Most, but not all, kits (supercharger or turbocharger) can be purchased for less than MSRP if you are willing to google around or make some phone calls.
Another piece of advice for potential buyers is to research owner recommendations. Generally speaking, people are happy with the kit they have purchased and will recommend it as being a great kit. It is always a good idea to see if they have a build thread and see what problems they have fun into.
For example: gdrider77 owns the AVO kit and recommends it as "really hands off," so you should check out his build thread and see what he means by that.
I am not bashing gdrider77 at all, he is obviously great with cars, and has a great build that we should all be jealous of.
His AVO kit has had some issues though:
Quote:
Originally Posted by gdrider77
Well. Kit all together and took for test run with stage1 base map. ... Took for a new run and noticed a goofy sound.....exhaust leak...ugh. After getting under there with a steth, determined its leaking from both the header gaskets...
So pulled the turbo/headers off and ordered some new gaskets from subaru.
...
This is quickly ballooning out of control, and man...keep spending money.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gdrider77
So, running some leak tests, and just not happy with the supplied worm clamps, so bought new t-bar style clamps to replace all the hose/pipe connections.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gdrider77
LEAKS
I have had 3 major leaks with this kit. I have been able to solve all 3 so far, from what i can tell. Here they are, as well as what i did to fix.
Pressure Leak
... I ran a leak test and had major leaks at the Turbo inlet. Like gushin. No big surprise as most anyone that owns this kit, knows that the inlet pipe does not secure all that well. ... The other kit connections seemed to be leak free, although the connection to the stock airbox is not that great, as what i found is that the silicone hose is so strong, that it has deformed my airbox inlet pipe slightly, and the hose kept sliding off.
Coolant Lines on turbo housing
... the 2 that connect into the top of the turbohousing via 2 banjo connections. These were leaking slightly, and i do mean slightly.
Oil line
So the oil line on the turbo, between the 2 coolant lines was leaking. From the factory this connection was already preinstalled, and i made the mistake of assuming it was torqued down properly. It was not.
... I contacted Paul numerous times about the torque specs, but never got them ...
... After still trying to get torque specs and never getting them ...
... Never got the torque specs ...
Summary
To be clear, the oil and coolant leaks i spoke of, were minor, but i am anal. ... No leaks as of right now, time will tell.
... I specifically asked Paul prior if all parts were torqued down correctly, and he assured me they were...and i am sure he thought they were, not his fault. Just a QC issue.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gdrider77
Latest update on my car.......failed welds on manifold.....
So noticed a significant amount of noise from below the car taht sounded like an exhaust leak. ... Upon further inspection i saw that the header itself had broke a weld. So unfortunately, had to pull this all apart to get that part off.
Paul has been real good about getting this taken care of and is sending me a new header.
Just sucks i had to remove most of the turbo, lines etc....not to mention the costs of getting new gaskets.
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Mad props to gdrider77 for sorting out all these issues. For brevity I did not include all his explanations of how he fixed the issues, but you should read his build thread and you will definitely leave impressed!
There's a camp that will say this is the cost of getting into the aftermarket forced induction game, but if you look at different build threads you will definitely notice a trend that some kits give their owners more problems than others.
gdrider77 has obviously had the chops to tackle the problems he encountered, but I know I wouldn't. I probably don't even have the chops to notice some of those problems. Some folks roll with the punches,
others decide it's not worth the trouble and sell the kit.
Anyways, the moral of the story is that when someone recommends their kit as being great, it does not necessarily mean you would agree with their conclusion.