To help slow down the onslaught of emails I get asking me about this thing, I decided to let you all in on what it is, how it works, and what is needed to install it. This is only for the 97+ wide mouth Eclipse. It might fit on a 95+ Talon and Eclipse with smiley bumpers, and the Talon cover but I am not sure and I can't answer any questions about those years. If you make one fit, PLEASE post it here to let those interested know if it's workable or not.
I could not get one into my 1G. It would not fit without extensive modifications to the FMIC. That would cost so much that you'd be better off getting a spearco core, and being done with it.
I found at least one race car, a Celica, running into the 9's on a medium core (what I have) and that was enough for me to want it. I had it hooked up to my small 16G before it blew for a few days. I didn't have the turbo in long enough to do any logging or anything, but it pulled very hard and nice at 16 psi. My EGT's were always around 1550 degrees tops, but I had no idea what it was doing timing wise. Once I get some logging and dynoing done after the T04E and fuel systemis installed, I'll post the results.
Install isn't hard at all. It took me about 5-6 hours total taking my time and figuring everything out as I went along.
The hood latch bracket is the only thing I think I had to cut, besides the plastic air dam material. I took it off completely, and put the NPR on first to get a feel for how it needed to fit. Then I measured the distance between the very top of the NPR, and the mounting points for the bracket. Then you cut off the excess that would normally be in the way of the FMIC. The hood latch bracket is then rested on top of the FMIC, and the upper half of it is bolted the way it comes from the factory. You might want a dremel tool to help grind a little at a time from the latch to make it a very tight fit against the top of the NPR or else the hood might rattle a little, and be hard to close. The AC line I just tucked behind the NPR, and it's been fine like that. The bumper itself never has to come off as the NPR fits up behind it when you worm it in there.
I made brackets out of 20 guage sheet metal (18 or 16 would be stiffer, and better) and just bolted them to the mounting points on the FMIC, and then to the car. All You need is 2 strips of metal about an inch thick, and a few inches long that will reach a bolt hole in the frame. I attached the bracket to the upper bumper cover mounting points I think (did the install last autumn so I can't remember exactly what I did). The lower half of the NPR will be held in by the bumper cover nice and tight so there's no need for lower mounting points unless you're anal about supporting it.
The inlet and outlet's need to have about an inch and a half cut off them, and be rebeaded (I used JB weld to rebead them). Otherwise on a lowered car clearance becomes an issue, and IC pipes get ripped off. It sucked to pull into Pep Boys to pick up some parts, and rip off an IC hose over a speed bump
. I also have 2 strips of 14 guage sheet metal protecting the outlet and inlet for added protection. I just drilled some holes into the lower frame and into the metal, then bolted the metal to the frame protecting the pipes. I haven't had any rattling or anything from it yet, but I'm going to find a better way to do it because I expect it to start eventually. That way of you do bottom out, the sheet metal gets beat on, and not the expensive parts (silicone couplers aren't cheap).
Piping routing is where it got a little tricky, but still managable. The drivers side pipe I used for the inlet, and the passenger side I routed to the stock location to make use of the UICP I already have. This makes for essentially a piping routing about as long as stock, with maybe an added 6"s of piping added. Not bad IMO.
The passenger side isn't too difficult. Just 2 90 degree 2.5" bends, a foot or 2 of 2.5" straight tubing, and some slightly flexible 2.5 radiator hose. The fiberglass reinforced silicone piping I got from RRE was expensive, but it looks good, and will hold up to a lot of abuse. It's just not flexable at all. To keep cost down, you need something that bends easily because the actual routing calls for something between 90 degree, and 45 degree bends. I don't have access to a mandrel bender, or the money to have it custom made, so I took the easy route. You can just use some flexible radiator hose when somthing that bends is needed.
The drivers side is where things get hard. On my 16G, I had to hack up the fan, and use flexible radiator hose to worm my way to the compressor housing outlet. I didn't like the routing in the least sense of the word, because it was all over the place, and had to hurt airflow. On a T3/T4 or something similar with a downward pointing outlet, it'd be a million times better. No hacking of the fan, or convoluted piping. With my T04E, it will require just 2 90 degree bends, some more 2.5 straight tubing, and a few silicone connectors.
Total cost was dirt cheap. I got the NPR technically for $140 (traded a 2.5 downpipe I bought from phantom roadworks for $140), 7 feet of straight 2.5 tubing from JC Whitney for I think $30 shipped which I needed very little of (I used aluminized the first time around, skip that and go to SS because mine is already rusting a bit), $45 for 2 feet of silicone tubing from RRE, and I "borrowed" the radiator hose from the shop at work. Not bad for $220, and a few hours work. Enjoy your poor mans FMIC.
I could not get one into my 1G. It would not fit without extensive modifications to the FMIC. That would cost so much that you'd be better off getting a spearco core, and being done with it.
I found at least one race car, a Celica, running into the 9's on a medium core (what I have) and that was enough for me to want it. I had it hooked up to my small 16G before it blew for a few days. I didn't have the turbo in long enough to do any logging or anything, but it pulled very hard and nice at 16 psi. My EGT's were always around 1550 degrees tops, but I had no idea what it was doing timing wise. Once I get some logging and dynoing done after the T04E and fuel systemis installed, I'll post the results.
Install isn't hard at all. It took me about 5-6 hours total taking my time and figuring everything out as I went along.
The hood latch bracket is the only thing I think I had to cut, besides the plastic air dam material. I took it off completely, and put the NPR on first to get a feel for how it needed to fit. Then I measured the distance between the very top of the NPR, and the mounting points for the bracket. Then you cut off the excess that would normally be in the way of the FMIC. The hood latch bracket is then rested on top of the FMIC, and the upper half of it is bolted the way it comes from the factory. You might want a dremel tool to help grind a little at a time from the latch to make it a very tight fit against the top of the NPR or else the hood might rattle a little, and be hard to close. The AC line I just tucked behind the NPR, and it's been fine like that. The bumper itself never has to come off as the NPR fits up behind it when you worm it in there.
I made brackets out of 20 guage sheet metal (18 or 16 would be stiffer, and better) and just bolted them to the mounting points on the FMIC, and then to the car. All You need is 2 strips of metal about an inch thick, and a few inches long that will reach a bolt hole in the frame. I attached the bracket to the upper bumper cover mounting points I think (did the install last autumn so I can't remember exactly what I did). The lower half of the NPR will be held in by the bumper cover nice and tight so there's no need for lower mounting points unless you're anal about supporting it.
The inlet and outlet's need to have about an inch and a half cut off them, and be rebeaded (I used JB weld to rebead them). Otherwise on a lowered car clearance becomes an issue, and IC pipes get ripped off. It sucked to pull into Pep Boys to pick up some parts, and rip off an IC hose over a speed bump
. I also have 2 strips of 14 guage sheet metal protecting the outlet and inlet for added protection. I just drilled some holes into the lower frame and into the metal, then bolted the metal to the frame protecting the pipes. I haven't had any rattling or anything from it yet, but I'm going to find a better way to do it because I expect it to start eventually. That way of you do bottom out, the sheet metal gets beat on, and not the expensive parts (silicone couplers aren't cheap). Piping routing is where it got a little tricky, but still managable. The drivers side pipe I used for the inlet, and the passenger side I routed to the stock location to make use of the UICP I already have. This makes for essentially a piping routing about as long as stock, with maybe an added 6"s of piping added. Not bad IMO.
The passenger side isn't too difficult. Just 2 90 degree 2.5" bends, a foot or 2 of 2.5" straight tubing, and some slightly flexible 2.5 radiator hose. The fiberglass reinforced silicone piping I got from RRE was expensive, but it looks good, and will hold up to a lot of abuse. It's just not flexable at all. To keep cost down, you need something that bends easily because the actual routing calls for something between 90 degree, and 45 degree bends. I don't have access to a mandrel bender, or the money to have it custom made, so I took the easy route. You can just use some flexible radiator hose when somthing that bends is needed.
The drivers side is where things get hard. On my 16G, I had to hack up the fan, and use flexible radiator hose to worm my way to the compressor housing outlet. I didn't like the routing in the least sense of the word, because it was all over the place, and had to hurt airflow. On a T3/T4 or something similar with a downward pointing outlet, it'd be a million times better. No hacking of the fan, or convoluted piping. With my T04E, it will require just 2 90 degree bends, some more 2.5 straight tubing, and a few silicone connectors.
Total cost was dirt cheap. I got the NPR technically for $140 (traded a 2.5 downpipe I bought from phantom roadworks for $140), 7 feet of straight 2.5 tubing from JC Whitney for I think $30 shipped which I needed very little of (I used aluminized the first time around, skip that and go to SS because mine is already rusting a bit), $45 for 2 feet of silicone tubing from RRE, and I "borrowed" the radiator hose from the shop at work. Not bad for $220, and a few hours work. Enjoy your poor mans FMIC.
