What the @$%#^*&k this Victory Performance FMIC kit stinks

[CBgst]

Ok were do I start. I got my car all apart and got the elbow on my turbo welded facing the drivers side and started putting the kit on and nothing fits. It's all in the general area of where it should be (I mean pipe wise) but this is in no way a bolt up kit. It's going to require some of the pipes to be cut and some holes to be drilled. When I called and asked about the elbow on the turbo he said to just weld it on facing the drivers side. Well I couldn't tell when the comp housing was off but if you just face it to the drivers side your intercooler piping will not connect because the exhaust housing is in the way. So it seems simple to just rotate the housing so the elbow clears right. Wrong if I do that I have to drill and tap new holes for the wastegate actuator. I also think that the elbow needs to be extended (closer to the ground)so that the pipe will line up with it. I don't know yet because the turbo is off. If my car wasn't apart I would send this sh!t back but by the time I put it back together( it's my daily driver) send the kit back and do it all over again with a different kit I could have had this one on so I'm stuck. This sucks I should have bought one the other kits people have already tried but hell someone has try first right. I'm seriously pissed because this was supposed to bolt up and now my car is gonna be down for at least 3 days. I'm also pretty sure that my turbos elbow will have to welded again. The kit is nice but it requires alot of work to make it fit. I'll stop crying now but if you ordered one thinking it bolts up cancel your order berfore they ship it. Later

 

[GunnerTSi]

You're hardly the first. That kit is on more than a couple cars around here, and as far as I know none had fitament problems. Scott wouldn't sell something that wasn't perfect he's one anal dude. I've never heard of a FMIC kit that didn't require some mild fab either. Cutting, grinding etc... There is some involved, but from what Scott has said, and from looking at his and Rich's cars I could see very little "hacking" aside from the front facsia.

 

[CBgst]

What kind of turbo is on that car. The main problem with mine is the turbo. I Expected some extra work but not all this. Once I get the thing finished I'll let you know all the changes I had to make. If I had a shop and knew how to weld aluminum it might not be so bad but like I said we'll see. All I can say for now is that preliminary fitment looks shabby. I also know I'm not the first to get one but I was refering to this board. If anyone here has one I haven't seen any post about it and I check the board daily. If anyone does have one please post your experience with the install. As of now I think the turbo needs be rewelded, the bracket that mounts it needs to be redrilled( I'm not sure on that yet), and a pipe needs 2-3 inches cut off of it leaving it with out a bead. I'm really tired and frustrated right now so I'm gonna sleep on it and try again in the morning. I may have something really jacked up causing these problems but I'll check and see tomarrow. Also some instruction a hand drawn illustration any thing would be nice to. I really hope I'm the problem and not the intercooler but I'll find out tomarrow

 

[TRBOTSI]

No offense, but it sounds like an operator error VP makes some of the best parts in the DSM world, I don't think their Intercoolers would be any different. It's a damn Front Mount buddy...of course you have to cut things!!!!

 

[jw]

Originally posted by CBgst
What kind of turbo is on that car. The main problem with mine is the turbo.

You have your answer right there. Before getting a FMIC, make sure know what kind of setup that FMIC is for. From your explaination, it seems VP FMIC is going the short route IC pipe which is useful for a 20G type setup where you can weld a 90 degree elbow going the driver side. Also on the IC, you have to enlarge two side *hole* beside the radiation to allow the inlet/outlet pipe to come in from both sides. This FMIC setup is the shortest pipe route you can get. If you have a 16G, you need to get a J-pipe or custom make your own pipe to jump across the exhaust manifold down to your lower IC pipe.
Anyway, check out the picture I have in the gallery on my Green with the short route pipe.

 

[larryd]

i still think you would have been better off with a silicone elbow becuase they are pretty large and flexible meaning the piping doesnt haev to be right on.

 

[CBgst]

Originally posted by TRBOTSI
No offense, but it sounds like an operator error VP makes some of the best parts in the DSM world, I don't think their Intercoolers would be any different. It's a damn Front Mount buddy...of course you have to cut things!!!!

I knew I was going to have to cut things. As far as operator error. Well yes it's possible(some instructions would have helped this). I don't claim to be smartest person in world but this seems pretty strait forward. Any way I took so pics today so I'll show ya'll what I'm talking about. Pics won't be up for a few days though.

You have your answer right there. Before getting a FMIC, make sure know what kind of setup that FMIC is for. From your explaination, it seems VP FMIC is going the short route IC pipe which is useful for a 20G type setup where you can weld a 90 degree elbow going the driver side. Also on the IC, you have to enlarge two side *hole* beside the radiation to allow the inlet/outlet pipe to come in from both sides. This FMIC setup is the shortest pipe route you can get.

Yes this is for 20g type setup with an elbow welded on it. I have almost every thing finished now anyway. The only thing I have left to do is work my problem with the turbo outlet being in the wrong spot. I would be finished but I couldn't find anyone to weld aluminum on a Sat. Yes this was my fault for not asking the right questions when I bought it. I knew this was a short route piping kit though. After all that's why I bought it. It's not that bad except for my turbo problem but I've got that figured out now I just have to wait until Mon. to have the turbo rewelded. It is a pain in the ass but it is worth it. I was just really pissed yesterday when I first looked at everthing. Yes I am moron but youhave to learn some way.

 

[larryd]

so you like it now then huh.. if you took the pics today why do i have to wait a few days to see them??

 

[CBgst]

Yes I like the kit. I would change a few things if I made it but all in all it's really nice. As for the pics my friend took them with his digital camera and he has to go home and put them on a disc for me. I might have them Sun. but if not then probably Mon. I'm also not much of a computer whiz so I might have to get someone to show me how to put them on here. Oh yea and one of the pipes was about 3-4 inches to long and had to be cut so it would fit. It could have been a mistake when they made it but everyone here seems to think I'm a jack ass and I don't know how to put the thing on so I got a pic of that to. I expected to cut on the car to make the kit fit. What I didn't expect was having to cut the pipes and the mounting bracket to make it fit. The pipe that connects to the turbo will also have to be cut but that's because this kit wasn't made for my turbo so that is not thier fault. All in all it is a good kit. Remeber when you see the pics that this core is the street core. It is the smallest one they have. Yes I like it. No I didn't like installing it. I finally got my front mount so what can I say.

 

[larryd]

Well Im not calling you an idiot, I think you just got frustrated when you titled this post yesterday

Seriously though there is no excuse for the pipe being to large other then maybe it was a one off and hopefully its not a reoccuring problem for all their kits. If it makes you feel any better when I bought my Apexi N1 downpipe to mate up to my N1 catback, the downpipe was about 6" to long. Everyone thought I was crazy but I had to have an exhaust shop cut off the 6" and reweld the flange back on to make it a true bolt up. So dont feel to bad, it happens to all of us on misc reputable parts.

 

[CBgst]

Yep I was frustrated when I titled this thread but oh well it happens. Hopefully I'll be finished with the install today but if not I definitly will be finished tomarrow. I think I may have figured out how to route the piping from the turbo with out having to get it welded again. If so it'll be done today. If not then tomarrow. I can't wait to drive the thing.

 

[GunnerTSi]

Both Scott's and Rich's cars have Mutt's. Scott has an ETA-12, and I think Rich has a ETE32.

 

[larryd]

couldnt have posted a link, now i gotta go searching for it