Testing out a set of TurboLabs Stage1+ Turbos

Suprzm3k

Specialist
Nov 7, 2016
70
11
0
AUSTIN, TX
Ride
135i N54
I wish I knew that before my warranty is paying $2100 to have them installed. I would have sent them out to be balanced.
 

Snelson3003

Sergeant
Nov 7, 2016
325
199
0
Denver
www.nelsonracingwheel.com
Ride
2010 BMW 135i
Antio: interesting in seeing an S1 Dyno with timing to actually hit 500whp on a 14T wheel with a TD03 lol. No meth or E85 isn't something I've seen... And I've been around for a very long time on this platform.

Please share. :)
 

Suprzm3k

Specialist
Nov 7, 2016
70
11
0
AUSTIN, TX
Ride
135i N54
My mods list will be:

Stage 1+ Turbo Labs Turbos
Precision Raceworks Inlets
CxRacing Big Tom FMIC
ER Chargepipe w/ Tial BOV
BMS OCC w/ RB PCV
VRSF Downpipes
Berk Race axle-back Exhaust
Stage 2 LPFP

Just need a clutch to hold it and Pro-Tune.
 

N54gasm

Sergeant
Feb 6, 2017
315
195
0
New Freedom
www.spoolnmotorsports.com
Ride
2008 BMW 135i
They don't balance them at all. . . The components are individually balanced and they bank on them being perfect every time (not the correct way at all). Everything comes component balanced, then you need to vsr balance the assembly.
 

Suprzm3k

Specialist
Nov 7, 2016
70
11
0
AUSTIN, TX
Ride
135i N54
They don't balance them at all. . . The components are individually balanced and they bank on them being perfect every time (not the correct way at all). Everything comes component balanced, then you need to vsr balance the assembly.

That's so much bullshit for the price. I have a shop that will balance the shaft assembly for $60 as set.
 

Rob@RBTurbo

Lieutenant
Dec 7, 2016
626
401
0
St. Louis, MO USA
www.rbturbo.com
Ride
'08 335i, '14 M6, '15 Tundra
Good talk on balancing here, there is a lot to be learned for many of us so will share a bit. Balancing is certainly not all created equal and it is most often done with subpar equipment. Of course the very nice equipment that actually works, perfectly every time, is simply very expensive. The VSR is a requirement, simply mandatory; and having your own is the only really way to ensure the job is getting is done correctly. We learned this the hard way and thus took delivery of our own VSR in 2014; and thereafter found it is a delicate procedure, in many ways an art form, that really requires much time to get to a level of perfection that can not be mechanically bested. This time taken comes at a premium when attempting to outsource the VSR function, meaning typically a VSR operator attempting to meet a timeline (aka production quota) is simply not going to take the time to achieve the best possible mechanical results.

Component balancing is still something that is under rated too, as most of the available (and "affordable") component balancers do not do the best job possible either. On that note late last year we finally dumped our old component balancer, a very standard unit that most in the industry utilize, and stepped up to the Schenck TB Comfort.

This Schenck component balancer is lightyears ahead of the other archaic equipment that most shops use, in some cases as their main balancer from component to entire assembly balancing. We've been there and done that and the results are very often mixed and certainly not consistently perfect. In fact perfection is more of a rarity and achieving a flatlined .1g dynamically across the rotor RPM operation range would be literally one in a million (without having the VSR). Achieving what is thought to be the acceptable limits (ie. less than 1.5g) is certainly achievable, but what is thought to be acceptable and what is perfect (ie. OEM-like) are two VERY wildly different things.

Anyway once you get the component balancing part down with component balancing equipment that actually works very well, yes, ABSOLUTELY VSR balance the entire assembly EVERY TIME. This is the ONLY way you can get a guaranteed perfectly functioning CHRA with true modern-day OEM dynamic balancing characteristics and it is proven via a dynamic vibration level printout.
 
Last edited:
Dec 14, 2016
40
28
0
They don't balance them at all. . . The components are individually balanced and they bank on them being perfect every time (not the correct way at all).

How do you know this? Or perhaps I should ask, do you know this? Because I'd be very surprised to learn a company that's gone to the trouble developing that rotating assembly isn't following standard practices for quality control.
 

Rob@RBTurbo

Lieutenant
Dec 7, 2016
626
401
0
St. Louis, MO USA
www.rbturbo.com
Ride
'08 335i, '14 M6, '15 Tundra
How do you know this? Or perhaps I should ask, do you know this? Because I'd be very surprised to learn a company that's gone to the trouble developing that rotating assembly isn't following standard practices for quality control.

"Standard practices"? That is just it... standard just isn't enough unless a hodgepodge around C level results are your goals. Refer to our last post if your more interested in how to achieve premium OEM-like A+ level results, certainly NOT "standard".
 

N54gasm

Sergeant
Feb 6, 2017
315
195
0
New Freedom
www.spoolnmotorsports.com
Ride
2008 BMW 135i
How do you know this? Or perhaps I should ask, do you know this? Because I'd be very surprised to learn a company that's gone to the trouble developing that rotating assembly isn't following standard practices for quality control.

They did not develop shit lol. And I know this because I use to associate with them. And yes "standard practices" is very vague.
 

Suprzm3k

Specialist
Nov 7, 2016
70
11
0
AUSTIN, TX
Ride
135i N54
Well after $2100 of labor cost paid by my shitty aftermarket warranty, I'm feeling i went the wrong route. I balance high performance LS crankshafts on a CWT multi balance 5500 on a daily basis. I understand the necessity to balance out 'pre-balance' components. I used to rebuild and upgrade 3000gt VR4 TD04 turbos and would send all my assemblies out to be balanced. I've seen out there Rob Becks name for about a decade.
 

terryd5150

Corporal
Mar 4, 2017
103
39
0
Ride
2008 E92 335i 2009 E90 335i
Currently on Mhd stage 2 93oct. Runs strong and spools fast. Just timid to push these too hard.

Its not too late to take them off and get them balanced.

I know it's a chore, but the long-term benefit (and peace of mind) would be worth it.
 

N54gasm

Sergeant
Feb 6, 2017
315
195
0
New Freedom
www.spoolnmotorsports.com
Ride
2008 BMW 135i
Yes, but id also worry about the components being used. If they cheap out on balancing, id imagine them cheaping out and going to cheap components that make up that chra assembly. . . But good luck sir lol
 
Nov 5, 2016
615
624
0
Bay Area
The components are individually balanced and they bank on them being perfect every time (not the correct way at all). Everything comes component balanced, then you need to vsr balance the assembly.
This is not correct. There is three distinct balancing processes. Manufacture balance, Each turbine, or compressor is balanced by the manufacture. Turbines always on both planes, compressors sometimes if there is not enough material on outside plane they only balance one plane, they will disclose this to you. Next it is the job of the company assembling the turbos to then assemble, and dynamic balance the rotating assembly as a unit (This is NOT the CHRA. This is simply the rotating assembly). THIS process is most important. Once that is done, the assembly is marked, (amoung other things) to ensure when the CHRA is assembled you keep the achieved dynamic balance. If this step is done properly the high speed will need very small corrections to get it down under .5G, or many times no corrections at all. DO NOT TAKE GRIND MARKS ON THE NUT AS INDICATOR OF HIGH SPEED OR NO HIGH SPEED. If the turbo is high speed balanced it should come with balance sheets, indicated RPM balanced too, and the highest amount of imbalance recorded, and at what RPM. Without these, you have no guarantee the assembly was high speed balanced. Many shops without expensive High speed equipment will use a cradle on the low speed machine, and grind on the nut. Its not the same, and does not produce the same results. The proper assembly of a turbocharger takes 3 critical balancing procedures, the smaller the turbo ala TD25's we find in the N54, the more important these procedures are, as the turbocharger see elevated shaft speeds.
 
  • Like
Reactions: terryd5150
Nov 5, 2016
615
624
0
Bay Area
Here is a screen grab of a high speed calibration sheet from this AM. That is WITHOUT touching the nut, as you can see max imbalance is .176636G at 69,730.6RPM. Its basically a flat line indicating no or slight imbalance to 180,00RPM where we test all our units too. The green line is the "standard" or what is acceptable for a passing grade. .7G up to 90,000RPM, then it jumps up to 1.5G at 100,000RPM. Basically this unit is almost 10 times below industry acceptable imbalance.

This is simply to show, grinds marks on the nut means nothing. A CHRA can be this close, and the nut not be touched if proper dynamic balancing is done prior to assembly.

IMG_3104.JPG