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IS38 Upgrade Question

SaucyMuffin

Go Kart Newbie
Hello all,

Was looking at a possible IS38 upgrade from my current EQT Stage 2 setup and was wondering what seasoned veterans think of my presented options. First, I have no access to e85, wish I did, but I don't, and I'm not looking for a balls to the wall upgrade. I'd love a Vortex, but $2,200 is not something I want to spend at this point. I was looking at the basic IHI IS38 with installation pieces, with custom 93 octane EQT ProTune and installation quote of $500-600, I forget which. My other option is the $1,399 HPA IS38 OEM+. Because the IHI is roughly $1,000, I was looking at using the difference, if going that route, for the Autotech HPFP internals. I want something a little more punchy than what I currently have without breaking the bank. Car is well sorted as we speak, I love it, but a little extra juice would be welcome. Will the HPFP upgrade be worth it in my case or should I just stick to the basics? I'm wondering if the extra $400 is worth it for the HPA, for instance reliability and long-term usage as I already have 56,000 miles and will drive this car until I no longer can.

Thank-you
 

jimlloyd40

Autocross Champion
Location
Phoenix
Car(s)
2018 SE DSG
Hello all,

Was looking at a possible IS38 upgrade from my current EQT Stage 2 setup and was wondering what seasoned veterans think of my presented options. First, I have no access to e85, wish I did, but I don't, and I'm not looking for a balls to the wall upgrade. I'd love a Vortex, but $2,200 is not something I want to spend at this point. I was looking at the basic IHI IS38 with installation pieces, with custom 93 octane EQT ProTune and installation quote of $500-600, I forget which. My other option is the $1,399 HPA IS38 OEM+. Because the IHI is roughly $1,000, I was looking at using the difference, if going that route, for the Autotech HPFP internals. I want something a little more punchy than what I currently have without breaking the bank. Car is well sorted as we speak, I love it, but a little extra juice would be welcome. Will the HPFP upgrade be worth it in my case or should I just stick to the basics? I'm wondering if the extra $400 is worth it for the HPA, for instance reliability and long-term usage as I already have 56,000 miles and will drive this car until I no longer can.

Thank-you
If you're going to get an IS38 I would just get the FCP Euro one for the lifetime warranty and the last time I checked it was under $1000. You wouldn't have to get the HPFP if you're not going to use ethanol.
 

Keehs360

Autocross Champion
Location
Denver
Car(s)
Mk7.5
If you're going to get an IS38 I would just get the FCP Euro one for the lifetime warranty and the last time I checked it was under $1000. You wouldn't have to get the HPFP if you're not going to use ethanol.
No way. I disagree, politely. I’d go with the built oem+ variant.
 

Ridebjj

Autocross Champion
Location
lasVegas
Is it worth doing if no e85? I just faced the same situation and being able to take advantage of an e48 tune was the thing that got me to pull the trigger. It was $16xx for turbski, hpfp and one 91 Oct and one e48 tune (with one revision of each).

I'm not sure I'd have made the jump from Is20 stage 2 if no corn.
 

NBMK7GTI

Go Kart Newbie
Nothing wrong with jumping to an is38 on strictly pump gas. If you stay on only pump, you don’t need a hpfp. As much as the fcp deal sounds good, I’d rather not have a turbo that may or may not be a ticking time bomb. That’s cool there’s a warranty but you’ll still have to pay someone for install or do it yourself and pray that cold side pieces didn’t make their way into the motor. Cry once, buy once imo.
 

Keehs360

Autocross Champion
Location
Denver
Car(s)
Mk7.5
Nothing wrong with jumping to an is38 on strictly pump gas. If you stay on only pump, you don’t need a hpfp. As much as the fcp deal sounds good, I’d rather not have a turbo that may or may not be a ticking time bomb. That’s cool there’s a warranty but you’ll still have to pay someone for install or do it yourself and pray that cold side pieces didn’t make their way into the motor. Cry once, buy once imo.
My thoughts exactly. Get a stronger oem+ and you’ll be in a better spot
 

Keehs360

Autocross Champion
Location
Denver
Car(s)
Mk7.5
I would just go with a hybrid and skip the OEM or OEM+ IS38. My first IS38 lasted one week and the second one lasted about 8 months. My TPC20 is getting close to a year old now with close to 45,000 miles.
Noted. Do you think you would’ve had better luck with an oem+ is38?
 

jimlloyd40

Autocross Champion
Location
Phoenix
Car(s)
2018 SE DSG
Noted. Do you think you would’ve had better luck with an oem+ is38?
The first one was but I would rather not mention the builder but it's a highly regarded builder. It was refunded though but I still had to pay for labor again.
 

bluekid99

Drag Race Newbie
Location
Pennsylvania
i ran an oem is38 on apr on pump for about a year and not a single issue...i only swapped out because i got a banging deal on a dbv2 turbo so i went that route for more power
 

StorableComa

Autocross Champion
Location
SoCal, USA
Car(s)
17 GSW S FWD
For what it's worth, IHI is OEM without the branding - Hence why it's listed as OE quality on FCP's site. The newer revision 38s haven't had issues that I've seen reported, and FCP warranties it for life. If you ever have an issue you're only out the cost of shipping the old part back to them.

OEM+ was something a lot of people did a couple years back when 38s and 20s had a habit of going with the early versions. If you're not looking for hybrid performance I'd go IHI 38 from FCP Euro. Plenty of people still pick up used newer revision IS20s and 38s with 20-40k on the clock and install them with no issue. Unless you're going hybrid, I don't think I've run into anyone that picked up a IS20 new. :unsure: They've all been takeoffs - granted just a new IS20 (Turbo only, no full kit like the 38) from FCP is like 1300 bucks so why not go IS38 kit at that point? :ROFLMAO:

Edit: FCP "OE" definition:

OE​

This is the original part used by the vehicle manufacturer on the car when it left the factory and FCP recommends OE replacement as one of the best options for quality and price. The vehicle manufacturers (BMW, Volvo, etc.) do not manufacture many products themselves but rather they contract their Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM’s) to do so. The products that we list as OE are guaranteed to be the exact same part that was on your car when it left the assembly line. In some cases, they are even better quality than what is currently available in Genuine because over time some Genuine contracts get changed to save money. All of these parts will be stamped with the OEM’s brand name such as Bosch, Hella, or Lemforder but due to contractual agreements, the vehicle manufacturer’s logo cannot be on the product and may be removed from the part.
 
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Clem604

Autocross Champion
Location
Vancouver BC, Canada
Car(s)
2018 VW GTI
I'm running @projectTVMK7 's old HPA IS38+ that he ran for 20,000 miles and now I've put another 8000 miles on it. Too early to tell about reliability but I have no issues to report of so far. If the + versions can provide the reliability that they state in their marketing then I'm happier doing that then potentially blowing up an IHI/OEM IS38 turbo that has to be uninstalled, shipped, re-installed. Especially true if you're like me and need to have a shop do the install.
 
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