Intercooler ground clearance

[AL92]

I have the big extreme turbo race intercooler.It like 10 inches high.I am wondering is it safe to have it a bit under the bottom of the core support like an inch or so.Its tempting to put it flush or slightly above the core support as worried it will get wrecked from hitting rumble strips or when towed things like that.I was planning on eibach pro kit also on the car.
I would have to do some modifying to my intercooler pipes to put it up even with the bottom or slightly above the core support. I am just wondering how many guys have the intercooler hanging a bit under the core and how many have damaged it.They are not cheap.And not sure insurance would cover intercooler damage.

 

[CanadianTSi]

I just went out and snapped some pics of how mine sits. It's pretty mush flush with the bottom of the two bolts sticking down, which is about 6.5-7 Inches of ground clearance with the Prokit. I've never once had a problem with it hitting on speed bumps or anything like that.

PS the damage you see in the pics is from the tools at the dealership...

 

[AL92]

Thanks Tyler that is why was trying to phone you this morning. Working on finishing the intercooler install today .Just have to final mount it and trim bumper cover and bumper support.I also think you could glue in some foam above where that metal trim piece at bottom of bumper goes or maybe mod factory piece. Have to see.

I have drove the car a bit with no front end.
I have to drop my downpipe at my cat today and then get cat cut off at muffler shop.My cat is clogged to hell pretty sure. I have new apexi gt downpipe and gt catback coming now.I am also getting this new thing they have called and active silencer apexi makes it .Quiet at idle. no power loss on dyno and opens at wot. So you get quieter highway and around town but loud when you step on it.

The regular silencer is crap and kills power and spool

I have my new mags and fuzions zr1s to install also today and think will get eibach pros and tokico shocks.
Some sway bars ,kvr cad plated rotors and have hawk hps pads and stainless brake lines already.Have front and rear stbs but not sure stb in front will fit with my reg welded to my rail. Maybe test fit that today.

I hooked up dsmlink to the car for scanning,tuning. I have to still set my tps.Set timing already and idle. Its got some lope with the crower stage 3s under 1000 you can really hear them. But thats ok with me.. The FP3065 sounds killer of course as you have heard Steves 3052. I can't give a power review as the clogged cat is killing power huge.
I also think my tial wastegate valve is not closing have to take it off and figure out why.
Also that would let it bleed off boost too soon.

My new clutch is very nice hd 4000 .Nice pedal pressure and no chatter.

 

[Syndicate13]

My ETS FMIC sits flush with the crossmember as well. I cut a piece of vacuum hose and slid it over the end of the crossmember so it would have something soft to rest against. I didn't have a problem with piping fit anywhere. My car is a lot lower than both of you and I don't have any problems with clearance, the bumper will hit long before the IC does.

 

[AL92]

Thanks syndicate.I am pretty sure I want to go with eibach pros on my car not sports just want a bit of drop to close the wheel gaps a bit and for better handling.

 

[Syndicate13]

Thanks syndicate.I am pretty sure I want to go with eibach pros on my car not sports just want a bit of drop to close the wheel gaps a bit and for better handling.

A good set of shocks will help with handling more than springs will. If you do springs be sure to do shocks as well. My car rides horribly on the H&R springs and KYB GR2's that are on it now. I will soon be switching to Pro Kit's and Illuminas, should give me some more ground clearance and a much better ride. Ty, you were able to keep your PS cooler it seems, any pics of how it was routed? I wanted my IC to sit as far back as possible so mine had to go.

 

[CanadianTSi]

The power steering cooler was just unbolted from the metal vertical brace and bent up and behind it. So it's basically in the exact same position, just sitting behind that metal bracket not infront of it.

 

[AL92]

Ok guys finishing up my intercooler bumper thing.
Some things.I dremeled the support to the hood latch so could put intercooler back more .I even dremeled the big frame brace thing back a bit again so intercooler could sit back more.
I found I dremeled I guess a bit too much on the hood support so the hood would not close unless you pulled on the latch part out with your hand.
I went to home depot and got some 1 inch steel and put that in as reinforcement .Now the hood latches and closes perfectly no problem at all.
I had the intercooler company send me the right angle aluminum brackets and buddy and me got them to work with some tweaking.
Unfortuantely the tabs on the intercooler core were not on even so we had to angle and cut each bracket a bit differently.
Pain in the butt but we got it level and centered now.
Also I was since move the intercooler back but having it basically flush on the core support..I was able to only make a maybe 1 inch notch in bottom of the bumper support.
So its all there and a one notch is hardly hurting anything. I feel much safer having it there it should keep the bumper looking normal and it really don't weigh enough to take out to make the car faster.
My fp3065 and fully built 2.4 are plenty fast already!

I also had to do very minor trimming on the bumper cover. I should have took some pics
but used mosty a dremel with grinding stone on the bumper cover and grinder with wheel a bit to cut intercooler supports and the metal 1inch piece that I used to reinforce the hood latch.
I used a cheap jig saw and metal fine tooth blade to easily cut the bumper support.
All in all it wasn't too bad a job. I did manage to wreck most of the mits plastic piins that old the bumper to the bumper support .wonder if have to get them from dealer or would any bodyshop maybe have them.The bigger ones that hold the bumper to bumper support?

I will take some pics shortly I guess of some of this stuff might help someone else.
Canadian I didn't have to hack up anywhere near what you did on your car from what you showed me. As said the bumper support on my car since cut that hood latch back and put the 1 inch flat stock there and since cut on that big crossmember a bit it all fit with minor trimming.
Most of the trimming was just in one place on bumper cover and that was where it hits end tanks and the piping. Maybe a half inch there off the bumper cover.

So happy should have bumper on the car again although it looked much more intimidating with it off.

 

[AL92]

I dumped my power steering cooler doubt its necessary I don't auto cross can always put one back someday if really need one.

Here are pics of the intecooler with ghetto temporary brackets.And yes its not level or centered! It is now..!

 

[AL92]

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[project_tsi]

Looks like you need to go buy a tape measure?????

 

[Syndicate13]

I made brackets that bolt to the actual crash bumper. He sent me these pieves of aluminum that were straight. They didn't reach anything and there were no holes on the front of the car at the same plane as the IC anyway.

 

[CanadianTSi]

Good Job on the Install, here's what Mine looked like 3 years ago