Supra SMIC Install Guide - "Long Version"

DSMunknown · Jul 19, 2006

I purchased my Supra SMIC from Powerhouse Racing. Jarrett Humphreys was a good guy to deal with. He is currently the president/CEO of the company. I got the intercooler, duct, and the Supra brackets for $150. I did not get the two couplers with this purchase. I tried to be innovative in my next purchase. I bought the Supra piping for $50. This was a waste of time, money, and energy. I do not recommend purchasing the MKIV Supra intercooler pipes.

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DSMunknown · Jul 19, 2006

I recommend buying two 2.5 inch silicone couplers instead (that is, if you do not get the couplers with your original purchase). Hell, even if you DO get the two necessary couplers I am going to recommend getting two additional 2.5 inch silicone couplers to replace the couplers that you got. Why? Because the OEM Supra couplers were fabricated for the use of only one clamp.

For example, take a look at the first picture below. Notice that there are two indentations on the coupler. Only two clamps are supposed to be on that coupler. When double clamping, this means that there will be four clamps on each coupler (aka two on one end of the coupler and two on the other end).

Before I forget, I strongly recommend you double-clamp practically everything associated with this install. Personally, I wouldn't care if I had all the T-clamps I could possibly need. I would double-clamp everything. Therefore, since the OEM Supra couplers were fabricated as such, it is not very comforting that one of the two clamps will not have the best "hold" as it should have.

Here are some photos of the two MKIV Supra couplers that I utilized. The first four photos are of the coupler that attaches the exhaust adapter to the bottom end tank. The other photos are of the coupler that attaches the other exhaust adapter to the top end tank.

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The photo below shows the outside diameter of the Supra coupler (if you have bad eye sight, the OD is 3 inches)

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The photo below shows the inside diameter of the Supra coupler (if you have bad eye sight, the ID is 2.5 inches)

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This coupler is the one that fits through the infamous hole (the hole that nearly everyone says must be cut).

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DSMunknown · Jul 19, 2006

Five photos of my previous BOV return tube. For those that care, the code in the fourth photo on the tube reads as EXV33498 0127. In the fifth photo the code begins with 5B2 and then is unclear until OMH20 M then it becomes unclear again.

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DSMunknown · Jul 19, 2006

In these next four photos, they will show two identifying stickers. The first is the chrome-looking tube I picked up from Home Depot. The second is from one of the two exhaust adapters I used.

On the Watts sticker, the code above the bar code is 0143231. On the other sticker, the smaller code above the bar code is 07518 12-8573-0. In the upper right hand corner of the same sticker it reads 2 - ½" ID and 2 - ¼" OD. I did have to modify (aka cut) the chrome-looking tube to make it fit correctly, but I only did this over 2 months after finishing the Supra SMIC install. Before the pipe I used the radiator tube.

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Here is what the exhaust adapters will look like (not my adapters)

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DSMunknown · Jul 19, 2006

Here is a shot of what I had over six months before I did this install. This also shows the placement of my Brode pipe, intake pipe, intake filter, BOV, BOV return tube, the MAS wire harness/connector, fuse box and the second half of the UICP.

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As you can see, everything is very "open" and spacious. BTW this photo was taken with a different, more expensive, higher quality camera. However, while this particular camera is still at my disposal, it is not a digital camera. It would cost a whole lot to buy a bunch of expensive film, bring the reels of film to the local photo shop, and then pay for them to put the photos on CDs just to have high quality photos for the guide. Here is a shot of what the same location in my engine bay looks like now:

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DSMunknown · Jul 19, 2006

Here is the box that the intercooler and air duct came in. I placed a basketball next to the box so you can get an idea of how big it was.

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I was quite impressed with the packaging. If anyone is wondering, I purchased the Supra intercooler piping as a separate order (about a week after I bought the intercooler) so it came in a different box. The intercooler piping did not come in this box. There was only one (perhaps) major flaw in the packaging. There were Styrofoam pieces inside both end tanks. I wanted to make completely sure I got all of the Styrofoam out, so I took the time to take off BOTH end tanks. I am glad I did. For one, there was a fair amount of Styrofoam stuck in both end tanks, and no amount of shaking would have gotten them out. I was not about to stick something in there to try to shimmy them out, in fear of damaging some of the fins on the inside of the intercooler.

Secondly, I found out something that I had not heard of before as being a possible (and perhaps slight) concern. Look at the photo below:

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As you can see, there is a yellow line and a red line in the above photo.

I will be refering to this end tank as the "lower" end tank. If you are that lazy and MUST only take off one end tank (to flip it), please take off this one. There is some serious gunk and grime that has accumulated over the years in the corner of the intercooler. The yellow line indicates where I found a slight-to-moderate amount of grime. The red line indicates where I found a moderate-to-heavy amount of grime. When taking off the end tank, please be careful. There is a rubber gasket between both end tanks and the intercooler. You do not want to rip/damage these.

From what I have read, most people flip the "top" end tank. Only in one instance have I heard of someone taking the extra effort to take both end tanks off, but that was when the individual was having a shop fabricate custom metal end tanks for his Supra SMIC. I don't know if he actually took the end tanks off himself. I doubt it. I assume he had them taken off, in order for the shop to get an idea of what they needed to do.

Anyways, after I saw how much oily slime there was between the intercooler core, rubber gasket, and end tank, I decided to hand wash the rubber gasket and do the same to the opposite end tank. Lets just be clear- there wasn't a TON of slime here, but there was enough for me to mention it for anyone who cared. And the gunk was thick and somewhat hardened. I had to take a screwdriver and scrape off the gunk by hand.

Here is a photo just for a quick reference of what the Supra SMIC core looks like with an end tank off (definately not my Supra SMIC):

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Just a note here: when scraping this gunk off, and when cleaning the actual end tank, take a screwdriver and a clean shop towel and combine their powers. Take the towel, and fold it over so that it will act as if there were two towels at work. Now put the end of the screwdriver somewhere on the double-padded towel (probably in the middle) and go to work. I found that if you do not fold the towel over, the screwdriver will quickly push right through the threading of the towel. Using this screwdriver-and-towel method is useful because the screwdriver will be taking off the scum, and the towel will be picking it up. Just in case you were wondering, the towel should be dry.

That stuff would not come off with a few swishes of gasoline. One the other hand, I doubt that this grime was an interference to the performance of the SMIC, but nevertheless I decided to be thorough. Remember the Styrofoam from the box? Well, there were small pieces that were near the fins on the inside of the intercooler, and a few that were a quarter of an inch down the holes. It seems too optimistic to say that I got ALL of the little pieces, but I did what I could. Before you put the end tank back on, take a clean rag to it and wipe off the oil on the inside of each end tank. I should assume that the gasoline would get that, but I will suggest it anyways. There are a few crevices where oil has accumulated, and only a screwdriver and a towel can get at it.

Just a side note about cleaning the intercooler. I don't know why there seems to be some hysteria in some people about using fuel to clean the intercooler out. I strongly suggest (as do other people who have done write-ups on this process) that you do this at least a day before you plan on doing the install. Stop b**ching about wanting to clean the intercooler out and installing/reinstalling it on the same day. You also need (or should) set some time aside to fix the fins and set them straight. It IS time consuming. If you plan on installing the intercooler on the weekend, and you get the intercooler in the middle of the week, get it ready for the weekend. Don't wait and try to rush the drying process. If you get the intercooler on the weekend and wanted to install it in the same weekend, lay off the installment and just get it ready for another time. Life will go on. If you rush the process, you can damage something and may end up spending a lot more than if you just simply waited. Try thinking of the old adage "good things come to those who wait" or "patience is a virtue."

Just another thought- while each end tank is off, I suppose you could use JB Weld to seal the end tanks to the SMIC core. I don't see this as being something necessary, but you may. If you have the appropriate funds, I would suggest instead that you have a local trusted shop fabricate custom end tanks for your Supra SMIC core. The first thing this would do is put your mind at ease to the thought of shattering your plastic end tanks on the road. Secondly, it will provide an improved SMIC that will perform better than the original. Thirdly, it will allow you to request the shop to add custom brackets to line up with the original bracket holes. Fourthly, it will allow you to have the end tank pipes placed and angled to your liking. Fifthly, it will allow you to have the end tank pipes fabricated to be longer than the original (so that you have more room to double clamp the couplers on).

Here are two photos of what I am talking about (not my SMIC). As you can see, one end tank has been custom fabricated but the other side has not. If you are going to go this route, I suggest you do both end tank sides.

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Before I forget to mention, as you can see in other Supra SMIC pictures, the brackets on both end tanks are plastic. I have seen some people attach exhaust straps (like the one seen in the below photo) to these plastic brackets. Now, I am well aware that I currently have zip ties holding these plastic brackets to parts of the car, but those are only for emergency situations. Again, I am confident that the double clamping will do the job quite well (meaning, double clamping won't allow the Supra SMIC to fall from the car and end up on the pavement). Here is what I am talking about (not my photo):

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Make a judgment call here. If you don't feel completely confident that the double clamping method will hold your Supra SMIC in place, then do what you must. I won't be offended =P

DSMunknown · Jul 19, 2006

Please take off both end tanks. Have some patience and time. This goes back to not rushing and doing things properly. I will assume you have now taken the flathead screwdriver and pushed up all the teeth on one side of the intercooler, so that you will be able to pull the end tank up without any interference from the teeth. Now carefully pull up on the end tank. You may have to pull more on one side for that side to un-stick. That's fine. Just don't be in a hurry. Part of the rubber gasket may still be sticking to the end tank in your hand, while the other part will still be sticking to the intercooler itself. That is to be expected. Just take your time and don't rush. After the rubber gasket is in your hands (that is, it is detached from the end tank and detached from the intercooler) I suggest you gently wash the rubber gasket with soap and water. Some may laugh at this. But this is what I did. There was a little bit of grime on the gasket, so I washed it. Dry it with a paper towel or a "clean" garage towel, and then set it aside (somewhere where you won't forget to put it on or step on it or rip it).

Here are a some photos of the process of lifting the teeth and pushing them back down.

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When securing an end tank down with the metal teeth I suggest you use a pair of vicegrips. They will be able to push the teeth down to create a secure hold on the end tank. Adjust the vicegrip appropriately. What the hell does he mean by that? Well, I mean that you don't need to squeeze the teeth down so incredibly hard with the vicegrips that you damage something. I'm sure you can figure it out when you get to it. After doing this I am skeptical that one could seriously damage his SMIC. However, you need to use common sense.

Another thing about using common sense- MAKE SURE YOU ONLY FLIP ONE END TANK!! You do not want to flip one end tank and then forget you already flipped one, and flip the other end tank. This would, of course, result in your SMIC being basically the same. Furthermore, you would have to go back and flip one of the two to make the install more successful. Plus, you would have just wasted more time and energy than necessary.

DSMunknown · Jul 19, 2006

If you do not have a Supra SMIC as of yet but wish to know what these teeth that secure the end tanks looks like in real life, pop your own hood and look at your radiator.

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These teeth are the same except in size (with the Supra intercooler teeth being larger).

In case any of you were wondering what regular durable duct tape looks like, here is a photo:

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DSMunknown · Jul 19, 2006

Two photos of the vice grip I used (for any of you who are unsure what a vice grip looks like). I would suggest using a vice grip close to the size of the one in the above photo. As you can see, this one is about 7.25 inches long.

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I also suggest that you secure the opposite side of the side you just secured. Is that confusing? I will try again. Look at the photo below (not my intercooler and not my feet):

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As you can see, there are two longer sides and two shorter sides. Never mind that metal strap. Lets say you just secured all the teeth on the long side that the end tank hole is closest to. I suggest you then secure the opposite side (that is, the other long side that is closest to the guy's feet). Do the same with the shorter sides. After you think you secured all of the teeth down, go back and check every single one of the teeth. Every single one of them. Make sure they are not "sort of touching" the end tank, but that they are being useful. After you have finished completely securing one end tank, start on the other end tank.

DSMunknown · Jul 20, 2006

Now you should go out and purchase some gasoline. Get two gallons of fuel. I am, of course, assuming you have one of those portable gas tanks. They cost a few bucks at your local Hess or wherever. The price sticker is still on mine, and it reads $5.49. Here are three photos of what you will need to pick up some fuel from the gas station.

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This particular portable gas tank is a 2 gallon size tank. So it was just what I needed.

Whatever the lowest octane fuel you can get at your local gas station is just fine. When you get back, I will assume you are ready to get down to business regarding the cleaning of the intercooler. Get the sturdy duct tape and tape off one of the end tank holes. I prefer taping off the "bottom" end tank. After you have taped it off, tape it off again. And then tape it off a third time. Trust me, you will need that much. After you have done that, get the portable tank and pour some fuel in. tape off the other end tank hole. You will only need to tape this side off once. Start shaking vigorously. Do a dance while you shake the SMIC to hell and back so all your neighbors can point and laugh. Make sure you are in a well-ventilated area (aka outside).

You may notice that the air inside the intercooler is getting pressurized. I am certainly no scientist, so all I can do is speculate and perhaps provide an analogy. I assume what is happening is similar to what happens when you shake a bottle of Coca-Cola (unless you're into Pepsi =P). Just think of it in those terms. Anyways, after a good shaking, put the dirty fuel in a bucket or even some trash bags. Notice "bags" are in plural. This is what I did. I had a bucket, and put one trash bag inside of another. I used four trash bags. I had no problems with leakage. Some assume that the fuel would quickly eat away at the plastic. That has not been my experience. You also must be aware of proper disposal of the dirty fuel. Ask around for some help here if you don't know what to do with it.

Repeat this shaking process about four times. That means you should be using about a half of a gallon (whatever that equates to) per shaking. Actually, I may even suggest you use a bit more than that for your first couple of shakes.

Because the duct tape is so sticky, you might consider bringing in the Goo Gone.

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You don't need this. Leaving the adhesive on the end tank pipes will not effect the efficiency of the SMIC. It's just nice to get off. You can use the screwdriver to puncture a hole through the tape, then use your hands to rip the rest of it off.

Here are four mock photos of what taping an end tank pipe will look like. This SMIC is of course the OEM 2G SMIC.

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Just for your reference, the red circle in the below picture indicates which bracket the screw attaches to that gives most people a difficult time when trying to take the OEM 2G SMIC off.

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When puncturing the tape, don't be a dummy and use a super-long screwdriver. You may use whatever you like here, just don't use something that could possibly damage the intercooler core. Any small tipped object should do the trick, like a pair of scissors.

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After you are all out of fuel (yes, you should use all of it) go and thoroughly wash your hands and arms with soap and water. Put the SMIC down in the shade. Do not leave the SMIC in the sun. Let the damn thing sit overnight to evaporate as much of the fuel as possible. Remember that you don?t want to smell fuel inside your residence. Let the SMIC sit outside and chill. Make sure it will be a nice night out (aka not raining or snowing). I was worried about ants or some little bugs or critters getting in there. Don't be. It will be fine. And your pets (if you have any) should know enough to stay away from the evaporating fumes.

DSMunknown · Jul 20, 2006

As I previously stated, it is foolish for someone to try and use the OEM UICP. Here are a few pictures:

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As you can see, the section where this pipe connects to the original SMIC is small. There is not much room at all to double clamp this end of the UICP. I refuse to go into great detail as to why you should upgrade your UICP. Just do it.

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Here is my original wheel well guard. As you may know, this piece of plastic is directly behind your SMIC. Mine has obviously be "modified" however I do not use this anymore. If you have any further questions about this, look on VFAQ or ask one of DSMTuners esteemed Wisemen or DSM Gods. I'm sure they would be happy to assist you.

Ok, so now you think you are ready to get to work. You did remember to straighten most of the intercooler fins out, right? I found that a pair of tweezers works well. I also found out that in my Supra SMIC there were quite a few small stones, pebbles, and such between all the fins. If all the shaking you did to clean out the intercooler didn't do the trick, shake it some more. A couple pebbles here and there won't be an issue. Just get a fair amount of bug abdomens, pieces of leaves and such out.

I will basically assume you know how to take a wheel off, and that you are aware of the proper use of jacks and jackstands. But just for your own knowledge, here are two sockets that fit around the OEM lug nuts. The black socket is a 21mm and the silver socket is a 13/16th inch. Either will work, but I prefer using the six-edged socket.

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After you take the wheel off (aka the passenger-side front wheel) you need to take off the shield behind the SMIC. If you still have the plastic OEM guard, either modify it or get rid of it and replace it with something else. Here is my current wheel well guard (well, it doesn't guard against too much =P):

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I found this at Home Depot. This actually came as a larger piece of metal, and I had to cut about two-thirds of it off to fit. I paid around $10. Just look around and ask some of the staff there. Print this photo out and ask them if they have anything similar. I'm sure you'll find it. And yes, as you will notice in later photos, those are zip ties holding it in place. They have held up to a full New England winter (including snow, slush, sand, salt, and ice) and didn't come off until I cut them off. They will work just fine if you don't want to use screws. I did paint this black to try and match it with the rest of the wheel well. It just didn't look right leaving it alone, since my car happens to be silver/grey. Plus there was the rust factor I had to consider. The other side of the metal guard is not painted, and thus is rusted and brown from the weather.

DSMunknown · Jul 20, 2006

Take off your stock SMIC. It is straight forward. I believe the socket size you need here is a 12mm. You may use a wrench, but it will just take you longer. You will of course need a ratchet if you plan on using a socket. As other guides warn the reader, there is a bolt that is a real hassle above the stock SMIC. You can try to get your hand through the side marker. I got my hand stuck for ten minutes the first time I tried this. I finally did get it off, but I came from underneath the car. You should be able to figure it out yourself. Look at the seventh photo in Post #11 to see where the troublesome screw is in relation to the OEM SMIC.

The actual install of the Supra SMIC is quite simple. It does not take a genius to see what I did and how I did it. I think the photos will tell the story best.

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Don't mind the red circles here. They are simply there to indicate where I used the box cutter to cut part of the passenger-side wheel well guard. This is one of the few places I actually needed to "cut" something.

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Just a few other notes on the install. I completely realize that I am not saying too much about the actual Supra SMIC install. I just don't see the need to at this time. It is quite obvious what I did. However, here are some tips. As I remember, the exhaust adapter was a bit of a pain to get on the LICP. You will be obviously be putting the 2.25 inch section of the adapter into the LICP. However, I did measure the inside diameter (ID) of the LICP. If I can recall, the ID was around two-and-one-eighth inches. This of course means that the LICP hole is smaller than the adapter size, meaning it is going to be a tight squeeze. I suggest taking off the LICP completely and then trying to get the adapter to fit.

Also notice in the above photo that the LICP, exhaust adapter, and Supra SMIC coupler are all attached together. I suggest that you put them on as such and then attach the Supra SMIC coupler to the corresponding lower end tank. It will be easier this way. If you follow the same process with the UICP, you may save yourself a lot of hassle. I did have a heck of a time pushing the top end tank pipe into the Supra SMIC coupler, but I found this much easier than trying to attach the coupler onto the UICP with the Supra SMIC already attached.

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DSMunknown · Jul 24, 2006

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As you can see in the photo below, there are yellow, green, and blue arrows. The blue arrow is pointing to the zip tie that is around the top end tank pipe. The yellow arrows are pointing to the wire that goes to the right side marker. This particular side marker is notorious for falling out because of the install of the Supra SMIC. I have found a simple and effective method on how to prevent the embarrassment of the side marker hanging out while you are driving. The green arrow shows where the side marker wire is LOOSELY held down by the zip tie. I would not recommend having the zip ties tight for the simple reason that if you touch the road with your front bumper, and the side marker really needs to pop out, then nothing will crack due to the side marker's inability to pop out.

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Here is another shot. As you can tell, I have traced a zip tie in orange. This zip tie attaches to part of the side marker itself (it actually attaches to the metal fastener on the side marker). As you may notice, there is not just one single zip tie here. There are at least three (if not four) connected together. As you also may notice, the connected zip ties go through one of the Supra end tank fastener holes.

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In the next two photos you will see a blue arrow. In each of the photos the blue arrow is showing where each screw attaches the Supra SMIC air duct to the Supra SMIC intercooler top end tank.

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Ok, here is where the hammer comes in. In the next two photos you will see a bent metal bracket (it's in the center of both photos- you can't miss it). This bracket is the one that secured the fuse box and held the fuse box upright. As you have seen in my previous pictures, my fuse box is on its side. I was unable to fit the fuse box upright, and I was also unable to fit the fuse box down into the engine bay without flattening this bracket. If I did not flatten this bracket, I would most certainly have hood clearence issues.

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This is my LICP. Yes, those are pink zip ties holding a small piece of metal onto the LICP. After a few months went by, I noticed that the LICP was rubbing against the engine brace a little too much for comfort. Therefore, I glanced around the garage and found a small piece of metal and zip tied it so that it sat between the LICP and the engine brace. Just to note, the side of the metal that is in contact with the LICP is curved, so as to not bite into the piping as the car is being driven. I'm sure you will be able to find a piece of metal that will suit your needs.

Also, because my LICP has moved a few inches (if not more) over, I am skeptical that the Greddy LICP will work using this install guide. Perhaps if the Greddy LICP is cut a few inches where the SMIC and LICP connects then it may work, but I'm not guaranteeing anything.

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If you are unable to find clamps that will be sufficent to fit around the larger couplers, put two smaller clamps together like so:

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DSMunknown · Jul 24, 2006

Some comparison pictures between the stock 2G SMIC and the MKIV Supra SMIC:

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DSMunknown · Jul 24, 2006

More comparison photos between the stock 2G SMIC and the MKIV Supra SMIC:

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DSMunknown · Jul 24, 2006

Here are some number photos for all you dimension freaks.

Supra SMIC Depth = about 5 inches

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Supra SMIC Width = about 10.375 inches

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Supra SMIC Length = about 9.25 inches

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OEM 2G SMIC Width = about 8.125 inches

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OEM 2G SMIC Depth = about 2.6875 inches

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OEM 2G SMIC Length = about 7.3125 inches

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DSMunknown · Jul 24, 2006

I had some real difficulty trying to find MKIV Supra air duct photos on the web. So here are some photos.

This photo below is obviously what my Supra air duct looks like with the Supra SMIC removed. FYI when I first did this install I installed the Supra SMIC first and then installed the Supra intercooler air duct. I do not recommend this. I recommend attaching the Supra intercooler air duct onto the Supra SMIC before you try to mount it into place. This will make your life a little bit easier.

Notice that at the top-center of this photo you can partially see where the right fog light hole is. When I have sufficient funds, I will have a local shop fabricate a custom air duct that will not only capture air coming in the original air duct hole, but also will have a second passageway coming from this fog light hole. This will allow for more direct air that is hitting the front of the car to pass towards and through the Supra SMIC. I suppose I could do it myself the cheap way, but I am currently too lazy for that.

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DSMunknown · Jul 24, 2006

Look how well the MKIV Supra intercooler air duct fits around the MKIV Supra SMIC.

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Look at the poor job your stock 2G air duct would fit onto the Supra SMIC. How sad.

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Here is another example of why I highly recommend getting an MKIV Supra SMIC air duct (not a photo of my car). I believe this photo is taken of a 1G, but you get the idea of how inadequate your stock air duct is for this install.

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DSMunknown · Jul 24, 2006

Here is where the weather stripping comes into play. This is what weather stripping looks like:

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Notice the weather stripping and its placement on the four edges of the air duct. Originally when I recieved this air duct, there was weather stripping on it. However, it was old and flat, so I decided to replace it with new weather stripping. You should be able to pick up some weather stripping at any local auto parts store or perhaps even some hardware stores. It shouldn't cost you any more than five or six bucks.

You may want to cut off some of the excess stripping. I just used a sharp knife where i thought it was appropriate to cut. It's not absolutely necessary. Make a judgement call here. Also notice that one of the sides does not have any weather stripping on it. Read on and I will explain.

Just a note here- you may notice that there is some thick weather stripping inside of the air duct. That is the way I recieved the air duct. That weather stripping is OEM. I just decided to leave it there. you may decide to take it off. if you do, there is a small opening (about 1/4 inch wide and 4.5 inches long) along the air duct. You might as well duct tape that over so as to not lose any air directed towards the Supra SMIC.

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DSMunknown · Jul 25, 2006

Remember me mentioning one side of the air duct not having any weather stripping? Look at the photo below. You will notice that there is a space between the air duct and the edge of the Supra SMIC. That is a big no-no in my book. When I originally did the install, i had weather stripping on all four edges of the Supra intercooler air duct. Sometime between my original installation of this intercooler and this write-up I guess this piece of weather stripping fell off (about 3 months in between each event). Air is able to excape its job of going through the SMIC like it is supposed to, and instead GOES AROUND the SMIC. We certainly do not want that. So I decided to use duct tape to ensure the air was not traveling around the SMIC.

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Do you recall me talking about a small space in the air duct where the OEM weather stripping is? You will be able to see that part of the air duct quite clearly in the next two photos. Notice that the side of the air duct you see in the two photos below are the opposite side of the air duct where the weather stipping fell off. I decided not to take any chances and duct tape both sides. This side of the air duct you see before you is right up close to the side of the front bumper. Perhaps I would not be losing too much air, but I decided to duct tape it regardless. I suggest you do the same. I still recommend using the weather stripping, but using the duct tape as extra insurance.

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DSMunknown · Jul 25, 2006

**IF SOME OF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH YOU MAY WANT TO LOOK AWAY.** Some of these next photos are not too pretty to look at. Why? Because my fender jets out pretty good. I am not worried about this. My car already doesn't look too hot, so what do I care? I'm sure that someone could do this same install but have the fender not come out so far (or maybe even not come out at all) but I could care less.

In this first photo you will notice that my hood looks a little funny. That's not just the crappy digital camera I am using. My hood dips a little bit in the left headlight area. I will speak of the complications this may have later on.

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I took these next two photos to show the difference between the left and right side. The left side (aka the driver's side) doesn't come out at all, where as the right side (aka the passenger's side) comes out quite a bit.

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DSMunknown · Jul 25, 2006

Here are some photos for the people who are worried about rubbing issues. Fortunately I have not experienced that here.

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DSMunknown · Jul 25, 2006

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These two pictures below are the same, except I took the liberty of showing you two minor "push out" points where the Supra SMIC seems to be pressing against. It seems obvious that the higher point is caused by the SMIC. However, the lower point is another story. After re-doing this install process, I stuck my hand in the air duct passage and felt around. I was unable to pin point an area on the Supra SMIC or the Supra intercooler air duct that was making this point.

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DSMunknown · Jul 25, 2006

This first photo below is the single reason why I decided on the double clamping method for this particular install (not my photo). Plus, if everything from the Brode pipe to the "top" end tank is double clamped, I do not personally feel ashamed that it is "dangling" without any straps, as the metal support is seen in this photo. This photo is taken of a 1G, but it still holds significance:

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Here is two decent photos of the same area. Please notice the way my clamps are secured on. The excess is such that it will most likely not catch on anything that may be laying on the ground. If the clamps were in the reverse position, then there may be an ability of catching something. I have in mind the traffic wires (for lack of a better term) that cities and towns put down to calculate the population that flows on certain roads. This type of thing is why I positioned the clamps the way I did.

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Supra SMIC Install Guide - "Long Version"

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