VRSF 5" Stepped FMIC Install / Review

[Rowdy]

I installed yesterday and went for a quick drive, everything stayed together. Those couplers were a pain in the backside to get on. Even then, to make it work, a couple of the clamps are RIGHT on the edge of the silicone couplers or slightly over.

A few things I noticed during all of this :

Why no proper install instructions or DIY? I get that it's fairly straightforward, but the sequence at which the connections are made would have been helpful. It also would have been helpful to know that the little plastic piece that clips to the factory intercooler is not reused etc.

The factory clamp that most are cutting popped off with a flat headed screw driver for me without much force. The plastic pipe has that metal ring in it for where there clamp/band goes around and it wasn't bent or deformed at all, although it is quite soft. I can see why some might worry. I'd be more concerned with the other end as you're moving it around quite a bit to get the couplers back on. Speaking of which, that coupler is a tad on the short side on my car.

The n55 connecting pipe is a giant hassle to get in place without the fan shroud removed.. and then if you remove it, also a pain to get back in! If I had to do it again, I'd leave the damn fan in place. It is polished, albeit marginally and should probably have been left plain or painted, for a stealthier look. I was going to spray mine satin black, but it's aluminum and I didn't have any primer for it.

My particular intercooler had nice welds and it looks beefy (and it is hefty) but was sprayed with a silver paint? Whats up with that? Ended up looking all scratched underneath as I tried to fit it. Would have preferred it bare.

The cast end tanks and mounts are beefy, but the lips are not very uniform. If it's going to leak or pop a coupler off, that'll be my first spot to look.

For the cost, it's a good piece and comes with everything needed, but I now know why the cobb/helix/etc are almost double the price.

[Miko226]

Originally Posted by Rowdy

I installed yesterday and went for a quick drive, everything stayed together. Those couplers were a pain in the backside to get on. Even then, to make it work, a couple of the clamps are RIGHT on the edge of the silicone couplers or slightly over.

A few things I noticed during all of this :

Why no proper install instructions or DIY? I get that it's fairly straightforward, but the sequence at which the connections are made would have been helpful. It also would have been helpful to know that the little plastic piece that clips to the factory intercooler is not reused etc.

The factory clamp that most are cutting popped off with a flat headed screw driver for me without much force. The plastic pipe has that metal ring in it for where there clamp/band goes around and it wasn't bent or deformed at all, although it is quite soft. I can see why some might worry. I'd be more concerned with the other end as you're moving it around quite a bit to get the couplers back on. Speaking of which, that coupler is a tad on the short side on my car.

The n55 connecting pipe is a giant hassle to get in place without the fan shroud removed.. and then if you remove it, also a pain to get back in! If I had to do it again, I'd leave the damn fan in place. It is polished, albeit marginally and should probably have been left plain or painted, for a stealthier look. I was going to spray mine satin black, but it's aluminum and I didn't have any primer for it.

My particular intercooler had nice welds and it looks beefy (and it is hefty) but was sprayed with a silver paint? Whats up with that? Ended up looking all scratched underneath as I tried to fit it. Would have preferred it bare.

The cast end tanks and mounts are beefy, but the lips are not very uniform. If it's going to leak or pop a coupler off, that'll be my first spot to look.

For the cost, it's a good piece and comes with everything needed, but I now know why the cobb/helix/etc are almost double the price.

This happened to me also the coupler could have used about another .5" on both sides to leave a little excess coupler however my clamps too were off the coupler a tiny bit. i am getting the car back tomorrow and i will see if BMW was able to get them on better or the same

[vma1788]

Originally Posted by Miko226

in tomorrow for turbo replacement due to the seals and waste gates rattle / leaking so i will let bmw deal with the coupler since they will have to remove the FMIC anyway for the Turbo replacement.
.

This won't be an issue/red flag?? Thought any mod voided the warranty.

[Rogo]

Originally Posted by vma1788

This won't be an issue/red flag?? Thought any mod voided the warranty.

They try to say that but they have to show that the mod is cause or a contributing factor in the work needing to be done.

For example if you end up needing say a new set headlights due to water getting in somehow and you havn't touched, changed, tampered with them to their knowledge then they should fix it...regardless of having a JB4, intake, etc...

[Miko226]

Originally Posted by vma1788

This won't be an issue/red flag?? Thought any mod voided the warranty.

im fbo now and have no issue with dealer visits however it depends on the dealer really. My dealer told me that as long as i dont upgrade turbos or add meth i will stay in warranty

[heist_tub]

must be nice. I have to strip her down every visit

[Miko226]

Originally Posted by heist_tub

must be nice. I have to strip her down every visit

Man i wouldn't even do downpipes if i had to take them off every time i had to bring my car in too much of a pita

[Rowdy]

I'm FBO now with Meth.. and my dealer has been nothing but helpful.

[Miko226]

Originally Posted by Rowdy

I'm FBO now with Meth.. and my dealer has been nothing but helpful.

Nice!! meth puts me over the edge apparently so i just stick to e85 mixes not a huge fan of meth anyway except maybe for IAT

[Miko226]

After driving around for a few days with the new 5" stepped core doing a lot of hard pulls on the freeway + city conditions i have yet to see my IAT tip over the 120*F mark even during 95+ Degrees with 90+% humidity. I sat in grid lock traffic for over an hour and IAT remained low. The car pulls hard pull after pull and when IAT's go up they fall back down very quickly with some calm driving. The engine is breathing with a noticeable amount of less restriction and the turbos spool quicker and louder.

Prior to installing the FMIC i would see IAT's around 150* degrees very often and easily even when just cruising around town. However i do live in a brutal tropical environment in the summer time.

Pulls Hard Consecutively
More Power Throughout RPM Range
Better Throttle Response
Faster / Louder Turbo Spool
Lower / More Consistent IAT

If i could go back now i would have done the FMIC with my intake and tune. This FMIC really completes the car and combats extreme weather and high IAT's remarkably well. Great upgrade for this engine!

[KD718]

5" seems to be working pretty well...makes me almost wish I got it instead of the 7". Wonder what the flow differences are. It was a damn chore to get that big girl up there and I had to all but destroy the brace. I did reinstall that little rubber trip piece that was in between the old IC and radiator and I think that made it that much harder to get it in. Eventually I think Im going to lift it up and pull the bumper if its not too much of a pain and trim some more off that brace and see if I can tuck it up a little better.

[Miko226]

Originally Posted by KD718

5" seems to be working pretty well...makes me almost wish I got it instead of the 7". Wonder what the flow differences are. It was a damn chore to get that big girl up there and I had to all but destroy the brace. I did reinstall that little rubber trip piece that was in between the old IC and radiator and I think that made it that much harder to get it in. Eventually I think Im going to lift it up and pull the bumper if its not too much of a pain and trim some more off that brace and see if I can tuck it up a little better.

Yeah it slipped in very easily after i cut the tiny plastic tab but barely, any bigger fmic needs a decent amount of cutting. I did not put that rubber tab in though. I am very happy with the way the engine feels after the upgrade especially with the way air flows. Looking forward to when the air cools off down here in south florida hopefully by december we get air below 70 degrees and 80+% humidity so i can get a solid track day in and do some logs.

[alpha84]

Originally Posted by MuNkY6913

That coupler on the passenger side doesn't need cut. It will save you a ton of time by not cutting it. You have to look at it closely. There is a part where the band comes together. It's a tee shape that fits into the other end like a puzzle piece so it's flush with the band. If you get a flathead screw driver under that section and just twist, it will pop right off. If I get a chance I'll take a pic of it. Just be careful not to press on the pipe to much cause it will bend pretty easily.

Sorry to revive an old thread but im getting mine installed today. So does the driver side coupler needs to be cut in order to install the new coupler?

[MuNkY6913]

Originally Posted by alpha84

Sorry to revive an old thread but im getting mine installed today. So does the driver side coupler needs to be cut in order to install the new coupler?

Either you can cut it or you can bend it where my pictures show and it will pop off. Buddy was just doing his and started by trying to cut it with a dremel and that was taking to long so he bent the tab and it popped off.

[alpha84]

Originally Posted by MuNkY6913

Either you can cut it or you can bend it where my pictures show and it will pop off. Buddy was just doing his and started by trying to cut it with a dremel and that was taking to long so he bent the tab and it popped off.

So it is just that little tab to cut to fit the intercooler in and that will be the only cutting needed? How long did u or ur buddy take to install without cutting?

[MuNkY6913]

Originally Posted by alpha84

So it is just that little tab to cut to fit the intercooler in and that will be the only cutting needed? How long did u or ur buddy take to install without cutting?

Your getting onto different topics here. This isnt the only thing involved with intercooler install. Each intercooler requires different amounts of cutting in other places. That all depends on the brand of intercooler. What I was talking about is a clamp on the passenger side of the intercooler, from the turbo. There is an accordion like tube that most manufactures replace with a silicone tube. This clamp holds that tube onto the turbo charge pipe and then connects to the intercooler. A lot of times there isnt enough room to get into thereand get a good angle to cut it. The end that wraps around the tab, if you get a screw driver and just bend the tab on the side it will pop off. You have to find the seem first. Sometimes people spend almost an hour trying to get it cut. This just takes a minute. This is just one piece of the puzzle that is a fmic install. Like I said, different brands have different sizes and requires different amounts of other things cut. Search on here for the brand you have and there's probably 5 DIY, step by step. I was only talking about that one band. Let me know if you have any other questions.

[alpha84]

Originally Posted by MuNkY6913

Your getting onto different topics here. This isnt the only thing involved with intercooler install. Each intercooler requires different amounts of cutting in other places. That all depends on the brand of intercooler. What I was talking about is a clamp on the passenger side of the intercooler, from the turbo. There is an accordion like tube that most manufactures replace with a silicone tube. This clamp holds that tube onto the turbo charge pipe and then connects to the intercooler. A lot of times there isnt enough room to get into thereand get a good angle to cut it. The end that wraps around the tab, if you get a screw driver and just bend the tab on the side it will pop off. You have to find the seem first. Sometimes people spend almost an hour trying to get it cut. This just takes a minute. This is just one piece of the puzzle that is a fmic install. Like I said, different brands have different sizes and requires different amounts of other things cut. Search on here for the brand you have and there's probably 5 DIY, step by step. I was only talking about that one band. Let me know if you have any other questions.

My new fmic is vrsf 5" and i want to make sure i have the right tools before doing it myself. From the looks of it though i think i still need to cut one of the band clamps on the oem hoses with a dremel so the new supplied hoses can be installed with new clamps, is that correct? I have been looking at different diy videos online (hpf, helix) but they dont require removing of oem hoses.

[MuNkY6913]

Originally Posted by alpha84

My new fmic is vrsf 5" and i want to make sure i have the right tools before doing it myself. From the looks of it though i think i still need to cut one of the band clamps on the oem hoses with a dremel so the new supplied hoses can be installed with new clamps, is that correct? I have been looking at different diy videos online (hpf, helix) but they dont require removing of oem hoses.

That's the only clamp that would need to be cut. So just pop it open instead of cutting and you should be good. All the others are worm clamps or clips. Good luck with the install. Should go smoothly for you. Everything is pretty straight forward.

[Miko226]

Two sets of hands work wonders when putting the passenger side coupler on. one set holding it in place on top and one on bottom keeping the pressure. IMO the coupler on the passenger side should be atlas 1 inch longer but the driver side had no issue.

[Miko226]

Originally Posted by alpha84

My new fmic is vrsf 5" and i want to make sure i have the right tools before doing it myself. From the looks of it though i think i still need to cut one of the band clamps on the oem hoses with a dremel so the new supplied hoses can be installed with new clamps, is that correct? I have been looking at different diy videos online (hpf, helix) but they dont require removing of oem hoses.

There is a part on both of those clamps where the two pieces of metal are stamped together and you can get a flathead screwdriver underneath it the clamp will pop right off. i did not figure this out until after i cut the clamp off however it'll pop right off if you get a screwdriver under it. just be careful not to bend the turbo out pipe when doing it. its worth it to get the upgraded lower charge pipe it eliminates some work.

[alpha84]

Originally Posted by Miko226

There is a part on both of those clamps where the two pieces of metal are stamped together and you can get a flathead screwdriver underneath it the clamp will pop right off. i did not figure this out until after i cut the clamp off however it'll pop right off if you get a screwdriver under it. just be careful not to bend the turbo out pipe when doing it. its worth it to get the upgraded lower charge pipe it eliminates some work.

I tried to locate the opening of the oem clamps you mentioned but i think they are located in inaccessable area. How did you put the flathead screwdriver in between? The clamp is so tight. After so many failed attempts i was going to cut it, but my rechargable dremel cant reach the tight space...how did you cut it? Is 30k rpm dremel able to cut the clamps? I was able to cut the little corner of plastic tab with the dremel, but i did take a few passes on the plastic before it was cut...doesnt seem like the dremel can cut the clamps

[Tiago@VRSF]

You can fit a stubby screw driver on top of the coupler and pop the tab after feeling it out a bit. On the N54 they meet up at the top, you can refer to the driver side tab for an idea of the alignment

Thanks for taking the time to post your review Miko, I greatly appreciate.