# Cheap Chinese K04 Turbos - MAXSPEEDINGRODS



## StuartDB (Feb 10, 2018)

This is why you shouldn't buy these rubbish turbos.

I have bought a hybrid CHRA as part of my rebuild and when fitting this noticed a crack in my K04 hotside, so I took a risk on getting a cheap turbo to remove the hotside and build my "mutanturbo" out of original K04 compressor housing, hybrid CHRA, 15PSI actuator, Cheap Chinese Hot Side. I knew it would need to be checked out and said to myself well I can move on those other parts maybe to get back some of my cash. this was only £100 for a whole turbo reduced from £166 - the actuator must be 11-12PSI as it is harder than my stock 5-6psi actuator and softer than my 15psi actuator. the turbo span freely.
These cheap turbos as famous for causing compressor surge so I checked the wastegate....


















As you can see this needs to be opened out, which I have done.

now checking the manifold port and it is completely in the wrong place - the gasket supplied with it doesn't even fit it. it nearly fits if the gasket is upside down (two holes aligned and the wave), so whoever created the CNC program had the gasket on upside down when they made the hole.










This is what needs to be opened up to match the gasket.










I think there is enough room to open this up and keep the gasket working on the other side of the port, the distances between stud and hole are between 8.4 and 11.4 rather than a uniform 9.4 on the original K04.

What I should have done is checked all this before taking it apart and sent it back, but if this is like it they most likely probably all are.

The chinafold manifold fits the gasket perfectly and so did the original hotside.

how many people just fit these like they are delivered, its a nightmare waiting to happen.


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## silkman (Jul 29, 2004)

Ebay turbos... :roll:

Couldn't you get a spare for the hotside? They should be available from KKK...


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## StuartDB (Feb 10, 2018)

Hindsight is great, I could have got a b5 s4 in January instead 
I knew the risks of getting a cheap copy, this is more of an informational post, so when people say 'don't get a cheap Chinese copy k04. They have some proof to see the challenges. Loads of people will just fit it. But I'm not looking to just get by with some weird log file behaviour.


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## Delta4 (Jun 19, 2015)

Interesting post, so will the hybrid chra work with this copy without needing any machine work ?


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## StuartDB (Feb 10, 2018)

yeah the hybrid fits the compressor housing with no modifications the billet compressor has more fins and is deeper and the bearings and shaft are upgraded, it fit my previous hotside too, but I needed to polish the inside for the turbine with grinding paste to rotate smoothly. when discussing this with the supplier they said it sounds like the hot side had distorted and created a lump and probably has a crack in it, which is exactly what had happened - they also said the only reason my existing CHRA rotates is because the hotside has essentially machined the turbine when the fault developed.

I know that the ATE380 turbos also have a modified compressor housing "internally" not just the B5 billet bolted to it.

this is the original hotside crack probably from mapping the TT with a stock downpipe on, sending EGTs too high.










and new fake k04 hotside


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## StuartDB (Feb 10, 2018)

I have essentially got a spare K04 maybe from fake k04 compressor housing, CHRA, 11psi actuator and my cracked hotside - trying to convince my work colleague to fit it to his 1997 Mx5.


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## Pukmeister (Dec 27, 2017)

I wonder about the metallurgy involved in these cheap turbochargers and housings, especially where a high nickel content is needed to prevent creep and/or cracking. Nickel isn't a cheap metal.


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## StuartDB (Feb 10, 2018)

This is the hybrid CHRA I have bought

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Audi-S3-TT-L ... 1811933542

uprated Actuator, although I paid the pre-sale price #grrr

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UPRATED-Turb ... 2051151196

and this is the fake K04 turbo. £100 is an amazing price but you must expect faults for something so cheap.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Turbocharger ... 2273160744


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## Delta4 (Jun 19, 2015)

100 quid is cheap, but with a bit of fettling you may not have any issues. does the hybrid chra have a power rating as in what can you expect from it.


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## TT-Dru (Sep 5, 2015)

Having had a chat with them I'm going down a slightly different route for the TTR hybrid CHRA, as in purchased a genuine K04-023 from eBay for £40 that was being sold as spares or repair, due to excessive shaft play and a supposed minuscule crack on the hotside (but I can't see it) Will send this off to TTR for them to refurb/rebuild incorporating their hybrid CHRA and probably the uprated actuator. From what they were saying worse case scenario with them replacing the housing as well the cost will be sub £500. In the mean time the car stays on the road performing faultlessly with it's original turbo.
Ported chinafold and 3" turbo back zorst all sitting here waiting to be fitted with the new turbo in a one'r.


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## StuartDB (Feb 10, 2018)

Yeah I didn't have a visible crack on the hotside until I took it apart, I was considering buying a second hand spares and repairs one but maybe that would be cracked too. The lump gets distorted then damages the turbine, then unbalances the shaft etc... This was a few minutes to line up the hot side port with gasket.










Power wise for the hybrid chra? Don't know, it surely depends on the rest of the set-up, but with new forged rods, rings, big end bearings stem seals and exhaust valves, If the engine actually works at least I know that fear won't be a deciding point of the commitment.


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## desertstorm (Apr 25, 2017)

As stated earlier the problem with cheap Chinese turbo's is the quality of the engineering. Sure they will work for a while but never as good as an OE part. You have no way of telling what the actual hotside is made from. They put such little effort into actually machining the part do you think they specified what material it was made of. OE hotsides develop cracks and they are likely to have a material specification that is designed to cope with the kind of temperatures seen.
I would have spent a little more money and bought a good second hand genuine KKK item and modded that.


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## StuartDB (Feb 10, 2018)

The main problem I have here is belief the engine will be okay after all the ham fisted surgery carried out. I can change a turbo after, but if the rings are badly spaced, arp bolted are badly stretched etc leading to a, b or c then the car will never see any boost.

I agree though these are badly manufactured, so I will report back how long it works.
This should be considered a warning thread to others.


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## TT Tom TT (Oct 9, 2015)

StuartDB said:


> The main problem I have here is belief the engine will be okay after all the ham fisted surgery carried out. I can change a turbo after, but if the rings are badly spaced, arp bolted are badly stretched etc leading to a, b or c then the car will never see any boost.
> 
> I agree though these are badly manufactured, so I will report back how long it works.
> This should be considered a warning thread to others.


Be very careful of the wastegate penny, Chinese made wastegate arms and the penny's have a habit of warping and no longer sealing the wastegate properly after a few heat cycles.


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## StuartDB (Feb 10, 2018)

Yeah I can believe that, i'm hoping opening up the port might help.


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## StuartDB (Feb 10, 2018)

Ha Ha, Want to fit an EGT to a Chinese turbo? Just need to add some spacers.


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## StuartDB (Feb 10, 2018)

next item is I was advised I needed 70mm bolts to fit the chinafold manifold - it transpires they need to be ~62mm it maybe that the bolts should be 70mm total length OR the holes are not as deep on the cheap hotside?


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## Delta4 (Jun 19, 2015)

You'll be turning the key this week then ?


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## StuartDB (Feb 10, 2018)

Yeah I reckon so, will try and get some bits done in my lunch break on the days I'm working from home.

TIP, heat shield, maf, filter, pcv and catch can are fitted (ordered a 90 degree bend to finish the pcv) fitted the cam cover gasket with sealant in the corners.

I should have got more done today, but watched F1.

Outstanding is
cam belt fitment and covers - will remove the cam cover for this.
lower pulley and aux belt
charge pipe with associated brackets, red boost pipe and heat jackets.
Coolant expansion tank and coolant
Battery

I also seem to have lost a couple m6 nuts for the cam cover.

I'm NOT looking forward to turning the key.

I am planning on leaving my existing map on to start with (pretty generous fuelling) with no n75 plugged in. Assuming it works after any leaks etc resolved, once run in and MOT'd etc I will change the map to try and bring desired load down to match the actual from the logs, then plug in the n75. Then it's new injectors and my new(ish) stock haas fuel pump, test the safety limits. And then move on from this.


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## Delta4 (Jun 19, 2015)

No doubt you'll turning the engine over by hand first to make sure that all is well.


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## StuartDB (Feb 10, 2018)

I need to when I check the timing belt probably with no sparkplugs, then maybe 30 seconds or so with the injectors unplugged. Then probably let it settle and check the oil level, and suck it up / grin and bear it. 
Make some other excuse...


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