Fitting a FMIC yourself ??

[B-Man]

Anyone fitted a FMIC kit before ?? I know Nick (By By) has, but he cheated and used UAS's hoist.

Can such a thing be done at home in a normal garage - Anyone got instructions or know where to get ?

I know you have to cut the front bat - Are the cuts visble from the front ?? What's the potential for a FUBAR ?

Is there an analogy someone can give me like:

* If you can port & polish a head, & hi flow a turbo you can fit a FMIC

or

* If you can change a clutch you can fit a FMIC

or

* If you can do an oil change you can fit a FMIC

or

* IF you have never fitted a FMIC before, don't attemt with out professional help.

In other words, how handy do you have to be ??

Cheers,

[Clint32]

shouldnt be too hard if the kit is well made, I make pipes on cars here and that can get a bit trickey.

All you should have to do is take off the old cooler, cut a 3'' hole under the washer bottle, and everything should bolt up. But the trimming can be a bit trickey and yes it is easy to make a mistake when doing it, but if it is done streight it shouldnt be noticable.

Somewhere between changing the clutch and doing oil change.

[dojobi]

I have trouble opening my bonnet and even I could install an intercooler. I just got a few mates around and we installed it. Very simple.

Check out some of the pics I took while we were installing it in my garage.

www.ozemail.com.au/~caddies

[dojobi]

I should add that I had an HKS type S kit that had Japanese instructions too, and just from the pictures we could work it out. Just give it a go and if you screw up, you can always put the old one back on.

[B-Man]

Mic - Thanks heaps , the Pics help heaps.

Did you have to cut your front bar ??

Cheers,

[dojobi]

I've got a 400R front bar and even with that it was a tight fit. I'd say you'll be cutting yours if it is the stock series 1 one. It did end up fitting though, but I am thinking of cutting a bit off the back so I can put some mesh in front of it. The stones are killing the fins.

[B-Man]

Hmmmm 400R Front bar hey ? Sorry, I have no idea what that is.

Mine is a 95 R33 with an M-Spec kit on it - I know the front bar is different to standard, but it is also different to yours.

Anyone know if I'll need to hack the front bar ? If so how much and is it fairly stright forward ??

Thanks

[dojobi]

The 400R was a special GTR with 400hp that Nismo made. It had a big FMIC in it, so putting it on a GTS with a FMIC should be no trouble.

I have no idea if you'll be cutting your bar, but I'd say your chances aren't too good.

[ex-static]

Thats a nice install mick, what sort of gains did you find from the cooler? and what did you pay for the kit?

- ex

[dojobi]

Thanks ex-static, it felt like it made a huge difference. Even at stock boost. The weird thing was that I was told it would make my turbo come on boost slower because of all the extra piping, but it did the exact opposite somehow. Maybe it is because the old piping was restrictive or something?

It cost me $2000 from Unique Autosports. I felt it was better to spend the extra $300 or $400 to get an HKS kit. I'm sure you can get a kit equally as good elsewhere for far less. After all, UAS are not known for their cheap prices.

[Blitz]

Some wise guy deleted my post

Brendan, as Mick said its an easy job for a non technical minded person. Just takes time fitting it up and trimming the nessesary parts. Having some good tools on hand will help....and a couple of mates.....

Anyway saves u the cost of having someone else do it which is good! :uh-huh:

MIC33R's gallery is very helpful for anyone looking to do this urself

[B-Man]

Thanks Nick,

Is it only inside of the bar/spolier that you need to trim ?? That is: the side that faces the radiator ? I'm comfortable trimming the bar from this perspective, But if you have to do any external trimming that requires re-paiting or whatever, I'm not up for that.

I think I'll just buy a cooler kit and attempt the install, and if it all goes to 5hit, put it back together and get someone else to fit later.

The UAS kit sounds good. (Pity john & oli are always too busy to sell me one. he he)

Nick, can you feel more power with your new Zorst ??

Cheers,

[Blitz]

Originally posted by brendanf

Thanks Nick,

The UAS kit sounds good. (Pity john & oli are always too busy to sell me one. he he)

Nick, can you feel more power with your new Zorst ??

Brendan, thats why i get the intercooler kit for you :uh-huh: yeah its only the inside of the bar needing trimming... nothing to serious

[whistla]

hey,

two weeks ago couple of mates and myself installed a cooler on my R33 GTSt Spec2

this is a kit thats made up here in australia thats basically the same as the HKS piping, with an imported cooler core from the US (600mm x 300mm x 76mm)

anyway the kit fitted perfectly and was pretty straight forward...i started at 4pm, mates came at 6pm and we finished it off at 1am

there was a period of piss farting around...as it always does when mates come around

we did heaps of cutting on the front bar with a jigsaw, nothing too special, we just sized it up and cut. Trial and error style...and ofcourse the hole that had to be cut underneath the waterbottle (baah 10mins) for the return pipe

also we had to angle grin some of the metal front bar support thing inbetween the headlights (on the inside).

not much grinding, its just that this sucker was huge and i wanted it to fit perfectly

now we arent professionals, but good with hands and the tools we had, the good thing though which always helps is that we had all the tools needed for the job

it DOES make life easy

here are a couple of pics...

http://mccr.madcars.org/dynodaypics/dragon...es/DSC00376.JPG

http://mccr.madcars.org/dynodaypics/dragon...'s%20cooler.JPG

http://mccr.madcars.org/dynodaypics/cyrus/...es/DSCF0866.jpg

[B-Man]

Whistla - NICE ONE man !

Where did you get ur cooler from ?? And how much did it cost (if u don't mind me asking ?)

I've decided to go for it myself - Now just gotta pick the cooler and get the funds.

Cheers,

[whistla]

brendan..

here is the ad that a mate of mine gave me which he found on the silvia.com forum...

I have some brand new intercoolers and cores for sale, two sizes  

600mm x 300mm x 76mm and 400mm x 300mm x 76mm.First size  

bigger than GTR cooler. The cores come with cast polished ends all welded  

up for $700 and $950 fitting kits avalible for some cars R33, S13 to 15, Soarer, Supra and WRX to come.  

We have fitted one to a Soarer and a 180 this week and worked  

wonders on the cars my 180 is running 15 degrees cooler than with  

the top line Jap spec cooler that was fitted.  

Photos available on request.  

e-mail me or 0408628323.  

[email protected]  

Nigel.  

now the cooler kits for the Skylines are alot more than what he says here (the GTR sized cooler kit is around $1800)...but i managed to talk him down heaps! (he told me not to say how much)

give him a call....his a top bloke, hell hook you up with the cooler guy cos Nige only does the piping

[sidewaymambo]

looks cool!!:uh-huh: :uh-huh: