12-22-2017, 07:35 PM | #45 | |
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12-23-2017, 05:24 PM | #46 |
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Started cutting up the X3 for the intercooler today. Pictures coming soon. A lot more cutting than I thought.
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12-24-2017, 07:31 PM | #47 |
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Intercooler install modifications
Ok I didn't get finished and had to put the stock intercooler back in until next weekend but I wanted to go ahead and post pics of the process so far.
First you'll want one of these: A Multi-Tool. Makes the job cutting the plastic quick, easy and painless. My favorite all time blade for this tool is available at Lowes for $15 and I HIGHLY recommend it: Rockwell Plunge & Saw Blade This bad boy: It allows you to go straight into a material and immediately move left or right. I will explain below how this blade makes this job sooo much easier. Now if you've never used this tool and are buying this for this job do yourself a big favor when you pick it up at a box store and go buy the sheet rock aisle and buy a small sample piece of sheet rock. They sell them in 2ft X 2ft sections for cheap. When you get home take a few moments to practice using the tool with that sheet rock so you get the feel of how it works BEFORE you dive into your Bimmer plastic. Ok now first thing I did was take the plastic plate off the bottom of the intercooler and use it as a long straight edge. This piece will be used several times throughout this project. This piece: After some measuring I determined the best place to cut was right in front of the farthest forward ridges as seen here: Just take that bottom plate, place it up against those two ridges in red and a black sharpie and mark a line all the way across. Then take that Rockwell blade and plunge it starting in the center perfectly straight in and start pulling to the left or the right. As long as you plunge it *straight* in true, as you move it left or right it will stay perfectly straight along the line you made. It will cut through that plastic like butter in seconds. Then just take a metal file and run it across the edge for the smooth factory like finish you see above. You will end up with a piece to be reattached and used later, seen here: The right side will also need an additional cut along the inside edge up to the condenser. This is where you want to use the straight plunge cut blade that usually comes in the box with the multitool: **Note** Be careful when cutting near the condenser! Now I'm sure most X3/X4 people just cut the tabs off the radiator shroud but I chose to make notches in the intercooler like the stock intercooler. So take the bottom piece again to use it as a template and lay it across the intercooler tabs and mark with them a mechanical pencil or the like: Then drill a couple of holes in the middle and then 4 1/16" holes in the four corners with a fine tooth blade: I used the fine tooth blade out of this Home Depot $3 blade pack: Take your time and just work the blade like you're cutting a soft piece of wood. No big deal. You'll end up with this in the end: I have not had a chance to hit that with a small file and clean it up yet but I will next weekend. I've got a really neat idea on how to reattach the original bottom lip I cut off. It will make future removal of the new intercooler much easier than the factory one! Merry Christmas! I'll post pics next weekend when I get finished. Last edited by ThomasR; 01-13-2018 at 05:22 PM.. |
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hardparker297.00 FSociety3859.00 |
12-30-2017, 02:27 PM | #49 |
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Intercooler install modifications Part 2
Ok I finished out the left side and then got a small file to make everything smooth.
I took my digital caliper back and forth many times checking all dimensions of each and also their position to get them as close as possible to each other. So measure, file, measure, file, measure and so on... One last important step is not to forget to clean out the other side with a file. Remember the plastic shroud tabs slide down into this side so you want to make sure it's deburred and smooth. Now it's ready for a test fit on the X3. I'm fairly sure the tabs will be too long and need to be cut down a bit. |
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12-30-2017, 10:46 PM | #50 |
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Hey there,
I am in North Vancouver and worked with Short Stop on Marine drive by Capilano Mall. They have been really good on all the work I have wanted.
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01-02-2018, 08:44 PM | #51 |
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FSociety I found the link from MHD and BM3 for flashing the ECU...
You're keen on BM3 I understand. Why would someone go that route, as it seems to require some $3000 cable to flash at home? https://www.magicmotorsport.com/shop...x-obd-flasher/ Vs. the MHD way that'll only cost $350? http://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...php?p=22562277 Am I missing something? |
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01-02-2018, 09:40 PM | #52 | |
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I think you may find that the tabs on the IC don't line up with those on the shroud. I smashed mine down on my Phoenix to make it work. here's a pic of my shroud trimming from the front, too.
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01-06-2018, 04:18 PM | #53 | |
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Driver's side is fine: Passenger side not so much: Last edited by ThomasR; 01-06-2018 at 04:49 PM.. |
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01-07-2018, 01:19 AM | #54 | |
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01-07-2018, 09:27 AM | #55 | |
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Perhaps it's because yours is an aftermarket pipe? I have the same pipe in a box I think you have (FTP right?) and it has no bellows so I think there would be LESS range of motion if it's not dead on stock. Plus it looks to be a pain to install. You tell me. I'm getting a little frustrated at this point... ugh. |
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01-07-2018, 11:21 AM | #56 | |
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Pulling the pipe isn't too difficult. Getting the c-clip off and on is the hardest part. Use needle nose or hemostats or try threading a zip tie under/through the clip and using it to pull it loose. Reinserting it is trial and error and usually takes a few minutes to solve. Pull yours and compare it to the FTP piece. There's some wiggle room for finagling the fit with the FTP setup using some play/angle in the coupler before cinching it. BTW, toss the cheap worm clamps and get some quality t-bolt clamps. Cinch them TIGHT when you do. They'll loosen over time. You'll want to recheck them some time later. The stock worm clamps with the FTP pipes tend to break after install. Try to fit the passenger side first. Perhaps something's misaligned somewhat elsewhere and this would reveal it? Remove the charge pipe from the throttle body as well, so you can fit the intercooler unimpeded on the passenger side first. BTW, I usually lightly grease pack all of my boost couple seals and o-rings with high temp synthetic grease for better sealing and to eliminate potential boost leaks. I also lightly lube the tapered coupler ends on the intercooler to aid fitment some and reduce the chance of tearing any seals or o-rings. You might want to do that, as well, while you have the opportunity to.
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01-07-2018, 04:33 PM | #57 |
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Whoa wait a minute I think I might have found the problem.
Hardparker did you go in front of this black plastic bracket or behind it? All along I've been behind it but tonight I decided to go in front of it. Now the pipe looks like it's going to line up (The shroud mounts are preventing me from pushing the intercooler up any higher at this point but I'm about 1.5 inches away whereas hardparker used 3/4 inch mounts which I'll probably use also) |
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01-07-2018, 05:09 PM | #58 |
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Not sure, but mine looks a little more hacked out in that area. Like it goes nearly flush with the part you're running into. Our castings between the CTS and Phoenix may differ slightly, though.
My coupler is a tiny bit askew, but seals well. I may try to fix it by loosening the t-bolt clamps, aligning the machined couplings so the c-clip fits them together just right, then tightening the couplings where they end up being. It's probably less than an 1/8" difference as it is.
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Last edited by hardparker; 01-07-2018 at 08:26 PM.. |
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01-07-2018, 09:02 PM | #59 | |
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01-14-2018, 07:02 PM | #60 | |
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Once I had that fan shroud out of the way I could reach up there and rotate the turbo to IC pipe and I was surprised how loose and easy it was to move. Like you said using a hook/pick set I pulled that clip and the pipe slid off easy. Ok so anyone out there wondering if they should upgrade that turbo to IC pipe I say YES. The stock pipe is rather wimpy. The FTP Motorsports upgraded pipe is a half inch wider than stock. That doesn't sound like much but if you have them side by side you will see it's significant. I will take pics later this week. Also in general those of you who are out there choosing to upgrade your X3/X4 with an F30 intercooler like FSociety, Hardparker and I are doing I really recommend the FTP motorsports pipe kit for the reason stated above(also because the stock plastic piping is fragile and breaks eventually) and because you will need to adjust for the length slightly. The aftermarket pipes allow you to do that because they are each a two piece with a coupling. Stock does not allow any adjustment. I found I had to stretch the turbo to IC stock bellow pipe out a half an inch and I'm not comfortable with seeing that pipe do that. I'm going to source a hump reducing hose this week to allow for some flexibility as the turbo to IC stock piping does. The reducer needs to be 2.5" to 2.25" ID. I have found a couple of sources after scouring the Internet for hours. I'm going to call tomorrow and confirm stock and order. |
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01-26-2018, 08:17 PM | #61 |
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Update: Intercooler Mount Brackets
Ok so after HOURS and HOURS (and remaking one of these ) I finally finished my fabrication of the mount brackets. I've test fitted that intercooler so many times I can do it in my sleep. I used a micrometer, center punch, and measured 5 times before drilling, cutting, sanding, filing so I wouldn't have to start over. I have had a vision for how I wanted to make these for over a month. My idea was to jam a nylock nut inside (6 mm x 1.0 thread pitch, 10 mm wrench size) and then JBWeld it together. It actually came out better than I thought. I wanted to retain those plastic 'hooks' that hold the stock intercooler in case I ever want to go back to stock(plus I always like to minimize irreversible changes to the original vehicle). I took some pictures tonight just before JBWeld to show the inside. I will take some post JBWeld pictures tomorrow.
Again, big thanks to Hardparker for posting pictures of his and also what size square stock to start with. Information like this saves others tons of time and helps provide confidence that it can be done. |
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02-03-2018, 11:34 AM | #63 | |
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Updated pics of the post JB Weld'ed brackets: I decided to 'upgrade' the intercooler shroud mount. I shaved off the F30 brackets, bought this in stainless steel: Cut the center part out of the wall plate, then made a jig to fabricate some new mounts for the stock 'air diffuser' plastic plate and made 3 of these: I measured and got that diffuser piece exactly in the same spot on the CTS intercooler as stock. More pics coming later this weekend... |
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02-06-2018, 11:28 AM | #64 |
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Great job hardparker and ThomasR
The shop I went to @AIMPerformanceNJ was able to tap new mounts on IC and installed same day so am happy about that.
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02-07-2018, 03:04 PM | #65 |
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