| Since a few members were looking for install instructions for 2.5” intercooler piping, I thought I would give some suggestions on the tips & trick that I have come up with. I have installed most of the kits that have been on the market, designed/fabricated a couple sets my self & I know people that have any brand that I have never dealt with. If you have any other helpful hint please add them in a response. *Take your time. This can take a full day or more if it is your first time. *You do NOT need to remove the motor to install the intercooler piping kit. *You WILL need to remove the Radiator. *It is beneficial to remove the front fascia, splash shields & fender liners. However is can be done with some of them still installed. *Check all piping & the intercoolers for any packing material, epically "packing peanuts" & Styrofoam. *Make sure to pressure test your intercoolers in a similar fashion to how you test for "boost leaks" in the entire system. *Mount the intercoolers before you start on the piping. *The mounting bracket holes on the Ash Massives go all the way through the end tanks. Use a dab of RTV silicone on the bolt to fully seal the end tanks.
*On Koyo & Mishimoto radiators there is actually a little bit more than 2.5" of clearance, closer to 2.75". There are 2 reasons why it is still difficult to fit a 2.5" pipe ovaled or not in that location:
1) Some designs place a silicone connection next to the radiator. Where this helps isolate thermal conductivity between the two, it also increased the OD to about 2.75".
2) Often I have seen installer error when in regards to the pipe that parallels the radiator & makes a 90* turn under the frame rail towards the back of the IC. Most mandrel bent pipes have a Center Line Radius (CLR) of 3" or 4", however the frame rail's 90* bend is on a 0* CLR. The installer often tries to match the center of the piping bend radius (@ the 45* point) to the apex of the frame rail's 908 point. Because the piping has a much larger CLR than the frame rail, when it is attempted to install it this way the pipe is forced to towards the radiator and away from the frame rail.
A) The proper way to install this pipe is to position it where the start of the bend (weather it be in the aluminum or silicone) right blow the frame rail. There is enough room for the remaining 12" of pipe that is heading towards the back of the intercooler to fit with the liners/splash shields.
B) When said pipes are installed incorrectly it can often make it difficult to get a good overlap between the silicone & the remaining short 12" pipe & the back of the IC its self.
C) Where there is a silicone connection under the frame rail you can set the clamp in the area where there is sheet metal protruding. This excess sheet metal can wear on the thin 16g aluminum piping and cut a hole in it after time. Having the steel clamp that is over the silicone in this area mineralizes the chance of any long-term damage to your piping system.
D) To further protect this area you can use a 2” section of fuel hose or 6mm silicone vacuum & cut it lengthwise down the center. Then use high strength silicone adhesive to “glue” the 2” hose over the protruding sheet metal area.
E) For even more safety you can use a dermal or air tool with a cut off wheel or grinding bit to remove about 3/8” of the protruding sheet metal. If you do step E make sure to spray pain the area you cut away/ ground off to prevent any rusting. *If the pipes that parallel the radiator are not ovaled, you can wrap each pipe in a hand towel, place it in a basic garage vise & carefully compress the pipe until the desired oval is achieved for a clean install. *Install all the pipes & silicone with out tightening the clamps at first. Once all of the pipes are completely installed, go back and adjust the excess silicone as needed for proper & even overlap on piping & even gaps between the pipes. Then tighten the clamps from one end to the other until complete. *If you are using the full 2.5" turbo outlet pipe (TOL) it can be very difficult to install with out scratching the finish.
1) If you have the engine out install the TOL before dropping the engine back in.
A) Wrap the TOL in plastic wrap, news paper, a thin towel or with painters tape to ensure that the finish is not affected when dropping the engine back in.
2) If the engine is "in", it can be easier to remove the accordion pipes & then lower the
"out side" tip of the TOL as far as possible into the area where the accordion pipe was. This allows the "in" side of the TOL to enter towards the turbo beneath some of the protruding parts of the plenum that are likely to scratch the finish. *The available oversized interccoler & piping system were designed with the intention of the end user having the 99 JSPEC front fascias with the shorter turn signals. If you have USDM/Stillen/Greddy, etc style front fascia with the longer “original” turn signals they will need to be modified. The old GM style flat lamp-housing trick, often used on Stillen ICs will not work when using ducts on the modern oversized ICs.
1) The “Smoked” USDM size turn signals need more modification than the more
common Clear & Amber (Stock) turn signals.
2) I might do a right up on how to necessary modifications to the 2 types of turn signals. I have over 100 pictures of the processes of each type & I have modified over a dozen sets, with 0 issues over the past 2 or so years.
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VTF? 2.5" Intercooler Piping Install: Tips, Trick & Hints - 
