Initial feedback on purple powerflex insert.
Slick shifts as always with these inserts, feels about the same as the 034 insert, wheel hop again impossible in dry, it's not been wet for YONKS so that remains to be seen, feels as tight as the 034 which is nice, tougher to install, needed a bit of elbow grease almost literally, thankfull, provided with product.
So that's the good parts, now onto the preferential differences or in my eyes, the more negative parts for me personally.
The idle vibration is considerable, for seemingly no real benefit, it does not need to vibrate like it is and i have no idea why, the insert is flush and fits like a glove, but the idle vibration seems to be too noticable after about a week.
AC vibration is ridiculous, turn on "rattle mode" it may as well be lol! The 034 did none of this, on or off or idle no NVH at all, so again i find this odd.
Another down side, which surprised me considering the apparent higher harshness as compared to the 034 insert is the engine note is NOT any louder, which is a real let down for me as with the added NVH (like i originally had with WRONG 034 insert, which made the engine sound kick ass) i thought it would be as loud if not louder than my correct version 2 034 insert i've been running for 2 weeks up to this insert. If anything...now i don't know how this is possible, but it actually sounds QUIETER on hard throttle compared to no insert at all which is...mindboggling. I should add no NVH when you are on the go, perfectly fine >900 rpm.
So overall, we have a softer (harsher?) insert over the 034, which has terrible AC on NVH, mildly annoying idle NVH, moderately annoying reverse NVH, with all the same to-the-floor improvements as the 034 insert, 0 wheel hop, sharper shifts, less slop in gears, but lacking in a louder engine note and the "tightness" that the 034 had.
Colour me surpised. I'll give it a full go though, i'll go the whole 2 weeks and see if it settles down but i miss the louder engine note, the tighter feel of gears and the settled idle. I know it's a track insert (but so is the 034 insert...so...wut?), but anything above 900rpm is perfect, no NVH and driving around normally is completely fine it's just a shame that for me, i was expecting more from it. May well go back to the 034 as apparently, i've learnt it's SUPPOSED to bend and form a "mold" to the mount to accomodate the OEM unit as 034 recently explained in an email to me when i forwarded my concerns which actually makes sense.
They even said "if it's not formed it's mold we'd be concerned" lol so i guess that's us told, it's supposed to bend, interesting, never known anything like it but when it's supposed to accomodate a large amount of car variations, workable grade 6061 alloy which they say they use for the inserts, actually makes sense...I sound like a 034 advertiser now lol.
Sorry for wall of text.
TL;DR will keep going for another week with the purple powerflex, but may well return to more satisfying, tighter 034 insert after comparison.