they were Before install , and you get 5mm spring between flapper and wg port, and the rod is loose at both WG housing and the other end or the rod. Than simple adjusting nuts will not cut it. We are talking here a spring between flapper and wg port big enough to put half a finger in it. The nut in that case should have to be adjusted very very much tensioning the spring in WG unrealistic, shortening the travel and non the less getting WG to react completely different vs to the other turbo. It is faulty and needs replacing.

I have personally been throug 4 turbo Changes in my cars. This was never ever an issue. I know that Dahlbäck Racing is doing turbo jobs on a Daily basics on these cars, and customers coming with own bought used turbos. Never any preloading or issues. This seems to be something that needs to be done on American cars all the time?? I am pretty sure it does not. It is a clear cut issue of a bad qualite China turbo. It is common fail
The issue thou here is not that WG is faulty - it is SRMs, non serious approach to customers!! Calling them names, and being rude and deff not honoring warranties. That and only that!!
This guy is a criminal and should be prosecuted.

[LINDW4LL]

This guy is a criminal and should be prosecuted.

It's funny to read your old posts praising Sean/SRM, saying their turbos come from the same factories as BW turbos, etc... and now this!

[Mocke]

It's funny to read your old posts praising Sean/SRM, saying their turbos come from the same factories as BW turbos, etc... and now this!

I learned better in time. I am not alone in this either, there are many more. Time goes i have come to more information and had to deal with Sean many times. That provided me with completely different Picture of this man.
You live and learn.

[Drehmoment]

Because the turbine housing does not make a good seal with the flowbench when the studs are in place.

So you modify a finished product and it is their fault?

[frrg]

Two independent parts failing because of poor quality in less than 200km of use, on a product that's been around for a few years without many reports of similar failures, is hard to believe just based on the odds of it occurring. I'm not saying it wasn't a product related issue, but you've not presented enough information to convince me it was.



Stuff happens, nobody is immune from it, including TTE.

I agree. Nothing is immune and everything begins to fail at some point.

[DieselElectric]

So you modify a finished product and it is their fault?

Removing a stud is not a modification.

[S4James]

3mm... now its 5mm..... in the video it looks like less than 1 mm....

im starting the question the motivation here.

[Audi2.7what]

3mm... now its 5mm..... in the video it looks like less than 1 mm....

im starting the question the motivation here.

slander nothing more I remade a video on fb of thesr exact results on a turbo backing the nut off 2 threads they are clowns

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[DieselElectric]

Isn't this coming from the same guy that said his RS4 3rd gear FATS logs were still comparable to S4 logs a while back?

[S4James]

slander nothing more I remade a video on fb of thesr exact results on a turbo backing the nut off 2 threads they are clowns

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

uh... come again?

[FlyboyS4]

So you modify a finished product and it is their fault?

Lol. Modifying a finished product. Get real. I always remove the studs so I can clean up the threads and apply anti-seize. First time this has ever occurred and I've had a number of turbos in my possession. Also came as a surprise to the guys at TTE, when I asked if they'd applied something that would have made it hard to remove the studs, they responded saying no, they should not be stuck. This isn't a dig at TTE, it's to point out that things occasionally happen and you've just got to deal with it and move on.
'Finished product', you're killin' me.

[sakihomo]

I learned better in time. I am not alone in this either, there are many more. Time goes i have come to more information and had to deal with Sean many times. That provided me with completely different Picture of this man.
You live and learn.

Yet we still haven't seen a single piece of hard evidence from you except a soiled diaper of your product issues with SRM...

[themadscientist]

Two independent parts failing because of poor quality in less than 200km of use, on a product that's been around for a few years without many reports of similar failures, is hard to believe just based on the odds of it occurring. I'm not saying it wasn't a product related issue, but you've not presented enough information to convince me it was.



Stuff happens, nobody is immune from it, including TTE.

I have a lot of respect for you, your methodologies, and the data you present here, but the plural of anecdotes, (let alone internet anecdotes, or the lack thereof) is not data. I've done dozens of 2.7 builds. I think maybe 1 or 2 ever posted anything on a forum about them. Most people just don't give a shit and don't seek validation outside of their actual lives. (no offense to anyone who does otherwise). I've seen defective GTs, defective FTs, K24s, RPs (of course). Everything but Tial and OE BW, and JHM, though I'm sure they've had their issues too at some point. Haven't handled TTEs so I can't speak to that. What it ultimately comes down to is what a vendor is going to do when shit gets sour. Do they stand behind their warranty and product or do they tell you to piss up a rope? The nature of this engine right now is very much a double edged blade. All the cheaper products that have came out in recent years has revived a lot of interest in the cars, but often at the sacrifice in quality and overall reliability. When I first started messing with these, cheap parts didn't exist. You paid out the nose to a handful of the big mainstay companies or you didn't go fast. Ultimately, I don't care what people use or what companies sell, as long as they stand behind it.

Why take the studs out in the first place... IMO stud fatigue on BW turbos is s myth

To the thread starter , why in world would you use cheap Chinese knock off turbos on a European build when you have the best of the best racing R&D on the world in Europe, but you got lucky that poor quality showed up instantly because those turbos will never ever take sustained 300 km/ h autobahn abuse , no way no how.

In the end you will have SRM apologists chime in 5 rows deep how great the product is besides almost zero performance data exists despite endless "builds"

I'm up to 4 installs of the K24s now. 2 have been to the dyno. Both of those were on E85 with all supporting hardware and did around 550, and 530, iirc. All 4 have had some kind of wastegate issue. All four were a relative pain in the ass to install, compared to other stuff on the market. I'm putting together another build right now with F21s and it's a fucking breathe of fresh air.

[FlyboyS4]

I don't agree that user reports, or absence thereof, are not data, it's poor data, but it does provide data points. The thing is you aren't going to get anything better, so what do you do? Make the best with what you've got, or don't even try to glean some insight into the products and leave the outcome to chance?

As for standing behind the products, in the OP's case he claims that SRM is not responding to his mail anymore. Meanwhile I see an interchange taking place between the OP and SRM on Facebook at the same time where SRM is stating to the OP that they have been answering the OP's emails within 24 hours. It's not evident to me that a company has or has not stood behind their product, I'm not convinced there's anything wrong with the product the OP is complaining about.

[Mocke]

After Reading many comments and sharing my own experience all this comes down to that you guys in US clearly have way lower standards and expectations than oss in Europe.
What ever happend here with Mikaels car is clearly proving couple of things.

This kind of conversations and vendors response SRM - Mikael ( I have read the emails), would never happend in Europe.
SRM turbos clames by SRM being better than cheap Chinese turbos BUT ( you should at install KNOW that your WGs goona loosen up and you gonna have to Count on it!!
I have seen the turbos Before the install and I travelled over there yesterday too see it with my own Eyes again.
The Wastegate is loose at the housing and at the end of the rod!!! Nuts never moved a bit and preload is the same as Before install.
There is no such thing on SRMs site ( WGs gonna get loose - Count on it) - - WHICH IS NOT THE CASE HERE ONCE AGAIN (for those who reads between the lines)!!!
It seems This is commonly accepted by US guys??? This is absurd!!! It is completely crazy!! As themadscientist said - Never been told or written or Heard when dealing with any kind qualite turbo like B&W, Loba,& TTE, Tial, Garret......
It is non existing!!
This proves that most of you are not familiar with quality stuff. You deal mostly with shit like SRM, FTG, Ebay turbos.... all Those AM crap.
And SRM claims his turbos are good guality, making alots of Power, longevity.... and by your standards it may seem right - but it is not! It does not even come Close to anything that can be called GOOD.

So now we have a simpel enthusiast like OP, building his RS4 B5 that he already has 30k dollars in at least. He is putting in Another 15k and building great spec Engine.
Buying a great amount of stuff from SRM ( ICs, complete dual walbro 450 setup, FualLab FPR, brand new K24s.....
Lets talk about it.

IC hoses was a joke - non fitting on RS4 - too short.
Dual 450 fueling kit is also non fitting - needs customizing in tank. Hoses too short, This is a messy install - i would not recomend it. ( not SRMs fault )
One pump burned up almost immidiatly
Turbos WG takes a dump after 125miles - not even boosted properly.
This guy Contacts SRM and get what? Shit!! He is blamed for install error and said by Sean himself post it on b5 forum, and stops answering emails-OP posts this on b5 forum.
What does he get there?
He is met by a Seans own monkey fanclub that has no purpose more than to make mess and shit of the whole thread.
Than the the admins remove the thread. Case closed.
What just happend here??
Guy payed huge Money for new Products that are not working properly or brakes in no time.
Asks for refaund - ofcourse as anybody would as he feels Products are not up to task. You do not put this shit in your car again.
Gets crucified and called all kind of names by nothing more than apes (sorry - i have nothing else to compare those jokers with).
Gets frustrated and tired of it all.
Sean gets away again.
So conclusion here is:

Sean answers on first Contact and politely takes your order and Money.
Than you wait month and month to get it.
Products are faulty or brakes.
Y
ou complain - Contact Sean
He tells you its your own fault - doesnt answe any more.
If you go public - he sends his dogs and slaves to trashtalk you.

What does this prove??
This is enough for any normal person not to have anything to do with SRM.
Who the hell wants go through all this circus and hassle on top of needing to rebuild what already just has been done???

This Warning from the OP is legit as it could be.
There are many more, that talks about all this stuff but it is in PMs and private conversations.

Now, everyone is in title of their own opinon.
This is mine.
Stay away from SRM and his cheap shit. Buy oem and guality stuff. You earn both time and Money in the long run and most of all you keep away from frustration.

Peace!!

[Dan[FN]6262]

oh shit, Europe is perfect.


PERFECT. Nothing bad and no bad company or person has ever existed in Europe.


I get it now.


The OP is a fucking doucher that doesn't know how to set up wastegates. Posts a shitty video showing the flapper being cracked open around a millimeter. Then claims it's 3-5mm. No attempt to measure and document in any way. Throws giant baby fit. Bunch of people that have no clue what the fuck anything is or how it works agrees with giant child. Then Europe shows up to remind us that nothing bad has ever happened there and is perfect in every single way.



Quality thread.

[NOTORIOUS VR]

[Dan[FN]6262]

Next thing you know everyone will be posting about how all compressor housings are chinese garbage because magnets won't stick to them.

[S4James]

I killed a wastegate with a trident!

[DieselElectric]

Next thing you know everyone will be posting about how all compressor housings are chinese garbage because magnets won't stick to them.

Only European perfectiontanium enriched aluminum will have the magical properties that attract magnets.