Ricky@Race-Tech

This is going slightly of topic, i'm not sure if mods want to remove but it might help some people.

I've no idea about the "large chunk of metal missing". The flange is alluminium, not the hardest of materials but it would take some force to do that. Remember the car was mapped once already, and I assume, didn't have an issue in this area. Therefore I am completely baffled how anything could affect the flange while it was still bolted to the car? Also if the flange wasn't flat, why didn't this cause an issue from the start? Why wasn't it noticed the first time it was mapped?

As for the gasket, actual yes phenolic material is used often, it is much cheaper than PTFE.

PTFE has a melting point of over 300 degrees (closer to 400 for the actual composition we use) It is a better insulator, it also doesn't required another secondary gasket to be used either side. Therefore I cannot see a single negative other than cost. Our gaskets are a similar price to people selling phonolic gaskets so therefore IMO they win in all area's. If anybody required we can make a phonolic gasket for approx 75% of the cost of our normal items.

Regards

Ricky

to be fair if i took a part off and found "a large chunk of metal missing" i would suspect the flange and not the gasket is a fault.

and also PTFE is not the best material you can use by a large stretch, a phenolic is much more suited for the application *(and is widely used as a thermal barrier for automotive intake manifolds). PTFE (teflon) and nylon are often subsituted because its cheaper but they are not quite as stable at relativly elevated temperatures.

Hello,

Right, so the issues that were causing the problem turned out to not fix it. It seems to me like the problem wasn't noticed to be the intake gasket until they realised it was one of ours? BOTH the cold start issue you had and idle issue are fixed in the map. The car no longer has an IACV so you wouldn't experiance "hunting" from a vacuum leak!

Please return the gasket, i'll inspect it and refund if there is an issue.

Your intake was covered under a warranty. If there were issues, why weren't they noticed upon fitting the first time around? Or the second time?

I'm sorry, but when investigating a vacuum leak, who doesn't inspect the gasket first? Come on?

You wrote "the TPS didn't sit in the bracket sometimes" I said, "how could it sometimes sit in the bracket", meaning; 'how does it sometimes not sit in the bracket?' It either does or it doesn't. It wasn't fitted, shimmed or bolted on by us, so i cannot comment. But we use the same item and don't have any issues.

We have another couple of topmount turbo kits here, Both have fairly bad shortfalls, but this isn't the place to discuss that.

You haven't asked me or told me about any of the issues. You just ranted off on here about how "bad" we are. For what, to me looks like a lot of instal issues or book passing.

I don't intend to post on here again. If you actual want help with anything give me a call or send me a PM.

No no no, the inlet was taken off and found to have an un-even flange along with a chunk of metal missing, this obviously was then thought to be the cause of the problems. It was then sent to there machine shop to have the defect alloy welded and then the whole flange skimmed to make it level then pressure tested to make sure all was sound. Inlet was sent back put on and the problem was still there, I mentioned the gasket so a different one was tried and all my problems went away. Maybe it was originally the defects on the inlet flange that then caused faults with the gasket after the flange was sorted I don't know, but it was certainly one of your products.

Again, the gasket was left on the first time as it was thought the problem was with the inlet so at first didn't take to much of a look at it I guess...........

Not to sure on the wastegate flange as that was also taken off to be looked at so I assume they have now resealed it when refitting.

The clamp was tight, once re tightened the first time it again came loose, was also found to not sit tight around half of the flange.

I am using an auto TPS, how if its not set in a bracket is it fixed? because I remember having a conversation with you about it.

I am sure either Zisco or WEPR could make a turbo kit of and adequate quality and as I said, I am yet to properly test yours yet due to these running problems. With regards to the inlet, the TD one looks quite interesting

I haven't declined any help, I have only really had a discussion with you about the exhaust flange with the other problems noted yet not much was said. If I had no problems with the products I would have nothing to say but good things however that is not the case. I assumed the kit I was getting was then best on the market hence the money I paid but silly mistakes keep unfortunately being found

From what I have read we are talking about bolts coming loose and an intake manifold gasket thats is "faulty". Remember, we didn't tighten the bolts and i'll wait to receive the intake manifold gasket back to see what/if any issue is there.

Matt sent me a PM at the same time as posting on here asking for a refund on the gasket. To which i've replied and will if it is returned and is indeed faulty.

I think if you paying that amount of money and having these kind of problems it's pretty shocking tbh, if your engine fucked and couldn't afford the repair bills on top of other bills would you ring a company up saying ahh no worries mate people make mistakes it's fair do's . Part's should be sent back for a full refund, you can't afford those mistakes at those price's anyways seems like your sorted coming along really good

Soooooooooooo, as most of you know I have had a few running problems with my car since she came back from TD so as soon as she came back from the body shop a date was booked for me to get her back up there and let the guys investigate as to what was going on. I had serious issues with the start, on some occasions 15 attempts at turning the key, the car kept cutting out when having the foot preesed down on the clutch for to long trying to change gear and the idle was so horrendously bad! going from 1000rpm-500rpm-1200rpm-300rpm-1000-rpm cut out! to put it politely she ran like a bag of shit.

Admittedly it has taken slightly longer than expected but the problem has finally been found and Mike has said she is now running as sweet as a nut

Work started after they came back from the nerburg and went over the car with a fine toothcomb. As far as they were concerened, it was nothing they had done there side and as a lot of the same parts had been fitted to other cars without problems, it started to point fingers in the direction of the other provided parts namely the Race-Tech built things.

Before I get in to what they found, I am going to list the problems I have found with parts in the short time I drove her before she went back.

Throttle body - A nut came loose causing the throttle body pulley to jam on full throttle as I was coming to a roundabout! was only informed after the event that I was apparently supposed to use locktite on the nut!?!

V-Band clamps - Was told he provided his own as all the others on the market where shit! the one joining the turbo to mani came off causing the 2 to come apart causing major stress on the exhaust system. Also don't sit around the whole flange, only half! I will try and get some pics up to explain it better.

V-Band flanges - Don't even sit flush, leaking black soot everywhere especially the externall wastegate flange!

TPS bracket - Doesn't sit the TPS properly sometimes causing a lumpy acceleration and in turn making me look like a major noob that cant really drive lol

Exhaust flange - Sitting right on the rear beam so almost nearly every bump I go over you can probably imagine what the noise is like!

Albeit small problems some will say but its the simple things like this that can ruin ones driving experience and after the money that was spent on the kit, I did expect a whole lot more!

Anyway, back to what TD found

As I said, they found nothing there side so looked else where. The first place to look was the inlet, this was taken off and sent to there machine shop for an inspection and pressure testing. It was found to have a defect on the flange in which a large chunk of metal was missing and along with flange not being level either it was thought this was the cause of my problems. So the defect was alloy welded and then the whole flange skimmed to make things flush with the head. The inlet was then sent back to TD, put back on my car and started............problems still there! Fucking cunt lol! I mentioned to MIke that I had one of his thermal intake gaskets so that was the next port of call. Inlet was whipped back off, gasket off and both the TD lads laughed, what the fuck is this? a poxy thin piece of shit that looked increasingly suspect with every second it was looked at. This was chucked away swiftly and replaced with one of TD's own thermal gaskets. inlet fitted, wired back up.............................key turned...............................car started first time! holy fuck! was taken for a test drive, cut out from depressing clutch - GONE! Bad idle - GONE! TPS issue - GONE! All of this stress for a shitty gasket, I couldn't believe it! I have already asked for my refund along with a couple of bungs for sensors that weren't done!

I am happy she is running right but extremely disappointed in the quality of the products I have recieved so far and to take the piss out of everyone else for there stuff is just ridiculous!

I am extremely wary of everything else I have with the Race-Tech logo and hope it doesn't continue to disappoint.

Hang on a minute. It sounds like all your errors could be avoided.

The intake was removed and pressure tested and a leak was found you say? Then it was put back on and the problem was still there? What made you/them look at the intake and NOT the gasket?

Our intake manifold gaskets are PTFE, which is the best material you can use. The perform better than all the harder cheaper thermo plastic gaskets we tested against. In both sealing and insulation. The downsiide is its hard for us to cut and isn't cheap. But we stick to it because its the best.

What you are saying here is the inlet was removed then refitted and the gasket was "laughed at" but only the second time around, why was it ever refitted?

Vbands on the external wastegate don't make the seal, the valve seat does. I've never actually seen a leak here. What was done to make it seal?

The Vband that came off? How did that happen? If it was tight? More to the point. How did you not notice it? The noise must have been horrendous.

The TPS doesn't sit in the bracket "sometimes" how can this happen? What TPS is being used?

Can you find a better turbo kit and intake for the Starlets?

It seems strange you have wanted to slag off us/our products for the last few months. Yet when we offered for you to look over it, it was declined.

The excess heat and burning oil would cause an issue to the engine. The turbo isn't designed to run without a water supply.

It's still putting excess heat through the cooling system, that for the price of a td04 is not worth it

Agree 100% here.

Surely if your cooling system is doing its job correctly it will always maintain the temperature to where is should be?

You called me on a Sunday afternoon, (if I remember correctly) shouting the odds and saying things you probably wouldn't say in person.

Obviously there was nothing I could do to help you at the time, so told you to calm down and send the manifold back the following day.

I didn't say it was to be expected, I said it sounded like you had a high EGT problem, and I wouldn't recommend running a TD04 at high boost for extended periods on track.

You declined my offer, did you carry on using the manifold?

I can't fault him, I'd be the same other way round. Just didn't like the fact when I spoke to him on the phone at the side of the track with my wastegate hanging off, that apparently it was to be expected as they are only rated to 280bhp for short periods of time, not a full track session hahaha!

Funny now, but pissed me off at the time so the conversation did get a little heated!

Yeah can't wait for it to be done now!

Sorry to quote you directly but what you are saying isn't true at all.

The cooling circuit on a turbo doesn't cool the turbo much during the running. (the oil does most of the cooling, so the engine would get warm anyway)

What the water lines are there for is to keep the turbo cool AFTER the engine is turned off. To stop the oil burning and causing issues with the turbo.

I remember me, you and tobz talking about that. You guys words were "Best to run a turbo hot than run a hot engine" so would i need to essentially block them off on the turbo and the engine?

It is an old, Used intake. Most were custom made so it will have had a different temp sensor. As said, either relocate. Send it to us etc.

What sensor are you using and what seal?

You need it. Best place is boost pipe just before the throttle body. But if it was a standard off the shelf intake it should have the provision for the sensor. What is stopping you putting it in the intake?

Has it been repaired before?

With regards to your points mate, do you not find it a bit funny that all those cars where mapped on a Dyno dynamics before going to Race-Tech? so obviously people knew what figures were made and kind of 'fixed' things if want for a better word? I wouldn't mind seeing a Race-Tech tuned car on the TD rollers, possibly..............................yours?

The same with the always kind of stange smooth lines during boost, how have they discovered something that no other tuner has ever managed to do? look at all other boost graphs and compare them I know you can mess with the software on the dyno he uses and change things around to suit!

With regards to the other guys cars you mentioned, they don't come in to question as they where mapped elsewhere and not on the same dyno so there figures are irrelevant.

I think a few people care about what it pulls on the dyno, what's the point in having the power leaderboard that one himself created?

I imagine there could be some kind of difference and it didn't take long for someone else (Hawwy) to kind of back me up.

Boost plot smoothing had nothing to do with the dyno. It's the electronics on the map sensor I fitted that work very well. When in the car does your boost go up and down on the gauge or is it nice and smooth. I'd hope the latter. So the dyno should read the same.

This along with most you type isn't true. You ordered a couple of days after I told you they were in Stock.

read this feedback properly dude, I was told they were in stock in the first place, then got told they werent 3 days after ordering, got told theyd be in stock a week later, was told they were being dispatched that day, they werent, following monday got told they were being dispatched, they werent, then got refunded cause im an arsehole for leaving an honest feedback on here....

IIRC we turned it off anyway because the car was fueling badly?

LOL ok so my boost controler was brand new.. worked perfect for months and months then all off a sudden when it left you it stopped working hmmmm...

My lord this is such a coincidence.....

I kno you tell me god knows how it was fried...
Was boosting perfect before I came see use then I had to run it back on the wastegate..

Must of been when you blew up my ecu which you said you repared

At each stage if an item is out of stock I tell the customers. (unless its due within 48 hours or a length of time that is acceptable).

Usually most items clear customs in 24/48 hours, in this case it was a couple of weeks.

I haven't stolen anybodies money. Or refused a refund. Infact I've offered a refund many times, it was refused, in this case because we are considerably cheaper.

We are trying to get in a position where everything is in stock that we sell. However buyers tend to be like buses. Nothing for months then 5 of 1 item in a week!

and also if they were in stock then how comes on monday you called me to tell me "the courier is on its way to get them" but you decided to cancel it cause im a "complete arsehole", how comes you just told me theyre not in stock til next week even if i did want them? and why didnt you refund me on monday? rather than now? so i wouldnt get my money til next week.....real sly.....

As said, you no longer wish to discuss so we'll leave it there.

My courier collects from the airport/dock depending what it is. It is the cheaper way to import goods. On Monday I didn't know I would be off until Friday. I refunded you yesterday morning and sent an email so you had time to order them for the weekend as knew I wouldn't be able to get them out.

I remember took the piss out of me ALLDAY fitting my emu on my starlet but decided to blow up my stock ecu and boost controller was fried oh and my emu was when I bought it was fucked allready... Hmmmmmm but was a working unit when sold to me...

wasted mine and my dads time and we travelled for 4 hours and waited 10+hours waiting for a service to be done...

so yea drive was great fun back.not. Emu broke.. Boost controler solenoid fried.. God knows how it had been fried lol lucky I bought it of from ebay and the trader said send it back and we will inspect on the part..

Phone call next day and said to me jeez this has been well and truley fried god knows how that could happen! Was a full working unit until went there..

Nice

But sorry this isn't my thread to be reporting on so... Just never been bothered to leave feedback tbh

When your EMU was connected to power it drew circa 10 amps from memory.

However I find it most interesting we "fried" your boost control solenoid. How could this be? You could connect a boost control solenoid directly to the battery for a LONG time before it would become damaged. The actual boost controller would fail long before the solenoid. IIRC (its going back years now) It was a Gizmo, these are particularly weak on the PWM power supply so that would certain fail first.

I haven't been in work for the last couple of days. Plus only half of Tuesday. I wouldnt be able to get the rods to you until next week so refunded. I offered a refund many times while they were been held up in customs. Sadly customs can do what they want up to 28 days with parts.

Just to make it clear I didn't call you trying to catch you out. I returned the missed calls I had from you.

When you called we had 2 sets in stock. As said on the phone.

When you ordered, one set had gone out and the other had was going in one of our engine builds so we had removed the packaging, cleaned and checked them and started the balancing process, (this was all explained)

I offered you a refund then, but told you another batch are due in. They had been ordered over a week so said they were due 7 days after. However customs held them 12 days not the usual 1-2. This cannot be avoided at times. Again a refund was offered but you declined.

I spoke to you on Friday out of hours and said I might be calling into work in the morning, try me around 10, if I don't answer i'll speak to you on Monday. We didn't go into work on Saturday, you tried to call me around 20 times on Saturday and Sunday.

I called you back on Monday, again offering you a refund then signed on here to find this.

I can appreciate your frustration but cannot see what else I could do!

got a call from Ricky earlier AFTER i made this thread, told me the courier has been booked to collect them and should receive them wednesday/thursday. Delighted that he made the effort to call me and sort things out as I was stressing out a bit cause I desperately need my car back on the road. No need for a refund mate, as long as I get them then Im not fussed. but just for the record when I phoned the first time on Tuesday (2 weeks ago) I was told they were in stock. If you said they werent I wouldnt have ordered them, but thanks

Mattyd. You have pm.

I'd say 50% of the jobs we do are to correct DIY errors.

DIY much respect for people who put the effort in, most people on here pay there money and ask for stuff to be done

Hello Nick,

I spoke to you on the phone earlier. No mention of this thread. As said before you can have a full refund.

When you ordered it was explained they were out of stock and the stock was due last week. We were held up with customs and cannot help this.

I release you tried to call 20 times over the weekend but we weren't open and it took till around 1 today to get through the calls etc from the weekend.

We have one. However it won't work if it's only lifting the head on high boost. We have other methods of finding out what's wrong. Give mea call in the morning.

Replied Yesterday.

Ricky could you please reply to my pm's

All sorted.