Lets talk Ebay FMIC. Especially if you have one.

[chicagoavenger]

I have read a couple of threads on ebay intercoolers but just wondering which ones out there that are actually good? Allot of them have something that goes like this

"Good for up to 500bhp(I have seen from 350-600). all our intercooler has been tested to withstand more then 80psi pressure and it has very small pressure drop across the end tanks, at 15psi inlet the out let has 14.8psi that means it has only 0.2 psi pressure drop ,compare to many other intercoolers it is an excellent figure (some intercooler has 1-2psi pressure drop) also at the same condition, the temperature has drop from 120 degree to 28 degree ( and it is an excellent figure for efficiency"

Is the above statement just a bunch of bs or true? Has anyone tried the Megan racing FMIC? I think it's crazy to spend 700+ on a core and piping. I really don't care about name brands I just want it to work. Kinda like a Dave Brode part or Megan Racing or Johnny Racecar FMIC all cheap but effective with great quality. Here are just a couple of FMIC I'm talking about that look good but do they perform and will they last? Please chime in if you have a ebay FMIC or had one especially if it worked or did not work well for you. thanks

Megan FMIC

No name brand but has the standard psi and efficiency spill

Street Imports FMIC

XOXO Core but has good feedback on the core

 

[BoBbOrAzE]

Thanks everyone for suggesting ways to make it fit with the power steering lines. That worm clamp is a great idea, I ended up just using a couple zipties and thanks raph for the detailed drawing to give me another idea and help me out. It also now seems part of the licp seems to be really close to the hard oil filter tube? Not sure if thats all good.

Either way my last question is to those who used the t25: Without the use of slim fans, most of you routed the licp underneath the large frame support correct?

oh and this is the longest thread ive ever seen, http://dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38632&highlight=dsm%2A

 

[No_Skillz]

Are you refering to Mike's (No_skillz) install? I don't know what happened since I haven't spoken to either of them (bruce or mike) about it, but my FMIC install from start to finish was less than 3 hours. Of course it also helps that I prepared for the lack of supplies that XS seems to enjoy doing.

3 Hours? Wow I must really be n00b. It took me 2 freaking days and it was HOT out.

 

[GSTeclipse]

ok well was going to go to the dyno untill someone wanted to buy my old FMIC so I started putting on this X's FMIC Kit and I need to know something from the guy's using 16g , big 16g or evo 16g's what did you guy's do to get from the J pipe to the intercooler pipe on the driver side .....Now I have a idea in my head but I wanted to see other's work before I break out the Saw and start hacking up the J pipe ! If you guy's could post a Picture to help me better undestand that would be great thanks ...........

 

[ryno]

I just bought a FMIC jpipe....but before i had money to buy one. I had used the stock lower IC pipe and flexed it from the origianl jpipe to the licp. It worked great and never leaked, it was just ugly and i didnt like thoght of having soft IC pipe anywhere in the setup. Ill try to get a pic up later.

 

[GSTeclipse]

Ah so someone sells a J pipe for Short Route Intercooler's such as these and I just did a check after you said you bought one ........SBR sells 1 and it is $80.00 but damn I don't feel like spending another $80.00 on this Turbo Set up so I am waiting to see if anyone else has done anything with the J pipe they get ............Thanks

 

[ryno]

like i said you can get tehm used for like 40$ Thats how i bought mine. I just saw one in the classifiedes like 2 days ago.

 

[cool_g_83]

Either way my last question is to those who used the t25: Without the use of slim fans, most of you routed the licp underneath the large frame support correct?

No slimline fans and I routed it above that frame support because if you go under, it seems _really_ close to the ground and might cause scraping. I went above the frame support, but to get it by the radiator I had to cut one of the 4 fan supports on the passenger side fan (bottom left one). I also had to make a custom pipe, but all in all it wasn't that hard.

 

[BoBbOrAzE]

Well I thought of trimming the fan shroud but even then it would have to be a realllly sharp bend to come back and mate with the turbo. I ended up fabbing something up and going underneath. It is pretty low and measures 3.5" off the ground but then again so does my entire catback and I havnt scraped that yet. So eh ill see what happens.

I cant test drive it yet though because it seems the welds on the pipe going into right side of the intercooler have a couple slight leaks. I have a welder but dont want to melt the aluminum so I guess im going to try jb weld.

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

wow thats awfully low.

I have the 90 degree pipe for sale if anybody needs an extra.

And wow, I can't believe people are still trying to find ways to bring this kit down. I thought we have all proved everybody wrong? You can recirculate the BOV with the stock return tube. Drilling 2 holes is no biggy. Hacking the front bumper is almost inevitible by dsm standards. 2 t-bolt clamps and silicone coupler is what $20? Resurfacing isn't such a big deal. this is probably the best fmic kit right now for the price you pay.

$295 shipped, maybe add $20 for missing coupler/clamps, but I hear the new kits aren't missing them anymore, still one hell of a deal for what you get. But if foglights and trimming the bumper is of so much importance, I understand, on why not go with the bigger core, and short route. But I wouldnt go out saying this kit is inferior to many of the brandname ones out right now.

 

[blcknspo0ln]

3 Hours? Wow I must really be n00b. It took me 2 freaking days and it was HOT out.

So where the pictures at, n00b?

 

[RiceKiller_TSi]

And wow, I can't believe people are still trying to find ways to bring this kit down. I thought we have all proved everybody wrong? You can recirculate the BOV with the stock return tube. Drilling 2 holes is no biggy. Hacking the front bumper is almost inevitible by dsm standards. 2 t-bolt clamps and silicone coupler is what $20? Resurfacing isn't such a big deal. this is probably the best fmic kit right now for the price you pay.

$295 shipped, maybe add $20 for missing coupler/clamps, but I hear the new kits aren't missing them anymore, still one hell of a deal for what you get. But if foglights and trimming the bumper is of so much importance, I understand, on why not go with the bigger core, and short route. But I wouldnt go out saying this kit is inferior to many of the brandname ones out right now.

For some, its not that the XS kit is garbage or anything, its just that for our tastes that core is stupid huge and more than enough for just street use. How many DSM's on this forum have huge intercoolers but are slow as heck on the streets or at the track? One of my neighbors runs low twelves on an fp green with an intercooler less than half the size of the XS cores and his crash beam and front bumper fascia is still intact. Not to mention his core doesn't get heat soaked in this rediculously hot southern heat. So for the price its a good deal... for some, but not all.

Intercooler cores are pretty cheap on ebay and routing some custom piping is the way I'm going. Yeah I might spend a little more but it'll be what I want in the end.

 

[Raph]

ummm no offese & all but:

1. you still have to do cutting......ala bumper support
2. you still have to drill holes to attach it
3. it's NOT short route
4. If you don't have hard UICP already you are stuck w/ shitty stock since it doesn't come with hard pipe
5. 95-96 fog lights still have to go
6. there is only one cut to be made to the core support w/ the XS kit.....which is the same cut you have to make with AGP fmic kit which XS copied....
7. "trusted vendor" huh? it's a ebay intercooler....

my buddy bought a dejon tool fmic kit for his spyder.. he said that i bpought junk..guess who had to bust out the sazall,who had to relocate,and guess whos intewrcooler looked funny hanging in there with the mounting tabs that dejon tool provided? ..he bought the dejon tool shoprt route kit.. for like 900$

 

[blcknspo0ln]

Why are people still disagreeing over all of this? IT IS AN EBAY CORE. Everything will require modifying and it should be painfully obvious that you have to do some modifications to make it fit. I don't understand why people think it's a straight bolt on affair? What true short route (like AGP's) doesn't require picking up a sawzall?

We are 47 pages into this discussion and there should be no more arguements. If you don't like it, don't buy it. If you already bought it and don't want to bother installing/hacking, sell it. Simple enough, no?

 

[nicknorth11]

Amen

 

[RiceKiller_TSi]

Well excuuuuuuuuuuuuse me!
I thought this thread was about eBay intercoolers (as in any of them) not just this XS/SSautochrome $295 group buy dealio. This is still an opinionated forum right? Truth be told there "are" other ebay intercoolers that are better imho. And since this is on topic I don't see what the problem is with people getting butt hurt. Not all minds think alike, not all people want what you want. Once I get my eBay intercooler installed I will post another alternative to the ginormous xs fmic.

 

[nicknorth11]

i don't know if you guys remember reading about the possiblity of painting the core black to make it more "sleeperish", but i was at the track the other day and an sti was running with a fmic that was painted black and he said it works great. it was sunny and about 90 degrees out and i felt it right after one of his runs. i skipped testing the pipes and went straight for the core. the hot side was obviously hot, the cold side was literally cold, not just as cool as ambient temps. so, for me, this erased all doubts of fmic's that are painted black working and working well. i hope this helps some people. i will eventually take mine back off and paint it rattle can style and post again.

 

[blcknspo0ln]

Use a thin layer of radiator paint, I did that with my old FMIC it cooled fine (until I heatsoaked it with my 50 trim )

RiceKillerTSi- I agree with you, but the point that I'm trying to make is that there pros and cons have been discussed already. There is more than enough knowledge and discussion in the past 47 pages then most care to read. That is why the same subject keeps being discussed over and over again. I suppose if all of the n00bs reading this thread would just read the WHOLE thread, they wouldn't have any more things to cry about.

 

[GinNBoost]

I don't think anyone on this Earth has the attention span to go through 50 pages, spanning over the course of almost a year, of discussion over Ebay FMICs. Hence why the thread is still going. And spare me the "Well I read each and every post!" BS.

 

[93WhiteLaser]

Alright, here's the pics I took while installing the fmic on a 1G. It took roughly 6+ hours with two people. Most of the time is figuring out what to do to get the kit on the car. I have the explanations as part of the image.

Tools needed though is definitely a hack saw, preferably an electric one with a few extra blades. Also a drill to drill guide holes for cutting the metal plates.

If there's anything unclear or more specific info needed, please ask. I'm sure I might forget something.

-Alvin

 

[93WhiteLaser]

adding one more detail.............

 

[RiceKiller_TSi]

Alright, here's the pics I took while installing the fmic on a 1G. It took roughly 6+ hours with two people. Most of the time is figuring out what to do to get the kit on the car. I have the explanations as part of the image.

Tools needed though is definitely a hack saw, preferably an electric one with a few extra blades. Also a drill to drill guide holes for cutting the metal plates.

If there's anything unclear or more specific info needed, please ask. I'm sure I might forget something.

-Alvin

VERY nice write up!

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

Nice write up for the 1G guys, you should submit it to the tech articles!

For those who were in my group of getting these xs kits, I mentioned that after I installed it my oil light would come on when I pressed the brakes very sudden or any aggressive braking. Well I had to change my alternator, so while I was down there I decided to see what was going on. Obviously it was one of the sensors grounding/touching with the lower IC pipe. I did not cut the pipe at all the first time, so it was really close to the sensor. I guess while braking, they would come close, perhaps even touch and ground thus the reason why the oil light would flicker when I would brake.

So I cut the lower ic pipe about 2", a lot more clearance, no more oil light. Dremel is your friend.

 

[MaNGiNa24]

I had that same issue when I had my i/c core mounted too high, above my stock top fog light bolts.

I then lowered it an inch or so and it ended up fitting perfectly. I did end up replacing that plug type sensor with a normal crimp on screw in fitting onto the oil pressure sensor just because I didn't want to risk shorting anything out though.

 

[danny_l_2005]

I just got my FMIC today. Ill tell you guys (5 speed) have alot easier than us (automatics). I had to send my stock trans oil cooler to where my SMIC was. Ended making fitments to the FMIC and changing my oil cooler to that location. It took me four hours . Im all bathed in ATF and power steering fluid.

 

[BoBbOrAzE]

Did I mention this intercooler kicks ass?