Like the title says guys, PLEASE PLEASE i need your honest opinion or even better: an educated decision.....
i have almost everything ready to install when i hear about a great deal on a big 16g turbo.

which do you think is:

overall better?
more dependable?
spools quicker?
better topend/midrange?
and is overall best for my 2.5L running on piss poor 91oct?

please guys, i need opinions asap.
TIA
-Vlad

18g ftw. or VF22

c'mon man, im comparing 16g 7cm vs vf34 .......NOT any others....ive been searching for like 3 hours for a good educated answer or opinion but everyone is on the 18g bandwagon...i know its better and hella nice, but i only have money/opportunity to get one of these two, and 18g isnt an option...now that we have that out of the way, which one? :)

i heard that 16g spools very good similar to vf34 and most importantly: holds boost better at high rpm netting better topend...is this true?
also that it flows more and is rebuildable? doesnt that make it better?
im really curious which one would get me better performance numbers on ****ty 91oct fuel.....im a big fan of topend, so if it holds boost better up top thats a big plus....any ideas?

i had a big 16g on my 1 gen talon and it spool very well. my next upgrade for my wrx is big 16g.

nice nice....
anyone know how it compares to vf34?
im 50/50 split between ppl saying vf34 nets same number for cheaper, and people saying 16g nets bigger numbers and holds boost much better in high rpm
which would gain more power?

for a 2.5l go with at least a 18g and 700cc injectors

Is this for your 05 or 07 wrx?

common turbo on the 2.0L is a vf34. Very good IMO on the 2.0L. But if its for your 2.5L wrx, then Dont go with any, go with 18G atleast

if ur a 2.0l(whichur not) go for vf34

if ur a 2.5l, go for 16g. but i'd suggest you to go 18g or vf22.

:D

VF22 or 20G for a 2.5.
VF30 for a 2.0.

Why pay hundreds more for a 34?

well i got a great deal on a vf34, and also found an awesome deal on a 16g, basically 100 bucks more...this is for my 2.5L, and i know 18g/vf22/etc would be better but these two are all i have to work with at the moment, and for quite some time actually.

oh and thanx for your guy's replies...

Great buy does not equal great performance.

I second that
If your car is still running and the stock turbo is not broken, chug that thing aroung for a few more months and save for the turbo you really want
don't settle on a "great deal" and regret later
my 2cents

ok, so the deal on the 16g fell though, wich is just as well because i wasnt very comfortable buying it after hearing that it wouldnt provide significantly more performance for the price difference over the vf34....
so for now my plans to run the vf34 are still a go, (since i got a great deal on one) and just like you guys said ill be driving around with this setup till i can get something larger/more suitable for my engine like the 18g....
btw, how do the vf22 and 18g compare?
i know both flow more than the 16g/vf34, but are they similar like the other two as well?
im curious..

Hope this helps.....

Turbo Type ----------- Approx flow @ pressure
02-04 Stock Turbo ---------- 360 CFM at 14.7 PSI
IHI VF 25 ------------- 370 CFM at 14.7 PSI
IHI VF 26 ------------- 390 CFM at 14.7 PSI
T3 60 trim ------------ 400 CFM at 14.7 PSI
IHI VF 27 ------------- 400 CFM at 14.7 PSI
IHI VF 24/28/29 ------ 410 CFM at 14.7 PSI
IHI VF-30/34 --------- 435 CFM at 14.7 PSI
SR 30 ----------------- 435 CFM at 14.7 PSI
IHI VF-22 ------------- 440 CFM at 14.7 PSI
T04E 40 trim --------- 460 CFM at 14.7 PSI
PE1818 --------------- 490 CFM at 14.7 PSI
Small 16G ------------ 505 CFM at 14.7 PSI
ION Spec (stg 0) ---- 525 CFM at 14.7 PSI
Large 16G ----------- 550 CFM at 14.7 PSI
SR 40 ----------------- 595 CFM at 14.7 PSI
18G ------------------- 600 CFM at 14.7 PSI
PE 1820 -------------- 630 CFM at 14.7 PSI
20G ------------------ 650 CFM at 14.7 PSI
SR 50 ---------------- 710 CFM at 14.7 PSI
GT-30 ---------------- 725 CFM at 14.7 PSI
60-1 ----------------- 725 CFM at 14.7 PSI
GT-35R -------------- 820 CFM at 14.7 PSI
T72 ------------------ 920 CFM at 14.7 PSI

it sure does, thanx man

what about the evo3 16G it does have a slightly higher cfm than the big 16g.

One thing to note here is that the rated cfm does not directly dictate the performance you will actually be able to achieve in your particular application.
This cfm rating of the particular compressors used in these hybrid turbos is not enough information to judge the real world performance and power levels that the turbo as a whole can provide.

Also remember that the fuel octane used has a lot to do with how much you can safely get out of some of the larger turbos. Most of the "g" series turbos tend to hit their sweet spots at significantly higher boost levels.

To the OP, my personal preference for upgrading 2.5l WRX's are the VF series turbos for most street driven cars. They tend to make great power with unmatched response at moderate boost levels and still have some good kick left for higher boost and octane. Reliability on the VF turbos is great and although some models are supposedly not rebuildable, they don't tend to fail nearly as much as the hybrid mitsu based turbos. It usually takes one of the bigger 16g or 18g turbos to make the same power as a VF3x on pump gas, but the VF will out spool both.

Thanks

One thing to note here is that the rated cfm does not directly dictate the performance you will actually be able to achieve in your particular application.
This cfm rating of the particular compressors used in these hybrid turbos is not enough information to judge the real world performance and power levels that the turbo as a whole can provide.

Also remember that the fuel octane used has a lot to do with how much you can safely get out of some of the larger turbos. Most of the "g" series turbos tend to hit their sweet spots at significantly higher boost levels.

To the OP, my personal preference for upgrading 2.5l WRX's are the VF series turbos for most street driven cars. They tend to make great power with unmatched response at moderate boost levels and still have some good kick left for higher boost and octane. Reliability on the VF turbos is great and although some models are supposedly not rebuildable, they don't tend to fail nearly as much as the hybrid mitsu based turbos. It usually takes one of the bigger 16g or 18g turbos to make the same power as a VF3x on pump gas, but the VF will out spool both.

Thanks

thats some great f'in info. what about the good ol 2.0 =)

well if you can get a good deal for it, why not just buy it and resell it for the normal price it goes for. the vf34 is a pretty popular turbo upgrade, so i can't imagine it being hard for you to get rid of it. just my $.02

thats some great f'in info. what about the good ol 2.0 =)

For the 2.0 on 91 Octane there is absolutely no reason to go with anything but a VF34/39 IMO. If you're running on race gas or meth injection and are all about the top end power, you can get some decent results with a td05-20g.

Thanks

One thing to note here is that the rated cfm does not directly dictate the performance you will actually be able to achieve in your particular application.
This cfm rating of the particular compressors used in these hybrid turbos is not enough information to judge the real world performance and power levels that the turbo as a whole can provide.

Also remember that the fuel octane used has a lot to do with how much you can safely get out of some of the larger turbos. Most of the "g" series turbos tend to hit their sweet spots at significantly higher boost levels.

To the OP, my personal preference for upgrading 2.5l WRX's are the VF series turbos for most street driven cars. They tend to make great power with unmatched response at moderate boost levels and still have some good kick left for higher boost and octane. Reliability on the VF turbos is great and although some models are supposedly not rebuildable, they don't tend to fail nearly as much as the hybrid mitsu based turbos. It usually takes one of the bigger 16g or 18g turbos to make the same power as a VF3x on pump gas, but the VF will out spool both.

Thanks

this is by far the smartest/most informative/best post of the whole thread. i aprecieate it tremendously man, and i think you just helped me make my decision....i have both lying around in my garage right now (vf34 and an evo3 big 16g) and looks like the 16g will be going up for sale as it has more mileage and costs more (what i paid for it as opposed to the vf34) and will not be able to provide a significant power increase over the 34 that would justify the higher cost. once again, thanx again everybody and most of all ED:thumb:

this is by far the smartest/most informative/best post of the whole thread. i aprecieate it tremendously man, and i think you just helped me make my decision....i have both lying around in my garage right now (vf34 and an evo3 big 16g) and looks like the 16g will be going up for sale as it has more mileage and costs more (what i paid for it as opposed to the vf34) and will not be able to provide a significant power increase over the 34 that would justify the higher cost. once again, thanx again everybody and most of all ED:thumb:

No problem man. I've been trying to explain this to people for god knows how long. I think you'll really enjoy the VF34.

Thanks

No problem man. I've been trying to explain this to people for god knows how long. I think you'll really enjoy the VF34.

Thanks

Not to rain on this parade, but before anyone jumps on a used VF34/39, can you explain the huge frequency of cracked turbos that show up on eBay? At some times there are two or three cracked VF-series turbos for sale at a time! I watch these auctions constantly, and right now there are four VFs on eBay and it looks like three of them have cracks around the wastegate -- one of them with a claimed mileage of only 8,000 miles. What causes this cracking? Is it, as the auctions claim, only superficial and doesn't effect boost levels or longevity?

Examples:

Cracked VF39 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/IHI-VF39-WRX-STI-TURBO-VF-39-VF-39-BOLT-ON_W0QQitemZ290162917346QQihZ019QQcategoryZ33742QQ ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

Another cracked turbo (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SUBARU-TURBO-STI-WRX-VF39-VF-39_W0QQitemZ150164146377QQihZ005QQcategoryZ33742QQ ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

Dude...so many 39's have cracks its not even funny. Its a community accepted truth. And how are you raining on his parade? Unless I missed the fact that the 34 he got has a crack in it...I don't see the problem?

the 34 i have does not have a crack in it, and as far as i know the 34's are not known to crack like the 39's...something different about their hotside...correct me if im wrong.....ive only heard of 2 cracked 34's for the whole time i have been researching these turbo's as opposed to 1 out of 4 of the 39's being cracked....

It puts a little dent in the idea that the IHI turbos are bulletproof, does it not? I'm just wondering why it happens; that seems like an odd fail point to me. I also don't see why the VF34 has become a turbo more expensive than even the APS SR series. $1,100? I could go through three 16gs and still not hit that.

It puts a little dent in the idea that the IHI turbos are bulletproof, does it not? I'm just wondering why it happens; that seems like an odd fail point to me. I also don't see why the VF34 has become a turbo more expensive than even the APS SR series. $1,100? I could go through three 16gs and still not hit that.

VF39's do tend to crack on the hotside, that's for sure. While this is far less than ideal, it really has no effect on performance at all. VF30, 34, 22, and 43 turbos have a different hot side that seems to almost never have cracking issues and are very reliable.

As far as pricing, the 34 is certainly the most expensive out of the bunch but you can still find deals on them for around $850-950 if you look hard. You can get VF30's and VF22's significantly cheaper because of the less advanced bearing system. In terms of performance and reliability they're very similar.

Now as far as going through three 16g's, factor in labor for the swaps, time wasted on swapping the turbo's, other potential failures due to oil starvation, etc, and you'll quickly see that its much more advantageous to have one very reliable turbo rather than a turbo you expect to rebuild or swap on a regular basis ;).

Thanks

It puts a little dent in the idea that the IHI turbos are bulletproof, does it not? I'm just wondering why it happens; that seems like an odd fail point to me. I also don't see why the VF34 has become a turbo more expensive than even the APS SR series. $1,100? I could go through three 16gs and still not hit that.

You shouldn't have to go through 3 16g's ;).

And to the op, I run a vf-34 and have had no issues with it whatsoever thus far. It yields great power, and I got it for like 850 from gruppe-s. <3 it. Fast, strong power. :peace: VF-34 for president! He'll end the war! Solve world hunger! House the homeless! :peace:

Hmmm.... Well, seems convincing enough. One good thing about the cracks on the VF39s is that people seem to freak out about them and dump the things on eBay for $300.00 :thumb:

You're really certain the crack is no big deal? How much boost would it hold before the crack becomes a fail (assuming a stock wastegate spring and no hotside mods [external wastegate])? What about ceramic coatings, which trap more heat in the hotside?

Hmmm.... Well, seems convincing enough. One good thing about the cracks on the VF39s is that people seem to freak out about them and dump the things on eBay for $300.00 :thumb:

You're really certain the crack is no big deal? How much boost would it hold before the crack becomes a fail (assuming a stock wastegate spring and no hotside mods [external wastegate])? What about ceramic coatings, which trap more heat in the hotside?

I've seen VF39's pushing 25psi+ on race gas with no issues for a long long time. When the owners take them off, there are significant cracks in the housing, but again, the turbo ran great the entire time without a single sign of failure or power degradation.

I can't really speak for ceramic coatings but I doubt it would really change things significantly.

Thanks

EQ tuning out of all the vf series turbo's your saying the vf-34 would be these best for a 2.5l wrx?

And what do you know about the vf-43's? I know there upgraded waste gate holds off boost creep. Wouldn't that be better for somebody looking to tune their car more aggressivly?

EQ tuning out of all the vf series turbo's your saying the vf-34 would be these best for a 2.5l wrx?

And what do you know about the vf-43's? I know there upgraded waste gate holds off boost creep. Wouldn't that be better for somebody looking to tune their car more aggressivly?


The VF34, VF22, and VF43 are all great on the 2.5's. I have a VF43 on my own car. The power difference between these is insignificant and I have never seen any of them creep with a good downpipe.

Thanks

The VF34, VF22, and VF43 are all great on the 2.5's. I have a VF43 on my own car. The power difference between these is insignificant and I have never seen any of them creep with a good downpipe.

Thanks

Which downpipes would be good for these turbos?

Which downpipes would be good for these turbos?

hands down top two are cobb downpipe and invidia downpipes

Which downpipes would be good for these turbos?

Best performance without care for money, something with a divorced wastegate like Crucial, MadDad, Perrin, etc. Best bang for the buck, Helix, Invidia, Titek, etc.

hey Ed, How much power did u make with your vf-34? What mods do u have to go with it?

you think a vf-39 for 200 with a hairline crack is a good deal?

Very good deal!

wow, this thread sure got a whole lot of attention all of a sudden. guess im not the only one interested in the question at hand:)
im glad those of you running vf34's in here are happy with the results, its good to know i made the right decision.
here's a question: my dad's a proffesional welder, couldnt the crack in a vf39 be welded? i mean, that would solve it right? if someone was to pick up a 39 for a great deal, and for another 50 bucks get it welded and for another, say, 100 get it ported......then you've got yourself a great turbo for under 400 bucks right?

VF22 or 20G for a 2.5.
VF30 for a 2.0.

Why pay hundreds more for a 34?

Great buy does not equal great performance.


:lol: i like this guy


and the VF34 sucks because you cant rebuild it

Hope this helps.....

Turbo Type ----------- Approx flow @ pressure
02-04 Stock Turbo ---------- 360 CFM at 14.7 PSI
IHI VF 25 ------------- 370 CFM at 14.7 PSI
IHI VF 26 ------------- 390 CFM at 14.7 PSI
T3 60 trim ------------ 400 CFM at 14.7 PSI
IHI VF 27 ------------- 400 CFM at 14.7 PSI
IHI VF 24/28/29 ------ 410 CFM at 14.7 PSI
IHI VF-30/34 --------- 435 CFM at 14.7 PSI
SR 30 ----------------- 435 CFM at 14.7 PSI
IHI VF-22 ------------- 440 CFM at 14.7 PSI
T04E 40 trim --------- 460 CFM at 14.7 PSI
PE1818 --------------- 490 CFM at 14.7 PSI
Small 16G ------------ 505 CFM at 14.7 PSI
ION Spec (stg 0) ---- 525 CFM at 14.7 PSI
Large 16G ----------- 550 CFM at 14.7 PSI
SR 40 ----------------- 595 CFM at 14.7 PSI
18G ------------------- 600 CFM at 14.7 PSI
PE 1820 -------------- 630 CFM at 14.7 PSI
20G ------------------ 650 CFM at 14.7 PSI
SR 50 ---------------- 710 CFM at 14.7 PSI
GT-30 ---------------- 725 CFM at 14.7 PSI
60-1 ----------------- 725 CFM at 14.7 PSI
GT-35R -------------- 820 CFM at 14.7 PSI
T72 ------------------ 920 CFM at 14.7 PSI
wow tahts awsome