ETS 4" Intercooler install help
I got mine on but ended up having to cut both of the brackets for the main bolts for the bumper and also shave some plastic on the air duct for the oil cooler and also trim off some of the mesh for the grilles that was hanging out. I was also not exactly happy with the fitment. The setup is quality for sure, but the fitment was off for me. The worst was when I called ETS they said you just had to trim a little of the plastic on the two bottom air ducts on the passenger and drivers side. I wasn't sure what plastic they were referring to and that the only thing that was making contact for sure 100% (because I could feel it with my fingers hitting the FMIC) was the bolt brackets. He said that is weird and has never happened. I then asked for a picture of the parts that needed trimming, and he said they didn't have one.... and you sell these for a living? 
Oh well. Mine is on, but had to do some serious trimming to make it work. It works great, but whoever said fitment was stock was seriously mistaken...
Oh well. Mine is on, but had to do some serious trimming to make it work. It works great, but whoever said fitment was stock was seriously mistaken...
We take fitment issues very seriously. I'm unsure what has changed, I pulled an intercooler out of current batch and installed it on our mock up clip and it fit perfectly. The 3.5" should sit almost flush with the back of the 9 bumper openings. The 4.0" does require minor trimming of the bumper cover and possibly grill brackets like the evolution 8.
The intercoolers you guys received did the brackets look bent at all? It's very hard to tell on the side brackets, but it should have lined up and bolted down perfectly. Was it just bumper trimming? I need to find out if something has changed with the spacers we are providing, the boxing we are doing, etc. Your help is much appreciated.
I'm also very sorry about the first intercooler arriving damaged. UPS is not kind to every package, but we try our best to package it the best we can. We use a 4 ply box that is dual walled on the sides and 4 walls on the bottom and top as well as silicone on the inlet and outlet to prevent any damage.
I'm going to be doing a little research on my end, but we have sold several other intercoolers in the last month and they haven't had a problem, so i'm very interested to see if the brackets bolted directly up. Does it looks like if the spacer was shorter it would clear the bumper beam and the 2 openings on the 9 bumper? Wonder if you guys got the wrong spacers. If it's off by an 1/8 up top it's going to be like .5" to .75" on the bottom.
Michael
The intercoolers you guys received did the brackets look bent at all? It's very hard to tell on the side brackets, but it should have lined up and bolted down perfectly. Was it just bumper trimming? I need to find out if something has changed with the spacers we are providing, the boxing we are doing, etc. Your help is much appreciated.
I'm also very sorry about the first intercooler arriving damaged. UPS is not kind to every package, but we try our best to package it the best we can. We use a 4 ply box that is dual walled on the sides and 4 walls on the bottom and top as well as silicone on the inlet and outlet to prevent any damage.
I'm going to be doing a little research on my end, but we have sold several other intercoolers in the last month and they haven't had a problem, so i'm very interested to see if the brackets bolted directly up. Does it looks like if the spacer was shorter it would clear the bumper beam and the 2 openings on the 9 bumper? Wonder if you guys got the wrong spacers. If it's off by an 1/8 up top it's going to be like .5" to .75" on the bottom.
Michael
I installed my ETS 4in core this pass weekend and I had no fitment problems what so ever and I might add it was probably one of the easiest installed I've done on my car.
Camera phone picture FTL
Camera phone picture FTL
Last edited by s.e.a.n.; Jun 30, 2010 at 02:42 PM.
We take fitment issues very seriously. I'm unsure what has changed, I pulled an intercooler out of current batch and installed it on our mock up clip and it fit perfectly. The 3.5" should sit almost flush with the back of the 9 bumper openings. The 4.0" does require minor trimming of the bumper cover and possibly grill brackets like the evolution 8.
The intercoolers you guys received did the brackets look bent at all? It's very hard to tell on the side brackets, but it should have lined up and bolted down perfectly. Was it just bumper trimming? I need to find out if something has changed with the spacers we are providing, the boxing we are doing, etc. Your help is much appreciated.
I'm also very sorry about the first intercooler arriving damaged. UPS is not kind to every package, but we try our best to package it the best we can. We use a 4 ply box that is dual walled on the sides and 4 walls on the bottom and top as well as silicone on the inlet and outlet to prevent any damage.
I'm going to be doing a little research on my end, but we have sold several other intercoolers in the last month and they haven't had a problem, so i'm very interested to see if the brackets bolted directly up. Does it looks like if the spacer was shorter it would clear the bumper beam and the 2 openings on the 9 bumper? Wonder if you guys got the wrong spacers. If it's off by an 1/8 up top it's going to be like .5" to .75" on the bottom.
Michael
The intercoolers you guys received did the brackets look bent at all? It's very hard to tell on the side brackets, but it should have lined up and bolted down perfectly. Was it just bumper trimming? I need to find out if something has changed with the spacers we are providing, the boxing we are doing, etc. Your help is much appreciated.
I'm also very sorry about the first intercooler arriving damaged. UPS is not kind to every package, but we try our best to package it the best we can. We use a 4 ply box that is dual walled on the sides and 4 walls on the bottom and top as well as silicone on the inlet and outlet to prevent any damage.
I'm going to be doing a little research on my end, but we have sold several other intercoolers in the last month and they haven't had a problem, so i'm very interested to see if the brackets bolted directly up. Does it looks like if the spacer was shorter it would clear the bumper beam and the 2 openings on the 9 bumper? Wonder if you guys got the wrong spacers. If it's off by an 1/8 up top it's going to be like .5" to .75" on the bottom.
Michael
I pulled my bumper after tightening the two bolts to the bumper support, which then it felt like something was hitting, so I removed the bumper and where the two brackets are on the bumper cracked. I am not sure if it was already like this or because of the force I had to put by tightening the bolts. Underneath, all looks good. However, I had to remove the two metal clips on the bottom of the air duct "ovals" on the bumper, they were hitting the intercooler.
I'm gonna do some more inspecting this evening. And see what else I can find.
We take fitment issues very seriously. I'm unsure what has changed, I pulled an intercooler out of current batch and installed it on our mock up clip and it fit perfectly. The 3.5" should sit almost flush with the back of the 9 bumper openings. The 4.0" does require minor trimming of the bumper cover and possibly grill brackets like the evolution 8.
The intercoolers you guys received did the brackets look bent at all? It's very hard to tell on the side brackets, but it should have lined up and bolted down perfectly. Was it just bumper trimming? I need to find out if something has changed with the spacers we are providing, the boxing we are doing, etc. Your help is much appreciated.
I'm also very sorry about the first intercooler arriving damaged. UPS is not kind to every package, but we try our best to package it the best we can. We use a 4 ply box that is dual walled on the sides and 4 walls on the bottom and top as well as silicone on the inlet and outlet to prevent any damage.
I'm going to be doing a little research on my end, but we have sold several other intercoolers in the last month and they haven't had a problem, so i'm very interested to see if the brackets bolted directly up. Does it looks like if the spacer was shorter it would clear the bumper beam and the 2 openings on the 9 bumper? Wonder if you guys got the wrong spacers. If it's off by an 1/8 up top it's going to be like .5" to .75" on the bottom.
Michael
The intercoolers you guys received did the brackets look bent at all? It's very hard to tell on the side brackets, but it should have lined up and bolted down perfectly. Was it just bumper trimming? I need to find out if something has changed with the spacers we are providing, the boxing we are doing, etc. Your help is much appreciated.
I'm also very sorry about the first intercooler arriving damaged. UPS is not kind to every package, but we try our best to package it the best we can. We use a 4 ply box that is dual walled on the sides and 4 walls on the bottom and top as well as silicone on the inlet and outlet to prevent any damage.
I'm going to be doing a little research on my end, but we have sold several other intercoolers in the last month and they haven't had a problem, so i'm very interested to see if the brackets bolted directly up. Does it looks like if the spacer was shorter it would clear the bumper beam and the 2 openings on the 9 bumper? Wonder if you guys got the wrong spacers. If it's off by an 1/8 up top it's going to be like .5" to .75" on the bottom.
Michael
I didn't use any spacers when installing mine...fit great and didn't require any trimming of the plastic on the bumper, just some of the protruding grille pieces where it folded over the openings. I'm probably going to shave off the brackets that are in the middle of the bumper just so I don't have to look at them though.
We take fitment issues very seriously. I'm unsure what has changed, I pulled an intercooler out of current batch and installed it on our mock up clip and it fit perfectly. The 3.5" should sit almost flush with the back of the 9 bumper openings. The 4.0" does require minor trimming of the bumper cover and possibly grill brackets like the evolution 8.
The intercoolers you guys received did the brackets look bent at all? It's very hard to tell on the side brackets, but it should have lined up and bolted down perfectly. Was it just bumper trimming? I need to find out if something has changed with the spacers we are providing, the boxing we are doing, etc. Your help is much appreciated.
I'm also very sorry about the first intercooler arriving damaged. UPS is not kind to every package, but we try our best to package it the best we can. We use a 4 ply box that is dual walled on the sides and 4 walls on the bottom and top as well as silicone on the inlet and outlet to prevent any damage.
I'm going to be doing a little research on my end, but we have sold several other intercoolers in the last month and they haven't had a problem, so i'm very interested to see if the brackets bolted directly up. Does it looks like if the spacer was shorter it would clear the bumper beam and the 2 openings on the 9 bumper? Wonder if you guys got the wrong spacers. If it's off by an 1/8 up top it's going to be like .5" to .75" on the bottom.
Michael
The intercoolers you guys received did the brackets look bent at all? It's very hard to tell on the side brackets, but it should have lined up and bolted down perfectly. Was it just bumper trimming? I need to find out if something has changed with the spacers we are providing, the boxing we are doing, etc. Your help is much appreciated.
I'm also very sorry about the first intercooler arriving damaged. UPS is not kind to every package, but we try our best to package it the best we can. We use a 4 ply box that is dual walled on the sides and 4 walls on the bottom and top as well as silicone on the inlet and outlet to prevent any damage.
I'm going to be doing a little research on my end, but we have sold several other intercoolers in the last month and they haven't had a problem, so i'm very interested to see if the brackets bolted directly up. Does it looks like if the spacer was shorter it would clear the bumper beam and the 2 openings on the 9 bumper? Wonder if you guys got the wrong spacers. If it's off by an 1/8 up top it's going to be like .5" to .75" on the bottom.
Michael
I am very happy with the performance of the product and the fitment was a little bit of a pain but it wasn't anything unmanageable. There was no way mine was fitting on without trimming the bumper bolt brackets though. I couldn't even get it within a few inches of being correct without cutting them off completely. It said mine was for an Evo 9 but maybe I was sent the Evo 8 FMIC instead, I am not sure... Trimming the bumper brackets and a little of the plastic on either side made it tolerable and the bumper bolted up, it was tight as hell though.
Again, I am not that upset with things as the performance greatly outweighs the issues I had with fitment, I just wasn't sure if this was a common issue with the 4" FMIC's or what. I was told they would be a straight bolt up without issues, but I had to do quite a bit of trimming to make it fit.
No worries, I am still happy Michael. Just wondering if I got the wrong product or something was different with this batch of cores...
what's a crash bar? They don't even have those over seas 
It's more common then you think to run with no crash beam. Most intercoolers on the market require trimming or removal to get a 4.0" core onto the vehicle. There are a few exceptions where some customer can install the 4.0" with no trimming at all, I think it comes down to the tolerances from Mitsubishi. I guess it's if you get a Monday or Friday car
I'm going to do a little more inspecting on my end to see what's going on. Thanks for all the feedback guys!
Michael
It's more common then you think to run with no crash beam. Most intercoolers on the market require trimming or removal to get a 4.0" core onto the vehicle. There are a few exceptions where some customer can install the 4.0" with no trimming at all, I think it comes down to the tolerances from Mitsubishi. I guess it's if you get a Monday or Friday car I'm going to do a little more inspecting on my end to see what's going on. Thanks for all the feedback guys!
Michael
