OEM turbo exhaust gasket >> not cheap ones!

About what to look for in the differences from OEM style and other cheap sources.
Had read on this forum about the warning buy OEM only, now I know why and or what to look for in a replacement.
Wanted a cheap 3' no cat downpipe (amazon $140) with gasket and bolts. That lead to the following.
Amazon $12 kit>> RockAuto >>

Cheap downpipe supplied>> the lineup>>
The story...Installed downpipe was very unhappy with the Drone. Known sound effect from forum but can't tell unless I heard it myself, I have large hearing loss. Also wanted to see boost difference. Lots of issues with... all the things a KO4 and no cat downpipe cause. So since a fellow forum member gave me a great deal thanks

Orangatang >>for supplying the ****Ultimate Resonator****on members parts<<

Resonator and factory downpipe went back on...Nice sounds again.

First off here is the turbo outlet surface after cheap downpipe & supplied cheap fiber gasket removal
Notice some blowout around flapper, and right one the ghost clean surface of the metal gasket that was on this before I started. Was unknown type from PO, so as we will see a cheap one one. Here is a comparison of gaskets>> cheap fiber one
View of turbo mating side see the impending blow out at flapper. Masking of port too.This is with only 1 hour of engine running pulls too.
line up of the cheap fiber to the amazon kit (metal gasket under) lower left corner is important
misalignment.
So looking back at turbo flange face see the contact patches of the generic cheap metal (amazon same)
portions of the flange face are exposed, or not even following the inside port shape!!
Bottom cheap amazon top Rockauto kit correct face shape.
Reverse.. side still bottom as I found originally cheap wrong shape top correct Rockauto shape.


Here is looking at OEM downpipe flange towards turbo side. Important to see misalignment of port shape, and even cutoff of portions of port. Oppose view think about flapper area masked by the cheap amazon metal gasket. This is how I verified the original was same as the amazon cheap shape..
Correct shape see the whole compression raised surface contacting flange for proper compression seal, proper port shape and gasket not exposed to exhaust.
Wrong cheap one, areas exposed, wrong shape too>>

Thank You to all previous posters cautions on using a cheap gasket. OEM is expensive, but depending on supplier can find a OEM correct shape.

A caution on the RockAuto kit, the studs will work fine. The Copper coated stud nuts are one-use. A rework of the nut is done after thread cut, a compression of two nut faces makes the nut oval shape. So use but you will be removing stud since won't let go of stud. Also a pain because nut size larger than oem. I use it on the most exposed stud and small oem nuts on hard to reach upper studs.

 

I've copper coated oem and reused a number of times. Ya Im cheap but has worked fine for me and would do before using AM.
Appreciate how you took time to make this thread.
RA used to have so many parts wrong (for ms6 back in 200X) but have gotten much better.
However clearly just like AZ/AA lists gaskets that fit but dont...these DP gaskets have to be OEM.