Stinger FMIC Install with pics

Sharing my experience installing Stinger's FMIC. Bottom line, it's not perfect but I would recommend.

Pros:
Tubing is washed (no mandrel lubricant)
T-bolts are good quality (USA made)
Silicon couplers are good quality (unbranded)
The kit get's you 90% of the way there but some fabrication/modification is required
Best known solution for DIY install

Cons:
Some tubing bends were not correct (90 degree was not a 90 degree) and tubes also needed shortening
Cutting/welding was required
You'll need to make you're own intercooler brackets (the ones supplied are useless)
No instructions other than center the intercooler and don't drop it below the bottom of the core support
If you have A/C, you'll need to modify the secondary hood latch brace

I made the bottom bracket using 1-1/4"x1-1/4"x1/8" angle steel from Home Depot. It mounts to 3 existing holes in the core support using 1/2" U-nuts. The top brackets were made from 16 gauge sheet metal and were mounted to existing nuts already found in the core support. No modification to the core support was required. The intercooler is heavy so the bottom bracket should be stout. I eliminated one silicon coupler by welding the joint. Stinger only cut the joint to make it easier to ship. I still need to mount a BOV.

The upper radiator hose can be a problem depending upon which version you have. One is a simple 2-bend hose and the other has about 5 bends. The 2-bend works better.

Brad,
These are great pics and gave me some great ideas for mounting mine. Do you have some better pics of the bottom brackets? I was also thinking these would take the majority of the weight and I wasn't sure where to mount them to. Which seem did you weld instead of using the coupler?

I ran a single section of 1.25x1.25 angle across the bottom of the core support and used 3 existing holes and 1/2" U-bolts to mount it. With the leftover angle, I fabricated two arms for the FMIC to sit on. I welded these arms to the section I mounted to the core support. The top two supports just keep it from moving front to back. The FMIC is heavy so for the arms, make sure to keep a portion of the inside corner of the angle iron in place for strength. In my picture you'll see I cut mine in a step-like shape and kept the inside corner of the angle.

As for the tubing, there are three sections that come out of the output of the FMIC. The last two sections which connect to the intake are cut by Stinger at the vertical section which sits in front of the engine. I welded that joint. The Stinger kit is good but I wasn't happy with some of their bends not being 90 degrees, as they should have been. It would have looked like a dogs hind leg if assembled as received. I fixed this when I welded them together. It may be a different experience if you don't have an A/C condenser.

You'll need to modify the vertical bracket that's used as the hood safety catch (cut and re-weld) so it clears the FMIC.

Perfect Pics, that looks excellent, mine is going on this summer

Looks great! I’m hoping to get mine installed on my 86’ in a few weeks. Are there any tips or tricks when clocking the turbo housing, or fairly self explanatory? Also, with the fitting on the inlet tube, what happens with that after you cut down the inlet tube?
Thank you in advance.

Clocking is super easy, loosen and rotate into the desired position, then tighten. I had no issues. I'm not sure what you mean by "cut down the inlet tube". Technically, the kit requires no cutting but I modified mine a bit.

Any noticeable difference in driving?

I did the FMIC, a bigger turbo, and VAM delete so I don't have an intercooler comparison. But the OEM intercooler is small and prone to heat soaking given it's location.

I did the FMIC, a bigger turbo, and VAM delete so I don't have an intercooler comparison. But the OEM intercooler is small and prone to heat soaking given it's location.

Gotcha. I'm thinking of getting the stand alone here in the near feature. Im wanting to do some small upgrades to the car but having the stand alone is nice to have for incase I decide to go big power adders.

Don't mean to hijack the thread; I can't recommend the Pimp stand alone enough. It is fantastic and worth every penny.

Brad - what tubes needed shortening on the FMIC kit? I have a FMIC on my 88TC now; however, I was thinking of getting the stinger one. I'd buy the version for the a 90 degree upper intake.