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Just a FYI update on this. Figure I would post here and not the larger DIY thread that has had recent action. That aside I ordered on 1/31/2026 and it arrived 2/4/2026. In all fairness, I think it could have gotten here sooner but UPS seemed to sit on the package for about a day once it was in thier possession with no progress but that could have been the snow storm that hit a big portion of the US. Below are few pics. After taking a close look at the fittings I saw a couple items of note. Not sure if they will be an issue but time will tell and I am withholding judgement until I get things installed which will unfortunately be a couple/few weeks out at best. I feel like its probably more likely these dings occurred during shipping not necessarily during machining.
[img alt="This is what came in the package.
"]https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbworld.org-vbulletin/1500x2000/e63_turbo_cool_line_kit_2e341e6fadfdde2ee85fb97ffe 3aff58b288899f.jpg[/img] This is what came in the package.
Small fitting zoomed out.
Small fitting zoomed in...notice the nick on the edge
Large fitting zoomed out...
Large fitting zoomed in...again a ding at edge of the fitting...
14 E63, 05 E55, 03 Evo 8, 08 F250, 06 R6R, 92 Talon TSI, and instability
That knick on the inlet doesn't look like something that would have occurred during shipping. If it was me, I'd contact the vendor to exchange that one out.
When you zoom in on the photo, the first O-ring doesn't appear to fit in the groove correctly either. It probably wouldn't leak, but the goal of this entire project is to improve the OE reliability.
Those look like cast and then machined. If billet, would see the tooling marks all over and would be unlikely to have all of those defects in the surface.
Mine arrived without any defects. Is the fit for the O-ring about the same? Yes.
She claims to be using oem o-rings.
Am I concerned? Not in the least bit. The issue for the OEM part is heat exhaustion in plastic parts. I feel this solution (however the aluminum is created) is far superior to the oem hard plastic and the rubber hoses we all agree are better than the hard OEM plastic. Extra value - if these leak, ,I will take them off, install a thicker o-ring and call it a day. Try doing that to the OEM parts.
I wasn't mentioning it as if it really matters. I just wouldn't list them as billet aluminum if they are in fact cast. It undermines credibility out the gate.
I wasn't mentioning it as if it really matters. I just wouldn't list them as billet aluminum if they are in fact cast. It undermines credibility out the gate.
Maybe it identifies as billet, who are we to judge? That said, after having replaced mine in to two of my cars - and "upgrading" to silicone lines for the turbo cooling systems - with OE mounting into the block...well, I am not so sure what these offer. The OE ones will last 60k or more miles (or untill someone touches them after about 55k. From there, pay more for something that will outlast the rest of the car? I have a hard time putting something into my engine block that can potentially corrode to the Al, damage the Al and on and on and on. With the OE, worst case is it gets brittle, breaks and you repace it (in my instance, melt it out with a soldering iron)....
the "Billet" replacement fittings technically don’t actually mount into the engine block, they mount into the water pump housing, right...not the block itself.
You have valid concern and to your point, if there were a failure mode tied to corrosion or bonding, then the service life of the fitting could effectively be tied to the service life of the water pump. In that scenario, you’re not really gaining much longevity versus original equipment, just shifting where the risk lives...and the perceived value may not match the real value.
I want to give Alice Ma (Sheer Performance) a big shout out for providing top notch customer service.
My above posting was seen and Alice actually reached out to me directly offering either a partial refund or a full replacement. I for one find it refreshing when a vendor proactively reaches out like that rather than waiting for a complaint to escalate. I ended up going with the replacement option just for peace of mind, and the new part arrived quickly and looks great.
Really appreciate the support and the way this was handled. Thought it was worth sharing since good vendors in this space deserve the recognition.
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