For the record, this thread wasn't about spite, it was about trying to help the next guy that busted his butt for his money only to spend it on something for nothing. Does this not makes sense?
This makes perfect sense, and I appreciate anyone sharing their experience, positive or negative. However, I see some potential problems with pinning all of the blame on the vendor here, and that's where my feedback comes in. I'm hoping my comments help you save the next dollars your spending on an upgraded turbo because I'm afraid you haven't addressed the root cause. And I'm using this as an example to explain why treating vendors fairly is as important as treating customers fairly. Hopefully that makes sense.
@90lxwhite I also don't dispute this is the way most negative posts about a vendor go. To get a balanced view, you have to look at all sides of the story, which people try to share. From your reading, it sounds like your mind is made up, and you're not opened to new or additional information or ways of thinking that don't corroborate the conclusion you've already drawn. Which is completely fair, but these responses aren't just for you, they're for anyone who might come across this thread who maybe hasn't made up their mind yet. I have drawn the opposite conclusion: 90% of negative posts I've seen about on3 are from people who don't appear to know what the hell they're doing and appear to be their own car's worst enemy.
This will be my last comment, I promise. This one's for the potential benefit of the op and others installing a turbo kit of any brand. Maybe this will help you see why I don't consider this a case of black or white, good or bad, because I wasn't there and don't have the whole story. Installing a turbo kit is NOT a trivial matter, it is not a bolt-on operation. Those who want bolt-on are probably best advised to go with a supercharger.
Wastegate failure: what you experienced was not boost creep but a boost spike. This cannot have anything to do with the sealing ring. If you left out the sealing ring, you'd have built no boost at all, or very little. What could cause such a dramatic spike (in order of probability)?
- Hooking up the feed line from the turbo outlet to the wrong port on the wastegate.
- Some blockage or failure in the line from the turbo outlet to the wastegate (loose clamp, hole in hose, etc).
- One of those eBay manual boost controllers with a ball and spring check-valve. Those will open at precisely 15psi unless you remove the darned check-valve. I imagine you're using a boost controller since the kit springs are typically 5-6 psi and you're getting 10.
- A faulty wastegate (broken diaphragm, binding valve, etc.). This is very easy to bench-test, hit the wastegate with 5-10psi from your compressor and see if the valve moves. If it's faulty, document the test and send that to the vendor. If they don't respond (and you're still under warranty), use your credit card company or PayPal to raise a dispute if you feel they're not being responsive.
When you go for your first run, you are strongly advised to go part throttle and watch your instruments (AFR, Boost gauge) very closely before you go WOT and see a horrendous spike in boost. Even if the parts are faulty, you stand a very good chance of blowing your engine, and you'd have no one to blame but yourself. What is your Boosted AFR at 10psi by the way? If it's higher than 11:1 you're asking for serious trouble (and nothing in the stock tune will ever command that much fuel).
Turbo failure: It's not uncommon for a low-dollar chinese turbo to have tolerance issues - not disputed, I own two. Check it carefully for free-play and smooth rotation (no binding) before installation. If it's going to be a while until you install, check it when you receive the delivery. Keep it lubricated while it's in storage and try not to put it somewhere it'll get knocked around. There are a lot of other things to verify too, but turbo hardware is super simple.
- Prime the engine before starting (remove coil wire and run until oil pressure builds. Leave oil feed line off of the turbo to verify oil is coming through before you start it.) It's possible to destroy a turbo almost instantly if you haven't done this. A kink in the feed line is all it takes, or low oil pressure at idle if your engine is well-worn. Make sure the return lines are routed well. Garrett (see below) recommends 30psi as minimal operating pressure for a turbo, at all times. Did you verify your oil pressure meets this minimum?
- See the wastegate part above. A serious spike can cause the turbo to overspool, potentially causing catastrophic failure almost immediately. Drive cautiously at first, no more than a few PSI of boost.
- Don't even think of running more than a few PSI of boost until you are properly TUNED. Otherwise you will suffer severe lean conditions at WOT, potentially also timing-related detonation, especially at higher boost levels. If you only destroy your turbo, you are lucky. You will most likely destroy your engine (10psi will put you at above 400RWHP). I didn't see any mention of time at a dyno before the road-trip where the turbo failed in this thread. Remote tuning and canned chips can be ok for a CAI, but for turbo-level power, I think a dyno tune is probably best.
A turbo overheating to the point of melting the air filter and distant wiring is an INSANE amount of heat. I have never seen or heard of a turbo bearing failure causing that kind of heat. A bearing failure will cause noise, oil to pour into the exhaust, and ultimately the turbo to seize up. Balance issues will cause bearing failure and possibly catastrophic failure of the rotating assembly. Still, no super-heating. There is a huge possibility that a severe lean condition scorched your turbo (if you ran to 10-15psi with no tune this is absolutely what happened), and probably also baked your headers. When they crack severely, this will also not be a fault with the parts. And get a turbo blanket, it'll save the paint-job above the housing and any wiring harnesses in the neighborhood.
Here's a reference you might enjoy:
http://www.turbobygarrett.com/turbobygarrett/troubleshooting (I think this is a pretty reputable vendor). Turbos are simple, but getting it completely right isn't so simple. I learned this stuff the hard way, and made a lot of these mistakes. I'd guess a LOT of the complaints people have would be addressed by professional installers, which someone buying a budget turbo kit probably won't do. I don't give two farts about on3 or Chuck or you guys, to tell you the truth (though I'm a cheap mofo and like to see the budget vendors stay in business, I realize their limits and solve my own problems when they arise). I'm just a guy in Cleveland who likes a good mystery when it's too cold to drive my turbo Mustangs this time of year, and like you, hope you (and everyone else who reads) gets their money's worth.