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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Technical Forums > Mechanical Maintenance: Break-in / Oil & Fluids / Servicing / Warranty > DIY: Spearco FMIC (intercooler) install



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      10-24-2007, 01:14 AM   #1
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Arrow DIY: Spearco FMIC (intercooler) install

I decided to go ahead and to do this installation myself. It wasn't very easy DIY but it's all done. I took some pictures and I hope that it will help you or at least you'll get an idea on how to do that.

This DIY is just an idea on how it can be done and I am not responsable for anything. Do it at your own risk .

Make sure you have a standart selection of automotive tools ...

You will need for sure:

8mm socket
10mm socket
Torx T30
Torx T25
Air body saw or Dremel

1. First thing you need to do is to put your car on the jack stands to have free work space.









2. You will have to remove your front bumper, wheels, both driver and pass. side inner fender covers, and factory plastic dust pan.

Here is very good DIY on how to remove front bumper. Thanks to AU335

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80133









3. After those parts are off , remove the both the factory boost tubes that connects to the intercooler on the intercooler side by removing the springs retainers.

driver side






passenger side






4. Remove factory intercooler by uncliping 2 black clips and unscrewing two Torx T25 bolts from the core support


black clips








Torx T25 bolts






Now intercooler is off ... here you can compare the size of the Stock intercooler to Spearco


Stock




Stock vs Spearco










5. Remove the pass. side turbo to intercooler boost tube. To remove the factory hose clamp, find the seam and inseart a flat head screwdriver and pry apart. Make sure not to damage factory silicone hose. I used that orange tool with the small hook to pull it off. Make sure to pull it very easy.

Boost tube











6. Disconnect the intercooler to BOV pipe from the fan shroud. No picture but you will see that clip on the pipe later



7. Loosen this clamp



and remove that pipe from the bottom of the vehicle ( turn it clock wise )


turning



pipe is off (you can see that clip from step 6 here)








8. Here is the fun part. Now you need to trim the core support using an air body saw or dremel. You need to use a caliper and set it to 0.75" (3/4) , then place the caliper against the back enge of the core support and make a line across the entire bottom part of the core support

you can see black line from one side to the center of the core support




than trim it






9. Now you need to try to fit the new intercooler in, to see if you did a good job.

10. Install the supplied 45 degree silicone hose to the factory pass. side turbo to intercooler pipe. Slide two supplied hose clamps onto 45deg. silicone hose loosely.







Now install second supplied silicone hose onto the driver side of the new intercoller with 2 hose clamps ( you can tight one down and leave the second loose)








11.Now you can install the new intercooler into the vehicle. Slide the other end of the previously installed 45 deg. hose onto pass. side inlet of the intercooler. Make sure the " L " brackets that are welded to the intercooler slides onto the back of the factory fan shroud. ( No pics of the L brackets, sorry, but you will see them on the intercooler)

pass side 45 degree silicone hose




sliding it in






driver side






12. Make sure everything fits right and then you can screw the intercooler to the core support using those two factory Torx T25 screws.

13. Woo Hoo ... Here it is







14. Now another FUN part. You will need to insert the one ( longer straight) end of the supplied boost tube into the other end of silicon hose coupling( driver side ), that was previously installed on the driver's side new intercooler inlet. The other end of supplied boost tube you will need to insert into the hose on the factory BOV securing using the factory hose clamp. To do all that, I would recommend to take off two parts of your intake, so you can have more space there.


part of the intake off



supplied silicone hose that you mounted on the intercooler's inlet ( driver side)






15. Now tight everything down and make sure all the connections are good.

16. Put everything back and go and test your new Spearco intercooler.















I hope it will help you !

DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Last edited by Moderator; 10-24-2007 at 11:35 PM..
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      10-24-2007, 01:39 AM   #2
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Nice DIY
Any idea the weight of Spearco Vs. Stock?
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      10-24-2007, 01:39 AM   #3
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I don't know what exatly FMIC do for car (yet), but this is really clean and well explained DIY. Im sure it will help alot who want to this mod.

Thanks! Great work
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      10-24-2007, 01:41 AM   #4
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nice man! do you have any pics of the front but at a lower height?
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      10-24-2007, 01:43 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by that guy nico View Post
nice man! do you have any pics of the front but at a lower height?
what do you mean ?
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      10-24-2007, 01:45 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gen_E92 View Post
Nice DIY
Any idea the weight of Spearco Vs. Stock?
Not sure what is the differnce but stock one is lighter ...
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      10-24-2007, 01:49 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by doba_s View Post
what do you mean ?
something like this but maybe croutching

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      10-24-2007, 01:56 AM   #8
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do you mean from the underneath ? you can't see anything there because it is all covered.
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      10-24-2007, 02:03 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by doba_s View Post
do you mean from the underneath ? you can't see anything there because it is all covered.
lol like this but farther away and not on the jackstands. actually this pic is good enough so whatever


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      10-24-2007, 02:06 AM   #10
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haha ... sorry man i am tired and it's time for me to go sleep ...

I'll post more pics ... I need to wash her and then I'll post better ones ...
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      10-24-2007, 04:28 AM   #11
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no pics?
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      10-24-2007, 09:03 AM   #12
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i'll fix it later ... stupid photobucket is not working now ...
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      10-24-2007, 10:24 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by black36 View Post
I don't know what exatly FMIC do for car (yet), but this is really clean and well explained DIY. Im sure it will help alot who want to this mod.

Thanks! Great work
Basically, when your turbos make boost they compress air and this causes it to heat up, and hot air is no good for making power and leads to evil things like detonation. So, your front mount intercooler comes to the rescue and cools off your intake charge from incoming air passing through it before that previously compressed air gets jammed into your throttle body.

Doba_S... very nice write-up! Thanks.
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      10-24-2007, 12:46 PM   #14
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did you change out your bumper grilles/ during the process??

just curious cause they were silver before and now are black
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      10-24-2007, 04:52 PM   #15
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Hmmm, I thought this IC doesnot need any cutting. It looks like it's sitting too low, doesn't it?

Thx for the nice DIY
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      10-24-2007, 05:25 PM   #16
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great job... please let us know the need for the trimming? is it because u cant fit it infron t of the radiator from underneath without having more space? If i were to get one and take it to a professional shop, do you think they would trim that peice?
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      10-24-2007, 11:30 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oddjob2021 View Post
great job... please let us know the need for the trimming? is it because u cant fit it infron t of the radiator from underneath without having more space? If i were to get one and take it to a professional shop, do you think they would trim that peice?
yes, you need to trim it ... Spearco is a little bit bigger and you can't fit it in without trimming.
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      10-24-2007, 11:32 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mikey335i View Post
did you change out your bumper grilles/ during the process??

just curious cause they were silver before and now are black
yes I did ... i like black better ...
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      10-24-2007, 11:35 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by judec View Post
Hmmm, I thought this IC doesnot need any cutting. It looks like it's sitting too low, doesn't it?

Thx for the nice DIY
Nope it fits perfect and it doesn't sit low ... it bolts to the same place the stock one does ... so ... no problems with it ...
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      10-25-2007, 01:33 AM   #20
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Well done and nice DIY! You must be one of the verrrrrry few who have ever even attempted this!
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      10-25-2007, 02:26 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by scooby9 View Post
Well done and nice DIY! You must be one of the verrrrrry few who have ever even attempted this!
thank you !!!
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      10-25-2007, 10:48 PM   #22
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Is the engine running any cooler than usual? Or is that just the oil cooler than helps that
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