Technik FMIC upgrade DIY

[Solid]

Finally got the upgrade kit!

Contents:
FMIC.
New bolt and spacer.
3 hoses.

Samir said the hose my kit came with are not the ones he's been waiting for, so he'll send them when he gets them. The ones included in the kit are silicon and pretty nice anyway...

This is a very quick DIY writeup and assumes you have the mtech bumper. I typed if up from memory and didn't proof read it, so don't complain about spelling/grammar http://forum.e46fanatics.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

1. Jack the front of the car up and put on jack stands.
2. Remove front bumper:
a. First remove the plastic molding (if any) then remove the plastic expansion rivets.
http://photos.e46fanatics.com/data/500/8372DSC05223.JPG

b. Remove splash gaurd then remove fender liners. Remember to unplug the temp sensor and to unplug the fog lights.
c. Remove black plastic meshing (in front of IC) then remove final expansion screws on the inside part of the bumper. To see them look up when you're on the ground, they attach to the metal part of the bumper.
d. Carefully remove the bumper.
http://photos.e46fanatics.com/data/500/8372DSC05224.JPG

3. Next undo all clamps for the hoses that will be replaced by the upgrade kit.
4. Next remove the bolts holding the old FMIC in place, these are the ones on the side of the FMIC and there should be 4 of them. Be careful not to drop the FMIC when the last bolts are removed.
5. Next remove the old brackets by removing the larger bolts, there should be 4 of them.
http://photos.e46fanatics.com/data/500/8372DSC05225.JPG

6. Remove the old IC pipe on the passenger side.

7. Slip on the longer silicone hose along with two clamps and slide the pipe into place and use the new bolt and spacer to secure the pipe.

http://photos.e46fanatics.com/data/500/8372DSC05229.JPG

8. Now clamp the other two silicone hoses onto the new FMIC, and mount it into place and connect the hoses. Then put the 4 bolts back to secure the new FMIC.

http://photos.e46fanatics.com/data/500/8372DSC05231.JPG

http://photos.e46fanatics.com/data/500/8372DSC05228.JPG

9. Secure any remaining clamps, and put the car back together. You may have to shave the splash gaurd to make things fit.

10. Take it for a test drive and check for boost leaks and funny noises.
http://photos.e46fanatics.com/data/500/8372DSC05232.JPG


Misc pictures:
http://photos.e46fanatics.com/data/500/8372DSC05226.JPG
http://photos.e46fanatics.com/data/500/8372DSC05227.JPG

[AssassinGT]

Nice job dude, beautiful upgrade.

[Jojo@DPE]

i love mine :thumbup:

[Mr Paddle.Shift]

Dood! No reviews about how the new intercooler feels?? :P

[iLLM3]

Nice DIY man, looks great and prob get alot more air now :bow:

[Gametrade]

awesome....now all i need is a s/c setup :bawling:

[stylinexpat]

I'm still waiting for mine..... Long wait for this part, when can I get mine? :hmm:

[Jojo@DPE]

Dood! No reviews about how the new intercooler feels?? :P


i'm not mr. technical when it comes to FI, but when i got the new intercooler in, it was amazing. i felt it immediately especially in the low end when coming from a stop. not only does it look good, but it definitely feels good. :thumbup:

[Solid]

I'll have an actual review when I get a chance to drive it :) Probably this Friday at the latest...

[xS3x]

nice man:jfj:

[technikpower.com]

Great job on the writeup! :thumbup: This should def be useful for a few people.


Thanks,
Anthony

[Clem]

Awesome write up :thumbup:

I can't wait to get boosted :banghead:

One question though.......

Why not remove the bumper with the reinforcement bar still attached to the bumper? Wouldn't it be less work ?:dunno:

All it is, is the 2 big torx bolts and 2-8mm (prefacelift) or 2-expansion plugs (facelift) on the edge of the fender liner infront of the wheels and the little bolt/screws underneath.

[Solid]

Hmm good question, i never tried to remove the reinforcement bar before. Don't you have to take the bumper off to get to the torx bits anyway? I just followed what i remember my bentley manual said, even though my bumper was allot different then their directions.

Awesome write up :thumbup:

I can't wait to get boosted :banghead:

One question though.......

Why not remove the bumper with the reinforcement bar still attached to the bumper? Wouldn't it be less work ?:dunno:

All it is, is the 2 big torx bolts and 2-8mm (prefacelift) or 2-expansion plugs (facelift) on the edge of the fender liner infront of the wheels and the little bolt/screws underneath.

[Clem]

On a MTech the bolt holes will be directly under the "pillars" that separate the mouth opening from the brake ducts/fog lights (underside of the bumper). No need to remove the bumper cover from the re-bar. It will all come off as 1 unit.

Like I said..... 2 big torx bolts and 2-8mm (prefacelift) or 2-expansion plugs (facelift) on the edge of the fender liner infront of the wheels and the little bolt/screws underneath that attach the bumper to the skid plate.

[Solid]

Thanks, i'll try that next time :thumbup:.

On a MTech the bolt holes will be directly under the "pillars" that separate the mouth opening from the brake ducts/fog lights (underside of the bumper). No need to remove the bumper cover from the re-bar. It will all come off as 1 unit.

Like I said..... 2 big torx bolts and 2-8mm (prefacelift) or 2-expansion plugs (facelift) on the edge of the fender liner infront of the wheels and the little bolt/screws underneath that attach the bumper to the skid plate.

[Solid]

Just went out for a test drive, and everything seemed in order.


Throttle responce is better for sure.
I did see about 0.02 kg/cm2 loss of pressure @ 6000 rpm, but i'll have to do some more testing to be 100% positive. Since I still hit 0.48 kg/cm2 @ 6000 rpm this is already over the 6.5 max the kit is advertised to get, so no biggie... For you PSI folks that's about 0.28 PSI loss.

I don't plan on checking the hoses anytime soon unless someone tells me that i should be seeing 0.00 loss. For the HUGE size of the new intercooler this seems very good about right. I still in awe on how thick the thing is compared to the old one :thumbup:.

As far as performance I can't say. It's very difficult to measure 8-10whp with the butt dyno and taking into account any placebo effect :P. I did try to measure my intake air temprature via OBDII, but the highest I measured was 59 degrees (51 outside) at any RPM, so i doubt this is manfiold temps. If it is that would be amazing lol.

I'm not going to dyno again `tell I get the SK1 software, so i'll have to trust the Technik dynos for HP gain...

Since like most of you, I plan to get the SK2 or SK3 or whatever they comeout with, this will be a must get upgrade...

[Mr Paddle.Shift]

Good review! So how did you measure the pressure loss?

I believe the IAT sensor for 2003 E46s and on is integrated into the MAF sensor. My 2001 has 3 wires. Yours should have 5 wires. Which is why your IAT is only slightly higher than ambient.

[Solid]

Yup mine has 5. I measured by going to exactly 6k rpms, and using the boost memory function on my greddy warning gauge. I did this a few times and it seemed pretty consistant.

I also did this all the time with the old IC. Basically everytime i get in the car I reset the memory and shift at 6k rpms max.