**MANUFACTURING ISSUE**

Alright guys ETS have confirmed that a few "prototype" gaskets got sent out when they shouldn't have. If you bought your DP around APRIL 2011 definitely give it a look. Specifically those with the O2-Dump version.

See ETS's response below.

I'm currently getting an E-Tune with Clipse3GT and we were just starting the WOT stage of tuning. So the map he sent me was a low boost map with WGDC charts set to zero. This means I should be boosting at 14psi MAX. I ran a few logs and he noticed I was hitting 29psi. I first checked my vacuum lines from my 3-port initially thinking it failed, still hit 29psi. I tried connecting a vacuum line from the high pressure boost source to the WGA thinking it failed, still hit 29psi. I just tried loosening my WGA arm (4 turns) thinking it was too tight, still hit 29psi. Then we started to wonder if it was an issue with the downpipe.

When I went to inspect the WGA arm for the second time I noticed that the knob that it connects to (see pic) which allows the wastegate to open and close was not moving at all. It should move freely with no effort. I then saw that it was being blocked by the gasket ETS sent with their O2-Dump DP. The gasket was extending out way too far from the DP flange and was preventing the wastegate from opening which was causing me to hit 29psi with a low boost map.

What I ended up doing was cutting the gasket and bending it down so it would clear. Now boost levels are back to normal.

I have now discovered that this IS A MANUFACTURING ISSUE. If you have an ETS DP please check to make sure this same issue hasn't happened to you. Having a blocked WG is a very easy way to blow your engine.

Big thanks to Clipse3GT for helping me solve this problem!

Heres a pic of the gasket blocking the WG from opening (I already started cutting it a bit at the time of this pic, ignore that indent, but its still being blocked anyways)


Heres a pic of the gasket bent down to allow clearance (I know its kinda hard to see, the bent part comes to a point)


Heres a pic of the gasket. (more info on original post below)

 

Did you purchase your DP a while back?

I believe the newer gaskets that come with the ETS dp's are contoured to the shape of the flanges so it wont stick out like that.

 

Im sure Michael will be posting soon.

 

Just took off the downpipe this morning, it is indeed a manufacturing issue. You can see slightly on the pic where it extends out from the flange, look at the outline. Pretty much the whole way around. Updated first post as well.

Hopefully ETS will see this.

EDIT: theho1, bought DP in April 2011, updated on first post.

Heres a pic of the gasket and where I cut it.

 

Thanks for posting up the picture. We had a batch that were not machined properly a while back that escaped from the shop. We tried to contact the 4 customers that received them, but we were not sure exactly who got them. If my count is correct you and one other guy are the only one who made it to install. We are very sorry about this and if you need a new gasket let me know.

Thanks!

Michael

 

now thats what i call customer service!!!! ETS FTW!

 

I will send you out a new one. send me an email to sales@extremeturbosystems.com

This is what they should look like. Just snapped this picture.



Thanks,

Michael

 

Thanks but theres really no point in sending a new one since I've already modified this one to fit. The only thing I'm worried about is compression issues with my engine as I've been running this part since April, I understand that there probably isn't much you can do about it but it would've been nice if you could've tried harder to get ahold of me to let me know that the gasket was flawed.

Thanks for the response.

 

maybe a mod should change the title to "... gasket issue" not downpipe mfr'ing issue...

 

+1 definitely a gasket issue, not a dp issue. im positive Micheal will go out of his way to make it up to you, hes a pretty stand up guy

 

There's only so much one can do to contact a customer. ETS tried and wasn't able to. Do you have a boost gauge installed? I mean if you ran like this since april with no boost gauge......oops

 

No AFR's and Boost have been monitored since pretty much the day I bought the car. No problems there. I hit 29psi and fuel cut 3 times during my tune with Clipse3GT, other than that the highest boost I've ever hit was 29 right after I installed the DP without a tune, I just assumed overboost due to the split WG and Exhaust design, fortunately I only did that once and never went WOT until I got the car tuned. Surprised my previous tuner didn't even notice the issue.

I know but I've bought pretty much every single part ETS has to sell, you would think when they bring up my file they would see that they sold a downpipe to me in April, approximately the same time these prototype gaskets got released... Its just frustrating

First post updated...

 

The problem is we sold a ton of downpipes in April not just 5, we tried our best to contact the customers who might have received the prototype gaskets.

It's very important to make sure the car was logged, it's pretty unfortunate you had a previous "tuner" that didn't even know you were hitting 29 psi and fuel cut. I'm not sure how they would let a tune out the door like that.

What we do on each one of our tunes is log, log and log some more. It's very critical when tuning to make sure all parameters are correct. I feel a lot of this could have been resolved much earlier if you guys would have noticed the problem on the initial pull from the first tuner. Because if the first tuner couldn't get the car to go under 29psi you would pull of the newly installed parts and figure out what was going on.

Also I highly recommend having proper gauges in your car. A boost gauge should honestly be one of the first mod anyone puts in the car followed by an a/f gauge. If you plan on modifying it's best to be able to check your boost and a/f on the fly.

Michael

 

^ I understand, I will still probably call you guys early next week just to clarify what happened etc.

I honestly have no idea either, thats why I'm getting a retune with Clipse3GT instead of going back to my "local" tuner because he was garbage. I don't understand how he was able to tune my car when it wouldn't go below 28-29psi with WGDC's set to zero. However, I never heard it hit fuel cut when he was tuning it on the dyno.

Yeah I've monitored boost with the AP and I have a AFR gauge set up as well. There has been no problems with live data monitoring. Thats why when I initially installed the DP and hit 29psi I never went WOT again until I took it to my first tuner. I then assumed the there wasn't a problem because he never reported anything and told me he set my car for 28psi anyways. It was a garbage tune and the car only made 294whp, so I decided to get a retune with Clipse3GT where we eventually discovered the problem.