I'm not going to make this terribly long as there are a bunch of FIMC install how-to's on the site. This addresses specifically the idea of keeping the stock crach beam in place, albeit modified to accommodate the IC core. For posterity's sake, I installed a CXRacing 2g FMIC kit here.
I didn't want to lose the protection offered by the crash beam when installing this intercooler core, so I made a few choice cuts in the beam and was not only able to retain it, but use it to support the core itself. I left the beam and bumper 'mouth' stock size to begin with, but will probably cut the small ribbed portion out of the mouth and make a complementary cut in the beam as well, so I can expose a few more rows of the core.
A note of caution: Wear some thick leather gloves and heavy clothing when cutting the fiberglass core, or you'll be picking little slivers out of your hands/arms/legs for days. If you are using an air saw to cut it, then blow yourself off afterwards as well, or you'll track the mess everywhere. I also wrapped all the exposed edges with duct tape after cutting to make it a bit safer to handle.
The photos should be pretty self explanatory, the only thing somewhat hidden is the way I actually mounted the core. I started with a bunch of bolts of the correct diameter/pitch, but different lengths. After the slots were cut in the top of the beam and the underside was cut away, I just threaded them into the bungs on the core until they bottomed out. If the core hung too low, then I went to a shorter bolt. I think I ended up with one about 2.5" long, which put the IC pipes in the perfect place to get around the radiator support without hanging too low. Make sure to use a thick fender washer with each bolt, to ensure that the head does not slide through the slot. As luck would have it, the lower bungs lined up with holes in the bottom of my bumper cover, so I bolted it in place there as well...not much physical support but it will help hold it in place front to rear.
I didn't want to lose the protection offered by the crash beam when installing this intercooler core, so I made a few choice cuts in the beam and was not only able to retain it, but use it to support the core itself. I left the beam and bumper 'mouth' stock size to begin with, but will probably cut the small ribbed portion out of the mouth and make a complementary cut in the beam as well, so I can expose a few more rows of the core.
A note of caution: Wear some thick leather gloves and heavy clothing when cutting the fiberglass core, or you'll be picking little slivers out of your hands/arms/legs for days. If you are using an air saw to cut it, then blow yourself off afterwards as well, or you'll track the mess everywhere. I also wrapped all the exposed edges with duct tape after cutting to make it a bit safer to handle.
The photos should be pretty self explanatory, the only thing somewhat hidden is the way I actually mounted the core. I started with a bunch of bolts of the correct diameter/pitch, but different lengths. After the slots were cut in the top of the beam and the underside was cut away, I just threaded them into the bungs on the core until they bottomed out. If the core hung too low, then I went to a shorter bolt. I think I ended up with one about 2.5" long, which put the IC pipes in the perfect place to get around the radiator support without hanging too low. Make sure to use a thick fender washer with each bolt, to ensure that the head does not slide through the slot. As luck would have it, the lower bungs lined up with holes in the bottom of my bumper cover, so I bolted it in place there as well...not much physical support but it will help hold it in place front to rear.
