The eBay TMIC

D-Speed 2.5 · 08-13-2005, 01:05 PM

There was another thread on here that left a lot of people with questions about the Ebay TMIC and the owner without air conditioning. I carefully read that entire thread and decided to buy the ebay TMIC for $240 shipped. It did not come with any hosing so I also purchased a Samco kit on ebay which was $90 shipped. I also had to do the y pipe extention mod found here: http://www.scoobymods.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3669 The pipe required cost me $2. So my grand total was $332 for a new TMIC setup.

Here is a pic of the TMIC and the Samco when I first got them:

The welds and overall finish were as good/ if not better than the other TMICs on the market that I have seen. I was really stoked to put it in! Install took around an hour for several reasons. From the last thread, I knew there were going to be two main issues: the AC line against the firewall, and the brackets that held the stock TMIC in place. Luckily I have a buddy who is a seasoned Subaru mechanic.

Here are some rough instructions that should get you through it. Sorry I didn't take pics.

-Remove the stock TMIC
-Remove the elbows from the back of the stocker and put them on the new TMIC.
-Bend the CRAP out of your AC Line!!!! It is aluminum and very flexible. It is crucial that this thing never touches the TMIC. I also used a 3/4 inch rubber pipe insulator to further prevent rubbing. Read the other thread to find out how much AC work costs.
-With the AC line out of the way, lower the new TMIC into place and slide your modified Samcos onto the turbo and TB.
-Now you will see that the driver's side bracket lines up fine with the new TMIC but the passenger's side is hoplessly off.
-Bolt the TMIC to the driver's side bracket
-You will notice that the new TMIC rest on the passenger side bracket. I used a piece of spare rubber and put it between the two so that it wouldn't rub but would still give it support.
-Bolt on your BOV, you will have to use slightly shorter 10mm bolts because the stock ones are two long. This wasn't a problem for me because I seem to have lots of spare Subaru bolts sitting around my garage. If not, go to a hardware store for this or canabalize 2 of them off another part of your car.
-Screw on the oil breather lines to the front of the TMIC
-Remove the stock air diverter from under the scoop on your hood, it won't fit!
-When you close your hood you will notice a small rubbing issue against the hood on the driver's side. There is a seemingly unnecessary extra sheet of metal here that holds your windshield sprayer line. I cut that piece off with some sheers. It doesn't affect the washer line at all.
-Now you are good to go. I would reccommend making a shroud of some sort with foam or garage door moulding so that the TMIC is sealed with the scoop.
-Also you should have a heat shield over your turbo, I have modded my stocker to fit over my bellmouth. The new TMIC hangs over the turbo quite a bit and heat soak could be a real issue without a shield.
-Oh, and your strut bar won't fit anymore but it was only for show anyways as the towers are so close to the firewall.

Here are some finished pics:

A pic of the stock setup for reference:

And a pic of my car:

Driving impressions with this new setup are as follows:
-Car feels more powerful above 4k RPM
-I gained .4-.5 psi of boost (I think this is attributable to the less restrictive bar and plate design)
-The intercooler is cool to the touch after very hard driving whereas the old one would be hot
-I have the stock turbo still but this new TMIC has more than cleared the path for future mods, including a new turbo. I also feel a little safer cranking the boost up a bit with a cooler charge.

* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

dvang · 08-13-2005, 02:10 PM

good writeup im thinkin of doing the same thing too

I WANT AN STI · 08-13-2005, 02:19 PM

i bought the same one about a month ago but havent put it in yet, i figured on the pipe extension but havent gone to the store yet to get some piping, im lazy.....

D-Speed 2.5 · 08-13-2005, 03:40 PM

The pipe extension is really easy. I couldn't imagne spending over $400 on a TMIC from anyone else.

B16A2NR · 08-13-2005, 04:20 PM

I'm a scoob noob,
What are those two black lines that run parallel over the bottom of the intercooler? How close was the filament to keeping the strut bar on? Any modification to keep the strut bar intact? Do you feel a larger BOV such as the RFL will hit the roof since it is angled in that direction or do you feel there is more room to clear a bigger bov?
Did you install the weather stripping or seal for the intercooler? How would you attach it to the roof without bolts? Sorry for all the questions, as you can see I am very interested in this setup.

D-Speed 2.5 · 08-13-2005, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B16A2NR

I'm a scoob noob,
What are those two black lines that run parallel over the bottom of the intercooler? How close was the filament to keeping the strut bar on? Any modification to keep the strut bar intact? Do you feel a larger BOV such as the RFL will hit the roof since it is angled in that direction or do you feel there is more room to clear a bigger bov?
Did you install the weather stripping or seal for the intercooler? How would you attach it to the roof without bolts? Sorry for all the questions, as you can see I am very interested in this setup.

-The lines are breather lines, that many people hook their catch cans up to.
-The end tank on top of the intercooler was about 1/4 inch from the strut bar. I may have been able to leave the strut bar but but when you rev the engine it would barely touch the bar which is not good. I am going to shave the bar down on the bottom to see if I can use it again.
-The RFL or other BOV would not hit the hood. The angle and location for the BOV is almost identicle to the stock TMIC
-To seal the TMIC to the scoop, I made a shroud using flashing (aluminum sheet metal available at Home Depot). I used the mounting points from the stock shroud. Once this was on, I used a clear silicon adhesive to attach weather stripping around the bottom of the scoop. Trial by error, it takes a couple of tries to get it to line up perfectly once the hood is closed. This setup almost looks factory and has worked so far. Oh and it cost ~$5.

Hope that helps. I'm normally not into writing such lengthy threads but I am very happy with this intercooler and I wanted to show all the haters that not all good stuff has a name brand on it.

wrxtreme2 · 08-13-2005, 06:54 PM

Are these still available for $240 ? I don't see any on ebay any more ?. Thanx

imprezilization · 08-13-2005, 07:18 PM

great write up. thanx

D-Speed 2.5 · 08-14-2005, 11:40 AM

I see them all the time on ebay still. Most say "Buy Now $350" but be patient and you will find one for $200+ shipping.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrxtreme2

Are these still available for $240 ? I don't see any on ebay any more ?. Thanx

B16A2NR · 08-14-2005, 10:17 PM

Thanks for the detailed response. Could you post a pic of the weather stripping on the car? I would love to see how you did this.

D-Speed 2.5 · 08-15-2005, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B16A2NR

Thanks for the detailed response. Could you post a pic of the weather stripping on the car? I would love to see how you did this.

Give me a couple of days and I'll get you a picture.

Turismo · 08-15-2005, 06:02 AM

Looks impressive.

Rock_Strongo · 08-15-2005, 06:38 AM

Would one of these work with an STi scoop/splitter?

D-Speed 2.5 · 08-15-2005, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 02redwrx

Would one of these work with an STi scoop/splitter?

I'm using it with an STi scoop right now. You could hack the splitter to fit but it still won't be big enough to direct air over the entire surface of the intercooler. I removed mine completely and designed a shroud out of aluminum flashing and foam weather seal so that it is more or less sealed with incoming airflow.

Kastle on Scoobymods removed his entire shroud as well. I couldn't find that thread but its on there somewhere.

I will have pics of my scoop/ shroud setup in a bit.

D-Speed 2.5 · 08-15-2005, 03:55 PM

Here you guys go: $199, zero bids
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Top-M...93227525QQrdZ1

scoobysnk · 08-15-2005, 04:24 PM

Mine should be in tom. and I will put it in as soon as I get home from work. I can't wait. I figure with the money I saved on this one I can feel saucey when I get some suspension.

WilkinsSubaru · 08-15-2005, 04:55 PM

Just proves that you can find a good honest deal on ebay. Intercoolers really aren't a very complicated part. I hope everything works out good for you.

Jackie

Turismo · 08-15-2005, 07:53 PM

Keep us posted on dyno results in the future.

D-Speed 2.5 · 08-16-2005, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scoobysnk

Mine should be in tom. and I will put it in as soon as I get home from work. I can't wait. I figure with the money I saved on this one I can feel saucey when I get some suspension.

PM me if you need help but its pretty easy to see what needs to be modified once you test fit it. Just make sure to get the AC line out of the way!!!!!!!

D-Speed 2.5 · 08-16-2005, 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WilkinsSubaru

Just proves that you can find a good honest deal on ebay. Intercoolers really aren't a very complicated part. I hope everything works out good for you.

Jackie

See Jackie has the right attitude. That is why I have bought my STi splitters and MOMO Airleather from Wilkins!

ride5000 · 08-16-2005, 10:02 AM

nice review

D-Speed 2.5 · 08-16-2005, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scoobysnk

Mine should be in tom. and I will put it in as soon as I get home from work. I can't wait. I figure with the money I saved on this one I can feel saucey when I get some suspension.

Did you put it on yet?

wRxbeater11 · 08-17-2005, 01:16 AM

Just bought one today, cant wait for it to get here...

icantdrive75 · 08-20-2005, 06:33 AM

Been looking into this. Thanks for being a guinea pig and doing a write up.

Just FYI, I know a guy who worked at Subaru R&D on the 04 STi. He said, at one point, they welded a bar onto the front strut towers. Made absolutly no difference. So that strut bar really is for show, so I wouldn't worry about it not fitting. You can always sell it to some unsuspecting n00b

Again, thanks. Anyone tried the ebay FMICs??

ride5000 · 08-20-2005, 07:38 AM

lots and lots of people report increased understeer once fitting a front STB. how do you explain that?

08-13-2005, 01:05 PM	#1
D-Speed 2.5 Scooby Specialist Member Sales Rating: (2) Member#: 29516 Join Date: Nov 2002 Chapter/Region: RMIC Location: Denver Vehicle: 2005 WRX Wagon Former GC O.G.	The eBay TMIC There was another thread on here that left a lot of people with questions about the Ebay TMIC and the owner without air conditioning. I carefully read that entire thread and decided to buy the ebay TMIC for $240 shipped. It did not come with any hosing so I also purchased a Samco kit on ebay which was $90 shipped. I also had to do the y pipe extention mod found here: http://www.scoobymods.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3669 The pipe required cost me $2. So my grand total was $332 for a new TMIC setup. Here is a pic of the TMIC and the Samco when I first got them: The welds and overall finish were as good/ if not better than the other TMICs on the market that I have seen. I was really stoked to put it in! Install took around an hour for several reasons. From the last thread, I knew there were going to be two main issues: the AC line against the firewall, and the brackets that held the stock TMIC in place. Luckily I have a buddy who is a seasoned Subaru mechanic. Here are some rough instructions that should get you through it. Sorry I didn't take pics. -Remove the stock TMIC -Remove the elbows from the back of the stocker and put them on the new TMIC. -Bend the CRAP out of your AC Line!!!! It is aluminum and very flexible. It is crucial that this thing never touches the TMIC. I also used a 3/4 inch rubber pipe insulator to further prevent rubbing. Read the other thread to find out how much AC work costs. -With the AC line out of the way, lower the new TMIC into place and slide your modified Samcos onto the turbo and TB. -Now you will see that the driver's side bracket lines up fine with the new TMIC but the passenger's side is hoplessly off. -Bolt the TMIC to the driver's side bracket -You will notice that the new TMIC rest on the passenger side bracket. I used a piece of spare rubber and put it between the two so that it wouldn't rub but would still give it support. -Bolt on your BOV, you will have to use slightly shorter 10mm bolts because the stock ones are two long. This wasn't a problem for me because I seem to have lots of spare Subaru bolts sitting around my garage. If not, go to a hardware store for this or canabalize 2 of them off another part of your car. -Screw on the oil breather lines to the front of the TMIC -Remove the stock air diverter from under the scoop on your hood, it won't fit! -When you close your hood you will notice a small rubbing issue against the hood on the driver's side. There is a seemingly unnecessary extra sheet of metal here that holds your windshield sprayer line. I cut that piece off with some sheers. It doesn't affect the washer line at all. -Now you are good to go. I would reccommend making a shroud of some sort with foam or garage door moulding so that the TMIC is sealed with the scoop. -Also you should have a heat shield over your turbo, I have modded my stocker to fit over my bellmouth. The new TMIC hangs over the turbo quite a bit and heat soak could be a real issue without a shield. -Oh, and your strut bar won't fit anymore but it was only for show anyways as the towers are so close to the firewall. Here are some finished pics: A pic of the stock setup for reference: And a pic of my car: Driving impressions with this new setup are as follows: -Car feels more powerful above 4k RPM -I gained .4-.5 psi of boost (I think this is attributable to the less restrictive bar and plate design) -The intercooler is cool to the touch after very hard driving whereas the old one would be hot -I have the stock turbo still but this new TMIC has more than cleared the path for future mods, including a new turbo. I also feel a little safer cranking the boost up a bit with a cooler charge. * Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

08-15-2005, 04:55 PM	#17
WilkinsSubaru Vendor Vendor Sales Rating: (8) Member#: 43552 Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: 6917 Ritchie Hwy Glen Burnie Vehicle: :o) Need Parts Now?	Just proves that you can find a good honest deal on ebay. Intercoolers really aren't a very complicated part. I hope everything works out good for you. Jackie __________________ Jackie Wilkins Subaru Parts Direct: 410-689-8061

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08-13-2005, 02:10 PM	#2
dvang Scooby Specialist Member Sales Rating: (4) Member#: 84188 Join Date: Mar 2005 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: its too cold Vehicle: 05 legacy caravan full of kids now	good writeup im thinkin of doing the same thing too

08-13-2005, 02:19 PM	#3
I WANT AN STI Scooby Specialist Member Sales Rating: (15) Member#: 79983 Join Date: Jan 2005 Chapter/Region: MAIC Location: va beach Vehicle: 2005 STI Aspen White	i bought the same one about a month ago but havent put it in yet, i figured on the pipe extension but havent gone to the store yet to get some piping, im lazy.....

08-13-2005, 03:40 PM	#4
D-Speed 2.5 Scooby Specialist Member Sales Rating: (2) Member#: 29516 Join Date: Nov 2002 Chapter/Region: RMIC Location: Denver Vehicle: 2005 WRX Wagon Former GC O.G.	The pipe extension is really easy. I couldn't imagne spending over $400 on a TMIC from anyone else.

08-13-2005, 04:20 PM	#5
B16A2NR Scooby Specialist Member Sales Rating: (69) Member#: 88676 Join Date: Jun 2005 Chapter/Region: BAIC Location: North of SCIC	I'm a scoob noob, What are those two black lines that run parallel over the bottom of the intercooler? How close was the filament to keeping the strut bar on? Any modification to keep the strut bar intact? Do you feel a larger BOV such as the RFL will hit the roof since it is angled in that direction or do you feel there is more room to clear a bigger bov? Did you install the weather stripping or seal for the intercooler? How would you attach it to the roof without bolts? Sorry for all the questions, as you can see I am very interested in this setup.

08-13-2005, 06:54 PM	#7
wrxtreme2 Scooby Specialist Member Sales Rating: (5) Member#: 71896 Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: pa/ny, usa	Are these still available for $240 ? I don't see any on ebay any more ?. Thanx

08-13-2005, 07:18 PM	#8
imprezilization Scooby Specialist Member Sales Rating: (3) Member#: 73471 Join Date: Oct 2004 Chapter/Region: SCIC Location: socal Vehicle: 2004 WRX Stg2+some Blk melon launcher	great write up. thanx

08-14-2005, 10:17 PM	#10
B16A2NR Scooby Specialist Member Sales Rating: (69) Member#: 88676 Join Date: Jun 2005 Chapter/Region: BAIC Location: North of SCIC	Thanks for the detailed response. Could you post a pic of the weather stripping on the car? I would love to see how you did this.

08-15-2005, 06:02 AM	#12
Turismo Scooby Newbie Member Sales Rating: (0) Member#: 40800 Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Adelaide, Australia Vehicle: 2005 MY06 Hatch Ice Blue Metallic	Looks impressive.

08-15-2005, 06:38 AM	#13
Rock_Strongo Scooby Specialist Member Sales Rating: (57) Member#: 38721 Join Date: Jun 2003 Chapter/Region: NESIC Location: Fubar'D is my Wordfeud Bitch! Vehicle: =-)	Would one of these work with an STi scoop/splitter?

08-15-2005, 03:55 PM	#15
D-Speed 2.5 Scooby Specialist Member Sales Rating: (2) Member#: 29516 Join Date: Nov 2002 Chapter/Region: RMIC Location: Denver Vehicle: 2005 WRX Wagon Former GC O.G.	Here you guys go: $199, zero bids http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Top-M...93227525QQrdZ1

08-15-2005, 04:24 PM	#16
scoobysnk Scooby Newbie Member Sales Rating: (7) Member#: 83727 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Brookhaven, Pa Vehicle: 1993 Hyundai Accent 2dr	Mine should be in tom. and I will put it in as soon as I get home from work. I can't wait. I figure with the money I saved on this one I can feel saucey when I get some suspension.

08-15-2005, 07:53 PM	#18
Turismo Scooby Newbie Member Sales Rating: (0) Member#: 40800 Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Adelaide, Australia Vehicle: 2005 MY06 Hatch Ice Blue Metallic	Keep us posted on dyno results in the future.

08-16-2005, 10:02 AM	#21
ride5000 Scooby Guru Member Sales Rating: (4) Member#: 32792 Join Date: Feb 2003 Chapter/Region: NESIC Location: lincoln, ri Vehicle: 2003 GGA MBP 12.9 / 105+	nice review

08-17-2005, 01:16 AM	#23
wRxbeater11 Scooby Specialist Member Sales Rating: (15) Member#: 12682 Join Date: Nov 2001 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: Middle East, Asia	Just bought one today, cant wait for it to get here...

08-20-2005, 06:33 AM	#24
icantdrive75 Scooby Specialist Member Sales Rating: (1) Member#: 69663 Join Date: Sep 2004 Chapter/Region: TXIC Location: Midland, TX Vehicle: 2004 WRX Java Black Pearl	Been looking into this. Thanks for being a guinea pig and doing a write up. Just FYI, I know a guy who worked at Subaru R&D on the 04 STi. He said, at one point, they welded a bar onto the front strut towers. Made absolutly no difference. So that strut bar really is for show, so I wouldn't worry about it not fitting. You can always sell it to some unsuspecting n00b Again, thanks. Anyone tried the ebay FMICs??

08-20-2005, 07:38 AM	#25
ride5000 Scooby Guru Member Sales Rating: (4) Member#: 32792 Join Date: Feb 2003 Chapter/Region: NESIC Location: lincoln, ri Vehicle: 2003 GGA MBP 12.9 / 105+	lots and lots of people report increased understeer once fitting a front STB. how do you explain that?