BellyD

iTrader: (1)

I was the lucky winner of Mishimoto’s 2001-2007 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Race Intercooler Giveaway!

I wanted to wait till I installed it before bragging.

Here’s my prize! It was packaged well and stayed protected from transit damage. There were a few damaged areas on the box but the inside material kept it secure and away from all the damage.





Overall it looks great. I opted for the ‘Sleek Silver’ powder coat finish so it would stand out and I am so glad I did. I love the finish. One minor thing, which was more noticeable once it was on the car, is that the M could be centered better (more to the right).



Here is my boyfriend’s car "M8NSTER", thinking it's his. Not this time! It's Mine!



Removing Stock Intercooler

Overall, installation was pretty simple and took us about 1-1/2 hours without instructions. Installation could be in less than 1 hour if you don’t bother with some of the little things we noted during installation and you are used to removing your bumper.

Remove Front Bumper



Remove Crash Beam



Remove stock intercooler

• unclamp lower hoses
• (time saver) unbolt and loosen lower intercooler piping brackets from body (we removed the passenger side bolt completely, but only loosened the driver side bolt)
• unbolt and remove intercooler (top, bottom driver side, and bottom passenger side)

Move the stock grommet from the top bolt hole to the new intercooler.

As you can see in the picture below, we expected to be able to use all three stock grommets on the new intercooler. We were unable to use the bottom grommets due to the limited space in between the inner side of the bracket and the back of the intercooler (more about this later). It would be ideal if we could use grommets on all three bolt holes, but installation still works without them.



Installation

Attach bottom bolts, only threading enough to keep them in place.

Due to the limited space in between the inside of the bracket and the back of the intercooler, you must first attach the bolts to the bottom holes and then slide the intercooler on to the bolts.








As noted earlier, there is limited space in between the inside of the bracket and the back of the intercooler. This makes tightening the bolts a bit more work. There is room overall to allow more space. The passenger side could use ½” to ¾” more space and the driver side could use ¼” or more.







Attach upper bolt and tighten all three bolts.

Attach intercooler piping.

Bolt intercooler piping brackets to body.



Attach Crash Beam (plenty of space in between intercooler and crash beam)





Attach Bumper



Overall, the quality of the intercooler is great, I love the look and find myself staring and smiling as I walk by (more so than usual), and I’m enjoying feeling the extra zippiness of the added hp. Prior to installation, I was making 359 whp/334 tq @ 29. I won't be getting a dyno again until the weather has cooled down, but can't wait to see the new numbers.



Thanks Mishimoto!