N54 (35i/35is) - UK Turbo Replacements

[James35i]

Hello All,

Since moving to MHD Stage 1+, I've noticed that my turbos have begun producing a 'siren' like sound, imagine you could hear the police or an ambulance, but they were a few streets away. It only happens with light throttle application, and it is still happily hitting the boost target.

However, I am aware that the car is on 98k now, and the likelihood is the original turbos are on their way out (probably, hard to tell exactly when they will go).

The first obvious choice would be to purchase some Mitsubishi OEM replacements, but I wondered if anyone has found some hidden gems? We have the ol' reliable roll eBay 17/19t's and then after that the prices gradually creep up with various offerings with warranties etc.

I would prefer to stick with twins as it's my daily, and rarely do I take it to the top of the rev range, but rather drive it in the torque curve. I'm not looking for crazy power, 500 BHP being the very max I would want.

Any first-hand experiences welcome!

 

[B21]

FWIW the simple answer is new Mitsubishi stock turbos..cheap and proven…most other solutions will require a custom tune ..almost all the upgrades are either direct Chinese imports or via an ‘integrator’ that does something ..

I went with hybrid turbos and can get 550bhp easy enough on 98 Ron fuel with some minor intake / exhaust mods..

Even in the wilds of Scotland there’s nowhere really that you can let 550bhp show any advantage over 400 BHP…until you spend a few £k on LSD and significant chassis mods..

Imho

 

[James35i]

FWIW the simple answer is new Mitsubishi stock turbos..cheap and proven…most other solutions will require a custom tune ..almost all the upgrades are either direct Chinese imports or via an ‘integrator’ that does something ..

I went with hybrid turbos and can get 550bhp easy enough on 98 Ron fuel with some minor intake / exhaust mods..

Even in the wilds of Scotland there’s nowhere really that you can let 550bhp show any advantage over 400 BHP…until you spend a few £k on LSD and significant chassis mods..

Imho

I just can't help but feel i'll order the OEM turbos, get them fitted and then think damn I should have just bitten the bullet and gotten something a bit more 'exciting'.

How much did your hybrid turbos set you back? Did it require any changes to the fuel pumps?

I'd love to see a video of it accelerating. I bet it's ballistic.

 

[B21]

FWIW the simple answer is new Mitsubishi stock turbos..cheap and proven…most other solutions will require a custom tune ..almost all the upgrades are either direct Chinese imports or via an ‘integrator’ that does something ..

I went with hybrid turbos and can get 550bhp easy enough on 98 Ron fuel with some minor intake / exhaust mods..

Even in the wilds of Scotland there’s nowhere really that you can let 550bhp show any advantage over 400 BHP…until you spend a few £k on LSD and significant chassis mods..

Imho

I just can't help but feel i'll order the OEM turbos, get them fitted and then think damn I should have just bitten the bullet and gotten something a bit more 'exciting'.

How much did your hybrid turbos set you back? Did it require any changes to the fuel pumps?

I'd love to see a video of it accelerating. I bet it's ballistic.

It was a £5k job inc fitting

You’ll need a bigger FMIC, revised inlets, outlets etc etc

Uprated fuel pump plus LPFP controller


https://youtu.be/o88ldXzhpe4?si=uyCEccUt9xm6jQ22

https://youtu.be/WNIMfYmKKm4?si=nrTakflugWRLTqGx

 

[James35i]

FWIW the simple answer is new Mitsubishi stock turbos..cheap and proven…most other solutions will require a custom tune ..almost all the upgrades are either direct Chinese imports or via an ‘integrator’ that does something ..

I went with hybrid turbos and can get 550bhp easy enough on 98 Ron fuel with some minor intake / exhaust mods..

Even in the wilds of Scotland there’s nowhere really that you can let 550bhp show any advantage over 400 BHP…until you spend a few £k on LSD and significant chassis mods..

Imho

I just can't help but feel i'll order the OEM turbos, get them fitted and then think damn I should have just bitten the bullet and gotten something a bit more 'exciting'.

How much did your hybrid turbos set you back? Did it require any changes to the fuel pumps?

I'd love to see a video of it accelerating. I bet it's ballistic.

It was a £5k job inc fitting

You’ll need a bigger FMIC, revised inlets, outlets etc etc

Uprated fuel pump plus LPFP controller


https://youtu.be/o88ldXzhpe4?si=uyCEccUt9xm6jQ22

https://youtu.be/WNIMfYmKKm4?si=nrTakflugWRLTqGx

What LPFP did you go with? Protuner?

I have the bigger FMIC already, but will need the inlets/outlets and downpipe etc.

 

[mcbutler]

Hello All,

Since moving to MHD Stage 1+, I've noticed that my turbos have begun producing a 'siren' like sound, imagine you could hear the police or an ambulance, but they were a few streets away. It only happens with light throttle application, and it is still happily hitting the boost target.

However, I am aware that the car is on 98k now, and the likelihood is the original turbos are on their way out (probably, hard to tell exactly when they will go).

The first obvious choice would be to purchase some Mitsubishi OEM replacements, but I wondered if anyone has found some hidden gems? We have the ol' reliable roll eBay 17/19t's and then after that the prices gradually creep up with various offerings with warranties etc.

I would prefer to stick with twins as it's my daily, and rarely do I take it to the top of the rev range, but rather drive it in the torque curve. I'm not looking for crazy power, 500 BHP being the very max I would want.

Any first-hand experiences welcome!

Nothing wrong with them, im on same map and get the same hissing sound you sescribe under light throttle, its just induction noise I had it checked by my indy and a friend who races N54 in his car.
In fact I had an RS3 driver tell me that it was the most "epic induction" noise he had ever heard.

Rattling is more a sign of failure and that can be delayed by software tweaks with carly for example and most likely MHD as well

 

[B21]

I just can't help but feel i'll order the OEM turbos, get them fitted and then think damn I should have just bitten the bullet and gotten something a bit more 'exciting'.

How much did your hybrid turbos set you back? Did it require any changes to the fuel pumps?

I'd love to see a video of it accelerating. I bet it's ballistic.

It was a £5k job inc fitting

You’ll need a bigger FMIC, revised inlets, outlets etc etc

Uprated fuel pump plus LPFP controller


https://youtu.be/o88ldXzhpe4?si=uyCEccUt9xm6jQ22

https://youtu.be/WNIMfYmKKm4?si=nrTakflugWRLTqGx

What LPFP did you go with? Protuner?

I have the bigger FMIC already, but will need the inlets/outlets and downpipe etc.

Walboro 435

 

[James35i]

Hello All,

Since moving to MHD Stage 1+, I've noticed that my turbos have begun producing a 'siren' like sound, imagine you could hear the police or an ambulance, but they were a few streets away. It only happens with light throttle application, and it is still happily hitting the boost target.

However, I am aware that the car is on 98k now, and the likelihood is the original turbos are on their way out (probably, hard to tell exactly when they will go).

The first obvious choice would be to purchase some Mitsubishi OEM replacements, but I wondered if anyone has found some hidden gems? We have the ol' reliable roll eBay 17/19t's and then after that the prices gradually creep up with various offerings with warranties etc.

I would prefer to stick with twins as it's my daily, and rarely do I take it to the top of the rev range, but rather drive it in the torque curve. I'm not looking for crazy power, 500 BHP being the very max I would want.

Any first-hand experiences welcome!

Nothing wrong with them, im on same map and get the same hissing sound you sescribe under light throttle, its just induction noise I had it checked by my indy and a friend who races N54 in his car.
In fact I had an RS3 driver tell me that it was the most "epic induction" noise he had ever heard.

Rattling is more a sign of failure and that can be delayed by software tweaks with carly for example and most likely MHD as well

I'm not so sure it's an induction sound; it's more of a siren than a hissing noise. In fact, with the stock airbox there isn't much induction noise for me at all, especially at full chat.

Either way, i'm not super worried, the turbos are still boosting to the target, no rattle, and the car is flying.

 

[B21]

Hello All,

Since moving to MHD Stage 1+, I've noticed that my turbos have begun producing a 'siren' like sound, imagine you could hear the police or an ambulance, but they were a few streets away. It only happens with light throttle application, and it is still happily hitting the boost target.

However, I am aware that the car is on 98k now, and the likelihood is the original turbos are on their way out (probably, hard to tell exactly when they will go).

The first obvious choice would be to purchase some Mitsubishi OEM replacements, but I wondered if anyone has found some hidden gems? We have the ol' reliable roll eBay 17/19t's and then after that the prices gradually creep up with various offerings with warranties etc.

I would prefer to stick with twins as it's my daily, and rarely do I take it to the top of the rev range, but rather drive it in the torque curve. I'm not looking for crazy power, 500 BHP being the very max I would want.

Any first-hand experiences welcome!

Nothing wrong with them, im on same map and get the same hissing sound you sescribe under light throttle, its just induction noise I had it checked by my indy and a friend who races N54 in his car.
In fact I had an RS3 driver tell me that it was the most "epic induction" noise he had ever heard.

Rattling is more a sign of failure and that can be delayed by software tweaks with carly for example and most likely MHD as well

I'm not so sure it's an induction sound; it's more of a siren than a hissing noise. In fact, with the stock airbox there isn't much induction noise for me at all, especially at full chat.

Either way, i'm not super worried, the turbos are still boosting to the target, no rattle, and the car is flying.

Siren noise is classic turbo bearing failure causing a distinctive sound..how long it lasts before letting go is variable ..

 

[James35i]

Nothing wrong with them, im on same map and get the same hissing sound you sescribe under light throttle, its just induction noise I had it checked by my indy and a friend who races N54 in his car.
In fact I had an RS3 driver tell me that it was the most "epic induction" noise he had ever heard.

Rattling is more a sign of failure and that can be delayed by software tweaks with carly for example and most likely MHD as well

I'm not so sure it's an induction sound; it's more of a siren than a hissing noise. In fact, with the stock airbox there isn't much induction noise for me at all, especially at full chat.

Either way, i'm not super worried, the turbos are still boosting to the target, no rattle, and the car is flying.

Siren noise is classic turbo bearing failure causing a distinctive sound..how long it lasts before letting go is variable ..

Yes, it's quite faint and gets quieter as the car warms up, disappears when you even slightly step on the throttle. It only ever makes itself known when you feather it to get it to move.

 

[B21]

I'm not so sure it's an induction sound; it's more of a siren than a hissing noise. In fact, with the stock airbox there isn't much induction noise for me at all, especially at full chat.

Either way, i'm not super worried, the turbos are still boosting to the target, no rattle, and the car is flying.

Siren noise is classic turbo bearing failure causing a distinctive sound..how long it lasts before letting go is variable ..

Yes, it's quite faint and gets quieter as the car warms up, disappears when you even slightly step on the throttle. It only ever makes itself known when you feather it to get it to move.

Most initial bearing failures start off exhibiting traits only under certain conditions ..then the conditions become less stringent..

I had the turbine wheel starting to clip, no noise..no obvious boost loss..

 

[James35i]

Siren noise is classic turbo bearing failure causing a distinctive sound..how long it lasts before letting go is variable ..

Yes, it's quite faint and gets quieter as the car warms up, disappears when you even slightly step on the throttle. It only ever makes itself known when you feather it to get it to move.

Most initial bearing failures start off exhibiting traits only under certain conditions ..then the conditions become less stringent..

I had the turbine wheel starting to clip, no noise..no obvious boost loss..

B21 let's be more positive on this beautiful Friday! It might simply be that my rear inlet is loose hahaha

 

[B21]

Yes, it's quite faint and gets quieter as the car warms up, disappears when you even slightly step on the throttle. It only ever makes itself known when you feather it to get it to move.

Most initial bearing failures start off exhibiting traits only under certain conditions ..then the conditions become less stringent..

I had the turbine wheel starting to clip, no noise..no obvious boost loss..

B21 let's be more positive on this beautiful Friday! It might simply be that my rear inlet is loose hahaha

In your dreams.. :tumbleweed: :rofl: :thumbsdown: