RB Performance/Steve's FMIC kit installed!

[MazKid]

Spent most of the day installing this thing even though I still haven't received the 2" coupler and 2 2" clamps - but once I started putting it together I realized that I wouldn't have been able to use that coupler anyway, read on.

The kit was advertised as "bolt on" which clearly it isn't. Here's a list of things I had to do to get the kit to work:
1. Buy a VJ20 outlet flange and have a 2" X 2" pipe welded onto it.
2. A longer coupler is needed from that piece to the 2" pipe from the kit as that pipe hits A. the lower radiator outlet and B. the lower radiator mount. I found that flipping the rubber mount bushings raised the radiator sufficiently(had to bend the top brackets to compensate) but the pipe still is stuck against the radiator mount, which as most everyone knows, trying to remove the mount usually results in either broken bolts or broken captured nuts - so I only briefly tried to break them free before deciding that it wasn't worth the risk.
3. The right hand side tow hook needs to be trimmed. I cut a nice chunk out of it, leaving a fang of sorts on that side. LOL
4. The left hand side "hole" that the pipe goes through, the flat part of the core support needs to be bent to give more clearance.
5. The brackets to mount the intercooler are almost useless. The holes in them are too small for the supplied hardware to fit through. I ended up running to Lowes and grabbing a strip of aluminum and making my own brackets, which go from the bottom of the core support from 2 already threaded holes. I didn't even bother making top brackets, the thing isn't going anywhere with the lower brackets on.
6. If your car has A/C, the lines on the left side of the car need to be loosened up a little and pushed outta the way a bit. No biggie. Along with that, the top of the supplied BOV needs to be reclocked so that the inlet fitting is 1 space right of the outlet.
7. If you have splash shields on your car, the one on the right side of the car needs to be altered - first the part at the core support needs to be removed from the other part, mine were put on with rivets which easily came apart. Then where the hole is on the remaining splash sheld, cut from the back edge of the hole straight across. Easy fix.

Now I'm one who likes projects like this so all of these little issues just kept me entertained and working on a day when a DriftSTL backroading run was cancelled, so instead of destroying the tires on the Miata I was doing something productive.

As far as how the car drives - GREAT. I'm still running 8-9psi, I didn't try to mess with the boost controller tonight after I finished the install, and I didn't have time to install the PLX DM5 wideband, so it's probably a good thing. I gassed up the car tonight to find that I had only gone 212 miles on 12 gallons of fuel, so I'm pretty sure it's running rich instead of lean like many people said it would with the US ECU.

Anyway, total cost of this kit is as follows:
$350 shipped for the "bolt on" kit
$20 for the VJ20 flange from CS
$9 for the gasket for the flange from CS
$10 something for shipping on those 2 items - rediculous I know.
$27 to have a 2" X 2" pipe welded to the flange with a bead added for the coupler.
$5.70 for a strip of aluminum for brackets(still have a lot of it left, always good to have!)
= $421.70, give or take, plus like 8 hours of work. I imagine it would be a royal pain to install this kit with a US bumper with the crash beam.

Oh, and PICTARS!
The old setup, a rigging of Volvo/Saab/DSM/GTX pipes, hoses, and couplers with a MK3 Supra front mount. It worked, somehow!

Upper piping loosely installed.

Intercooler held up with a RX-7 alloy jack, and starting to make the brackets.

Side view showing the cut tow hook and uncut splash shield.

Pipe hitting the radiator mount.

Left side showing the bent core support part - the pipe doesn't rest against it like in the pic.

Brackets on.

Side view of it.

Engine bay back together.

Overview.

Lost a little sleeper-factor but not bad at all!

Finished!


So overall I'm pleased with it - a little more work than it should have been but it's all good. I did my best to get the intercooler centered, it's off a little but it's as close as it can get given the position of that right side pipe.

-Ryan

[atomicEGT]

Seems like a lot of work for a "bolt-on" kit.

Wouldn't it have been easier to simply remove the tie-down hooks? I took those out before I even started planning IC piping for my GT...

[therieldeal]

what are you doing with that old ic setup?

[MazKid]

Originally Posted by atomicEGT

Seems like a lot of work for a "bolt-on" kit.

Wouldn't it have been easier to simply remove the tie-down hooks? I took those out before I even started planning IC piping for my GT...

I looked at it and besides being a bunch of bolts that are kinda hard to get to on a fully loaded car, it acts as a corner brace of sorts. I figured I'd just cut it out a little. Works for me.

The old setup is junk honestly. I can take pics of it if you like, but it shouldn't be used for anything. lol

[therieldeal]

i'll pay shipping?

i need a ghetto intercooler setup for my ghetto turbo setup on the 4wd

[atomicEGT]

Lol, you are ridiculous.

You know I have a pile of intercoolers in my garage, right?

[therieldeal]

ya but this has all the pipes and everything

i mean i guess i could do something with PVC and radiator hose if i had to

[atomicEGT]

Could always try to make some of that stuff I got from Clarktron fit. I dunno what I'm going to do with it.

[MD323]

hey jon want your rx-7 SM back?

[MazKid]

Originally Posted by therieldeal

ya but this has all the pipes and everything

i mean i guess i could do something with PVC and radiator hose if i had to

LOL! You would be better off. The pipework from the Supra IC to the GTX pipe to the throttle body is HORRIBLE. I can't believe it held up. The rest of it wasn't bad...wasn't good, but it worked I guess.

[therieldeal]

well idk man, if you want to get rid of it let me know. i can handle redoing one section of pipe

[Kitty]

Id just be interested in the IC.

Also, trust me on this one, have at least one upper mount on the IC.

The brackets will droop sooner or later but with an upper bracket it'll take much longer.

Also whats the weight on the rx7 jack?
I mean you did brag about it

[FazdaBoy4ever]

thank you, this guy knows how to do a review (sorry for my poor attempt)

any pictures of the ac line.... did you end up just not using the soft line mount to the lower crossmember?

[Lex]

Drill into the hood support and add an L-bracket to support the IC from the top. Trust me on this one.

[Kitty]

That would be a long ass bracket. I think an angled bracket from the rad core support would be fine.