So, I want to get rid of the Greddy 18R (small) IC for a bigger one, maybe equal to the 24R they make, but obviously ain't going to drop 900$ for one. Any one have some suggestions on what brand to go with? XS power on ebay looks pretty good, and a local got one installed recently, looks hawt.

EDIT: For better comparison, here is what I been looking at:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/DSM-2nd-GEN-95-99-4g63-FMIC-2g-Eclipse-FMIC-Intercooler_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33742QQihZ015QQitemZ250054904065QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

i wouldn't buy anything from xs power. check out www.siliconeintakes.com they usually have some nice intercoolers for a really good price.

edit: i have one of these on my eclipse, with no problems whatsoever. i've also bought other items from these guys. they have an ebay store as well.

Didn't expect a reply tonight xD. Those look pretty good, but I think I should have added I'm looking for options with piping, as right now I don't have the tools to weld / cut myself some piping to go with it.

dude, universal 2.5 inch piping kit off ebay, and a hacksaw, you're there.

Originally posted by hookduphatch
dude, universal 2.5 inch piping kit off ebay, and a hacksaw, you're there.

I wouldn't. Without beaded ends, you'll be blowing off pipes left and right.
Buy a kit that comes with it's own short route piping. You'll pay a little more but the time and headaches you'll save yourself by trying to get everything to play nice with each other will make it worth it.

Originally posted by eclipzGST
I wouldn't. Without beaded ends, you'll be blowing off pipes left and right.

True dat. Quick aside; I was in a time pinch one time and I used JB weld (shaped a bead around the end) temporarily. It worked like you read about :P . Funny shit. I left it on to see when it would pop. It never did (running up to 22lbs on a big 16). I ended up selling the J pipe with the JB still on.

You want some reading on e-bay FMIC's? Check this out:

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=237530&highlight=ebay+fmic

I never even read through it because it was so long but happy researching.

MB

Go with the XS Power FMIC and be done with it, it is a nice intercooler kit and is exactly like the AGP FMIC kit, but $500 less.

Anyone have an idea on what the limits of the XS Power fmic are? Their contact people are, well, idiots who don't know shit.

Originally posted by hookduphatch
i wouldn't buy anything from xs power. check out www.siliconeintakes.com they usually have some nice intercoolers for a really good price. edit: i have one of these on my eclipse, with no problems whatsoever. i've also bought other items from these guys. they have an ebay store as well.

Do you have an XS power kit on your car? NO

Have you read ANY reviews on the XS power 2g FMIC kit? NO

XS power ususally makes crap tastic products, but there FMIC kits are the only exception.

I say go for it. Can you really go wrong for 200 bucks?

lol at you getting so upset. that's my opinion, i'm sticking to it.

Originally posted by hookduphatch
lol at you getting so upset. that's my opinion, i'm sticking to it.

People get bent out of shape when you bag on their SSAutocrap knock off's. Happens all over the internet.

XSPower (SSAC) generally makes shit. There is no denying that. However an FMIC isn't exactly rocket science so even a craptastic company such as XSP can make them and there isn't anything inherently wrong with them. An FMIC is an FMIC is an FMIC.

So why pay more for a product that does the same thing? Service...and I'm a stickler for it. I know for a fact that if my AGP FMIC breaks a weld on an end tank 8 months after I buy it they will accept the unit back for repair at no cost. If I have questions on what the FMIC is capable of or anything else along the lines of general tuning questions all I have to do is call and ask and I will get an answer worth it's weight in gold because a respected vendor knows what your platform is capable of and knows how to get it there.

So is it worth it to pay more for the same thing? Depends on who you are I guess. I for one like the fact that a respected vendor knows who I am, is willing to work with me somewhat on price as I'm always spending money with them and are always more than willing to help me with questions and product service. That to me is worth the extra money. If that doesn't concern you then buy the XSP unit. An FMIC is an FMIC is an FMIC but I, for one, will not support a company that has screwed over alot of people on shitty quality products.

Originally posted by slowmitsu
An FMIC is an FMIC is an FMIC

That is so NOT true. There are ALOT of variables when it comes to purchasing a FMIC. Core thickness and endtank design are two BIG deciding factors when it comes to FMIC shopping. You generally want an IC core that is "thinner" with more surface area on a DD driven car, esp if you ever plan on using your AC. Also, you want good endtanks not only for the weld quality but also for flow. Whats the point of having cooler air if you have a huge pressure drop and/or a shitty design that doesn't flow?
Some people can go and just buy any old core and rig up piping and yes, it'll work. But how well?
I'll bet some of the FMIC's out there on the market, that even though are bigger, don't offer much of an improvement over the stock SMIC with upgraded piping. I'll also bet that most people have summertime drivability issues that they just write off as "normal"...

Originally posted by eclipzGST

Originally posted by slowmitsu An FMIC is an FMIC is an FMIC

That is so NOT true. There are ALOT of variables when it comes to purchasing a FMIC. Core thickness and endtank design are two BIG deciding factors when it comes to FMIC shopping. You generally want an IC core that is "thinner" with more surface area on a DD driven car, esp if you ever plan on using your AC. Also, you want good endtanks not only for the weld quality but also for flow. Whats the point of having cooler air if you have a huge pressure drop and/or a shitty design that doesn't flow? Some people can go and just buy any old core and rig up piping and yes, it'll work. But how well? I'll bet some of the FMIC's out there on the market, that even though are bigger, don't offer much of an improvement over the stock SMIC with upgraded piping. I'll also bet that most people have summertime drivability issues that they just write off as "normal"...

Very true but I guess what I'm trying to get at are the cheap ones that are direct knock off's of an FMIC developed and tested by a reputable company. It's not like you're trying to decode the Rosetta Stone when you're reverse engineering an intercooler. However you do make excellent points. Thank you for mentioning that.

Well I second (or third, fourth, maybe even fifth?) the go for the XS. If you are running a 16g sized turbo, I doubt you would see very much of a difference between that and a $1500 kit. Would I run an XS with a GT42R? No. But that should be obvious. Tony's also makes very good points as far as design. All FMIC's were not created equal. But, I think it all depends on the specific setup.

Some good info in this thread now.

I'll have to say, yes its obvious I will not run a high powered turbo on a fmic like that. If and when I do upgrade, I would obvously have the cash to afford a better IC. I'm just trying to get the full of my Big16G and get it tuned real good.

For 200$ and a small turbo, I think it should be fine. I'll keep these points made in mind for my future upgrade though. Thanks for all the input guys.

Originally posted by destruckeclipse
Some good info in this thread now. I'll have to say, yes its obvious I will not run a high powered turbo on a fmic like that. If and when I do upgrade, I would obvously have the cash to afford a better IC. I'm just trying to get the full of my Big16G and get it tuned real good. For 200$ and a small turbo, I think it should be fine. I'll keep these points made in mind for my future upgrade though. Thanks for all the input guys.

Why not just save the extra cash and do the job once and be all set when you are ready to go big?

I'm getting a small check from insurance company (stupid asain lady hit me) so I decided to just use it toward some parts: injectors, afc, fmic and some other things. Lol, 1k doesn't go very far.

Originally posted by destruckeclipse
I'm getting a small check from insurance company (stupid asain lady hit me) so I decided to just use it toward some parts: injectors, afc, fmic and some other things. Lol, 1k doesn't go very far.

So prioritize! Do you REALLY need a FMIC now? Is there anything else you could do with the little you'll have left over? Or maybe even open a savings account you can tuck money away in until you have enough for everything.

Originally posted by eclipzGST

Originally posted by destruckeclipse I'm getting a small check from insurance company (stupid asain lady hit me) so I decided to just use it toward some parts: injectors, afc, fmic and some other things. Lol, 1k doesn't go very far.

So prioritize! Do you REALLY need a FMIC now? Is there anything else you could do with the little you'll have left over? Or maybe even open a savings account you can tuck money away in until you have enough for everything.

Well, other then the tune-up I am planning, there really is nothing I need to do. I figure I would spend it on the car now before I spend it on something else completely useless lol. A savings account does't really help.. I can get it any time xD

Originally posted by destruckeclipse

Originally posted by eclipzGST

Originally posted by destruckeclipse I'm getting a small check from insurance company (stupid asain lady hit me) so I decided to just use it toward some parts: injectors, afc, fmic and some other things. Lol, 1k doesn't go very far.

So prioritize! Do you REALLY need a FMIC now? Is there anything else you could do with the little you'll have left over? Or maybe even open a savings account you can tuck money away in until you have enough for everything.

Well, other then the tune-up I am planning, there really is nothing I need to do. I figure I would spend it on the car now before I spend it on something else completely useless lol. A savings account does't really help.. I can get it any time xD

How about DSMLink? ;)

Originally posted by eclipzGST

Originally posted by destruckeclipse Some good info in this thread now. I'll have to say, yes its obvious I will not run a high powered turbo on a fmic like that. If and when I do upgrade, I would obvously have the cash to afford a better IC. I'm just trying to get the full of my Big16G and get it tuned real good. For 200$ and a small turbo, I think it should be fine. I'll keep these points made in mind for my future upgrade though. Thanks for all the input guys.

Why not just save the extra cash and do the job once and be all set when you are ready to go big?

I agree, however, I think this is the mentality too many BANME!s take which then leads them to giving up on their project. I think you really need to know what you are doing, both the mechanics and physics (well as much as possible anyways) in order to turn a DSM into a true monster. Also, will a $150-200 intercooler really degrade that much over a couple years? He could probably still sell it for a hundred or so. I just see too many people buying GT35R's for their then stock cars...

But ya, DSMLink is definitely the way to go...even on a 16g!

Originally posted by destruckeclipse
So, I want to get rid of the Greddy 18R (small) IC for a bigger one, maybe equal to the 24R they make, but obviously ain't going to drop 900$ for one. Any one have some suggestions on what brand to go with? XS power on ebay looks pretty good, and a local got one installed recently, looks hawt. EDIT: For better comparison, here is what I been looking at: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/DSM-2nd-GEN-95-99-4g63-FMIC-2g-Eclipse-FMIC-Intercooler_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33742QQihZ015QQitemZ250054904065QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

All fmics heat soak. Even the $1,000+ fmics. I have personal experiance with this since i tune quite a few cars around where I live. Like what was said earlier, You can't go wrong for $200. Pipe beading is a must. Also the clamps they send you with this kit suck. They are very fragile.


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GT3561 and stuff.
Lucky Number 6 ...

On DSMTuners there is a huge thread about these FMICs, I think they even had group buys.