Thanks for the tip, like I said the Alta is about $175 less in price so that is certainly tempting, yet the install is a pain (from what it sounds like) ...so until I hear about the Helix group discount I am not going to do anything.

thanks,

 

sounds like a solid plan!

 

Group Buy has been posted

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post2675815

 

Just checked the group buy discounts. I'll have to wait and see if the prices come down further in the future. For those that do purchase, be sure to post up your impressions after the instal.

 

I signed up (for the group buy). provided we get 5 people $99 off is a GREAT deal. Sign up people !!!

 

Will the Helix FMIC fit an MCS with the JCW aero kit front bumper without any cutting or trimming?

 

Yes, it will.

 

Okay I finally got around to installing my intercooler last night.

question, I know hot air is coming through the intercooler, -does the intercooler get really hot? I ask this because the intercooler is installed between the body and plastic grill of the car. I want to make sure the intercooler won't melt the plastic grill on my air dam. I think I read that the air coming into the intercooler is around 245 degrees ...before it gets cooled.
thanks,

 

Mine has been installed for a while, I live about 60 miles from Palm Springs so rest assured it is hot around here. The Helix FMIC is within 1/8" of the lower grille on both ends of the IC (I have the factory Aero Kit) and there is absolutely no damage or indication of any heat exposure to the plastic grille.

 

Thanks,
Looking at this carefully I can see that only one edge is actually touching ..it's the weld that is touching. The weld on one edge seems a little thick and is resting against the grill. The other side is about 1/8" like you said. And the bulk of the intercooler is about 1/2". Glad to hear there is no concern for melting

 

if ur intercooler was hot enough to melt plastic (or even too hot to touch) there's deffinately a problem there

 

OK. I installed Helix stepped core front mount intercooler this morning and I love it. It should have only taken me 30 min to install but I also slapped on the Alta hot-side boost tube. OMG, that boost tube was a pain! The one screw that keeps it in place in the middle of the tube was an absolute pain to get to. So the whole job took me an hour. Also, that's because due to prior mods, I can get my front bumber off in like 10 minutes now. Take off the top grill and 7 screws later, bamm, front bumber is off.

Now to the real world testing results. As a baseline, with the stock boost tubes and stock intercooler, when I smash the gas at wide open thottle, I would see my air intake temp start to rise (via my ODBII guages). It can rise on average to about 20-30 degrees hotter depending on how long I hold WOT during highway pulls.

But today after intalling the Helix intercooler and the Alta hot-side boost tube, my air intake temp did not rise at all during WOT highway pulls. As a matter of fact, it went down 2 to 4 degrees! Yes, to my surprise, it went down. So for example, ambient air this morning was 76 degrees. Went out crusing after the install and my air intake temp was at 86 degrees, which is normal at 10 degrees above ambient. Then onto the highway pulls. At WOT, the air temp would drop to 84 and 82 degrees. SWEET! As for a pressure drop, I can't see it. I'm still holding 13 psi at WOT and peaks to 14.5 to 15.5 psi, just like before. And water temp is fine at 222 to 226, normal range.

Again, this intercooler is very nice! Awesome design and it works! I can't say how much HP it's giving me. But I'll need to hit the dragstrip again to see that.

As I drive more in the next few weeks/months , I'll reply back to this thread with more real world results.

Some pics from today:

 

Nice post, thanks for taking the time to take the pics and sharing the data.

 

That's very impressive! Can't wait to install mine Now you need to get some lowering springs!

 

Arnel,

Did you get a chance to go to the drag strip with the IC yet? Am anxiously waiting for your latest times.

 

LOL. No not yet. I just installed it on Saturday. Didn't go to the dragstrip right away.

And I'm super busy with other things. Don't know when I'll be able to hit the track next.

But I will post when I do, good or bad.

 

installed mine (finally) about a week ago or so.

Hard to tell, yet my MCS seems to be a bit faster, ...quicker response and smoother/quicker turbo spool up. My only other performance mod is a DDM street CAI. ..my MCS seems faster than it was when stock w/ these 2 mods.

 

Mine has arrived

Installing once the sun goes down

 

Mine is here too :-0

FMIC and rear seat removal - Saturday

 

lol, I still haven't installed it...

attempted to install it last night at like 11pm, but was far too tired to deal with those damn plastic pop-it tabs, I wanted to kill someone!! So I said F it and put the grill back on and went to bed, saying I'm just going to pay someone.

Anyone who has installed an intercooler here have any bright tips to deal with those mother f'ing tabs? I ended up sawing one of them off in complete frustration, because no matter what I tried to pry it out with, it would not budge. I personally don't think the Alta FMIC install guide on here is very helpful either. So any first hand experience tips??

 

Arnel your car looks weird. I don't know why. I like the inter cooler though and what are the 2 gauges of the left side of your tach. So I take it the install was pretty easy.

 

Lol, that was rude!

I think it looks pretty good!

It might look "weird" due to the lack of white turn signals on a black car, or with the chin spoiler and aftermarket wheels, you'd expect to see it lowered.

 

PM sent

 

ThumperMCS,

Look at this instruction from Forge.

http://www.forgemotorsport.com/conte...oduct=FMINTR56

 

Ok, install done...and wow. I recommend this IC 110%!!!

After installed, I took it for a drive not expecting to feel too much of a difference, especially considering its 110+ here today. But wow, the difference is very noticeable!

The IAT's on my scanguage show a big improvement. Prior to the install I went for a spin with the stock IC and saw IAT's reach up all the way up to 155 F at some points. (after a 1, 2, 3 WOT run). It did recover fairly quickly given its small size, but temps still hovered around 125, even once I returned to 'normal' driving.

With the Helix IC, I went and drove the crap out of the car...and the ambient air temps were probably higher at this point of the day also, and I almost thought my scan guage was broken....IAT's barely rose. They hovered around 115 F (which is about 5 above ambient, give or take a few degrees) no matter what I did. After a 1, 2, 3 WOT run the highest I saw was 120 F....remember this is where I saw 155 F with the stock IC...and ambient temps were a few degrees lower at that time!

Naturally, it does not recover as quickly as stock, given its larger size...but it still recovers remarkably quick given how much bigger than stock it is.

The car pulls really hard, and it is a very noticeable difference. Torque steer is more evident post-install, so that an indication it definitely did something!

Can't wait to get it to some cooler temps, in the mountains or in CA, I'm sure it will really shine more than it already has.

Everybody who is running increased boost, this is a MUST have mod. For those that are stock...I'm sure you'll see an improvement, but stock always worked just fine for me, until I got tuned.