My >$200 ebay FMIC kit installed

With the ebay clamps, I find that putting a second nut and using a deep socket helps. This is because I had to stretch the PD150 rubber pipe onto my 2.25 IC piping, which was a bit tight (and was popping off). The ebay t bolt clamps stripped at the thread, but with 2 nuts, it holds like a champ, and I use the second nut to counter hold it!

Too tight and you can actually cut the silicone coupler, it happened on the hose that goes to my IC, lol.

the issue I had with my ebay clamps is that the clamp bottomed out before it was tight enough. That let it tighten up enough to stay on.. They weren't stud and nut clamps either, they had a long bolt that threaded into the other end of the clamp and they broke way too easy.. I needed to wrap the end with a few turns of black tape..

They were all hopeless at 35psi no matter what I did.. I ended up getting some better T-bolt clamps..

quick question, how did you guys attach the FMIC to the crash bar?

eddie_1 said:

The wagon's have a nice oil plan protection steel tub.

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I've seen the steel diaper type pan before but I dont think this is standard on the wagons unless every wagon I have seen has had it removed. Any more info on this?

kenmaira said:

quick question, how did you guys attach the FMIC to the crash bar?

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See midway on post #10. You can drill from below and access from above. Use tough drill bits like Cobalt coated.

This vs taco smic?
Any logs for this?

A decent sized front mount will out perform ANY side mount..

Never cared to take logs. Just watched IAT's on my Torque app.. Mine are typically less than a bone stock ALH even though I'm running ~250hp..

Upgraded SMIC is ok but FMIC with 2x or more the surface area is much better at cooling. Imagine driving at a slow speed, the fmic has a nice breeze over it while the smic is getting half or less than half that.

Plus the mass of it is much more, the mass of the metal, plus being bolted to the bumper support, it ends up transferring heat even in traffic where airflow is low.

Oh and whenever you have the AC on, the fans that draw the air through the radiators also draw air through the FMIC!

Well, front mount is probably best for sure, but I am not yet convinced the options out there are real good for ac performance. I could be wrong but I wouldn't go thicker than 2.5 inches on the core. What I am toying with is running the side mount and then feeding that into a liquid to air core. Why not

Something else to consider....if you're not sqeamish about carrying compressed gas in the trunk...run a smaller FMIC and enhance its performance under extreme loads by mounting spray bars outside it and CO2 (cheap, less cold) or N2O (expensive, colder) tanks in the trunk. Lowers IATs 50 degrees or more...

Dude I just drive my car underwater, keeps the air intake temps reasonable and you are right if I hit a shot of co2 in front of the intercooler I may be able to cool it down enough to make ice cubes and that will take a while to melt. What I need is to be able to install an Ice Cube dispenser so whilst I am driving underwater I can cool down my hot coffee because sometimes it's real hot and I need ice cubes.

You don't need the huge one. Just make sure it's bar and plate and not tube/fin.... ask Jason, lol. Plus the bar and plate ones flow through easier. I have one that is about 5 or 6" tall. 2" deep... and I forget how wide, but pretty much covers the whole center opening on the jetta. I mounted mine below the crash bar, bolted to it. I should make a lower support bracket someday, but have been lazy.

Remember the A/C has the hardest time when stopped. But really this FMIC doesn't limit the amount of airflow that the electric fans do.... It might limit the MAX airflow, but by then you have tons of airflow to cool even a gasser turbo engine

So basically, figure those electric fans are pushing a fraction of the max airflow- so the pressure drop for the cooling airflow is almost nothing. But if you were doing 100 mph, yes the FMIC would be reducing the amount of airflow to the radiators/condensers- because then it would be more of a restriction.

Also, it doesn't really add that much heat to the surrounding area. Even when I was playing with launch control boost, making 12 psi revving at 2500 in N, one side IC pipes were hot to touch. That side of the fmic was hot, and a few inches just warm. The outlet of the fmic and ic pipes there was pretty much ambient... lol

Thanks!

I just finished installing an eBay FMIC on my ALH Jetta Wagon. After reading this and several other posts I decided to "grow a pair" and go FMIC myself. Just wanted to comment to a) say THANKS to those that provided info; and, b) add some lessons I learned for others to benefit from...

Find a shorter (6") IC if possible. The 7" tall IC that came with my kit required that I trim the crash bar and a bit of my bumper. Could have been avoided if I contacted the selling on eBay to request a 6" version instead (yes, this was mentioned in the very first post).

90* and 45* reducing elbows. In the end I used a 45* 2"-2.5" reducing elbow, connected to a 90* IC pipe to get from the turbo into the passenger wheel well. If you trim the silicone elbow and your pipe correctly, you can run the 2.5" IC pipe snugly against the plastic engine skirt without wheel rub, avoiding a $150+ lower IC pipe. The 90* 2"-2.5" reducing elbow was used at the upper IC/charge pipe to EGR. You'll need corresponding 2" t-bolt clamps for both of these. Had I planned ahead I could have saved some on shipping multiple orders from siliconeintakes.com.

Once again, thanks for the original and contributing posts.

johnrogers said:

I just finished installing an eBay FMIC on my ALH Jetta Wagon. After reading this and several other posts I decided to "grow a pair" and go FMIC myself. Just wanted to comment to a) say THANKS to those that provided info; and, b) add some lessons I learned for others to benefit from...

Find a shorter (6") IC if possible. The 7" tall IC that came with my kit required that I trim the crash bar and a bit of my bumper. Could have been avoided if I contacted the selling on eBay to request a 6" version instead (yes, this was mentioned in the very first post).

90* and 45* reducing elbows. In the end I used a 45* 2"-2.5" reducing elbow, connected to a 90* IC pipe to get from the turbo into the passenger wheel well. If you trim the silicone elbow and your pipe correctly, you can run the 2.5" IC pipe snugly against the plastic engine skirt without wheel rub, avoiding a $150+ lower IC pipe. The 90* 2"-2.5" reducing elbow was used at the upper IC/charge pipe to EGR. You'll need corresponding 2" t-bolt clamps for both of these. Had I planned ahead I could have saved some on shipping multiple orders from siliconeintakes.com.

Once again, thanks for the original and contributing posts.

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Pics part numbers.

Sent from a hole using two wires a paperclip and a bird feather

If you purchase the $200 intercooler, you'll need all the piping, I'm waiting for the Canadian dollar to rebound a bit more before I pull the trigger on this kit, looks to be the best bang for the buck, haven't seen a post, thread from anyone whose installed one though
http://www.cxracing.com/mm5/merchan...e=KIT-GOLF-TDI-9906-IC0014&Category_Code=Golf

Geobmx4life said:

If you purchase the $200 intercooler, you'll need all the piping, I'm waiting for the Canadian dollar to rebound a bit more before I pull the trigger on this kit, looks to be the best bang for the buck, haven't seen a post, thread from anyone whose installed one though
http://www.cxracing.com/mm5/merchan...e=KIT-GOLF-TDI-9906-IC0014&Category_Code=Golf

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Kit looks good but one major downside, it replaces the crash bar

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Good eye

PGM jetta said:

Kit looks good but one major downside, it replaces the crash bar

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Oh, I hadn't noticed that, thanks for pointing it out!!!

I wonder if that kit could mount to the the crash bar instead of using the mount it comes with?

Obviously some bumper trimming would be in order. I'd have to do some measuring to see if it would fit without hanging down too low.

Edit: looks like it's 8" tall and the OP installed a 6" cooler so no go using it with the crash bar

PGM jetta said:

I wonder if that kit could mount to the the crash bar instead of using the mount it comes with?

Obviously some bumper trimming would be in order. I'd have to do some measuring to see if it would fit without hanging down too low.

Edit: looks like it's 8" tall and the OP installed a 6" cooler so no go using it with the crash bar

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Bummer. Haha. No evo style 10+ inch fmic for me haha.

Sent from a hole using two wires a paperclip and a bird feather