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Old 02-19-2013, 09:30 PM   #317
Concillian
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 4414
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Dublin, CA
Vehicle:
2002 WRX Sedan
Midnight Black

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FYI, I got everything installed.

I'm currently troubleshooting AVCS wiring issues before tuning. Running at just wastegate boost of 10.5 psi (~5mm preload) and stock version 8 ignition timing (which I'm sure is a bit low for E85). Tuning and comparisons will have to wait until after I figure out my AVCS issue. Could be a week or three depending on what spare time I have.

I had two last issues when assembling everything:
The 2.0L passenger side TMIC bracket doesn't fit.
The 2.5L intercooler bracket has more room between the mount bolts and where the upright comes up. The 2.0L bracket hits the compressor outlet high and also hits the compressor housing low. I didn't even realize these are different parts 2.0L and 2.5L, but they clearly are. I found someone who has a picture of these two brackets next to each other that shows the difference (2.5L top / 2.0L right below that one.):
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=1546771

I do not know the part number, I happened to have one of the 2.5L ones because the version 8 STi uses that bracket too, so my EJ207 came with one. It was a bit bent up, as both the importer and I lifted the engine with that TMIC bracket. I thought they were both the same, so I was going to use my stock one... then it didn't fit... So I did my best to bend the other one back into shape and got it to fit in. Not a perfect fit, but it's in.

FR or FAST should find out what part the 2.0L guys need to order, I think you'd want to tell people with a stock 2.0L that they'll need the other bracket if they want to run a TMIC. I didn't find it in a scan of subarugenuineparts.com. They had the 08+ bracket and 2.0L bracket easy to find, but the 04-07 2.5L bracket was not something I could find in their catalog. Most posts in the forums here at NASIOC seemed to indicate that most people think these brackets are the same for all 02-07. I can confirm without a doubt that they're different for 02-05 WRX. 06-07 WRX appears to be the same as 04-07 STi (the correct one.)

The other issue may be an exclusive issue with the Process West TMIC and may or may not be an issue on the STi TMIC. Once it was all together, I realized the intercooler was sitting on the compressor outlet before it rested on the bracket. I ended up having to take everything back apart and do some gymnastics to loosen the compressor housing band clamp to clock the turbo slightly clockwise from it's as-received orientation, which let the intercooler drop down and bolt to the support bracket.

This made the clearance with the bracket even more of an issue, but I got it to work. I had to muscle the bracket towards the firewall to fit the hose clamp between the bracket and the silicone elbow. Then once the clamp was in place, I had to muscle the bracket back to line it up with the intercooler. Hopefully that's only an issue with PW TMICs.

Bottom line is that just about EVERY dimension is tight on the kit. there are some places where it seemed that if the turbo were 1/16th inch bigger, it just would not be possible to fit it where it is.

As a result it was a bit of a pain to get it all together. I'm impressed that FR was able to do it and is confident enough in their tolerances to sell as a DIY install kit. It's not the kind of thing I see anyone able to fabricate on their own without quite a bit of trial and error and cursing and wasting time. Then again someone fabricating their own would likely be rotating it, and there would be more room then.

Thanks FR and FAST, hopefully next time I'll be posting in my own thread showing road dyno and datalog comparisons.
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Last edited by Concillian; 02-19-2013 at 09:51 PM.
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