forge fmic...to DIY or not?

[JIMYU]

I'm told my fmic should be in tonights post but I'm not sure whether to have a go at fitting it myself using the guide or just pay someone else to do it..

I'm not the most mechanical minded person but I can get by...ie change my own brakes etc.

So for those that have fitted one, is it really easy or should I save myself the hassle and delegate!

How many hours we talkin?

 

[Forbez]

I didnt do mine, but did watch, and i must say, it didnt look a difficult thing to do. PhilW fitted his as did Jonsy,

 

[Forbez]

Only thing i remember being abit of a pain, was trimming the bumper a little, to fit with the I/C, but then not all cars need this to be done.

 

[ian_cupra]

its so easy, but then i used a ramp, but even on the floor wouldnt be to hard.

but like forbez said, trimming bumper to fit again can take some time to get right!

 

[-pseudonymous-]

Is pretty straight forward to fit, providing you have basic tools to hand. There is no need for a ramp either. The worst bit is having to trim the bottom of the bumper away so it does'nt foul on the intercooler. The bumpstrip can be a bit of a mare to get off though without damaging the paintwork, but if your careful you should be fine following the distructions that come with it.

http://forgemotorsport.co.uk/media/mk3%20SEAT%20Ibiza%20Cupra%20Front%20Mount%20Intercooler.pdf

 

[JIMYU]

cool. how long did it take you guys to fit? I thought 3hrs should be plenty?

 

[StanTheMan]

Done mine without a jack, hardest bit was the bumpstrip in the cold. Looking @ prob 90 mins tops

Skip the bit about dropping the subframe, just cut the plastic hose out

 

[JIMYU]

Thanks for the tips...I'm gunna give it a go tomorrow morning so fingers crossed it all goes smoothly!

Really looking forward to seeing how much difference it makes to my k03s setup

 

[acidstrato]

piece of piss

removing the bumpstrip easily the hardest part

 

[Daz_gibbo]

Piece of piss to fit. Took me 2-3 hours iirc on the side of the road on axel stands. As Stan said just saw the plastic pipe in half. Not like you'll need it again Ghetto

 

[JIMYU]

Well its on....I wouldn't call it a piece of piss but its not too bad.

Was really annoyed after spending ages getting the bumpstrip off to find there wasn't any bolts/screws under it!!! So i didn't even need to take it off...although I have now put bolts in.

The most annoying part was trimming the bumper...I was so suprised at how much needed to come off!! I now understand why the original mesh needs to go!

I can't see how anyone can fit it without trimming the bumper,,,I had to re-trim maybe 10 times lol

tbh after how good i've heard the fmic kit is I was a bit disappointed...I needed to bend the fmic brackets to stop the bottom coming out at a silly angle, the new crash bar was almost an inch too short and didn't line up at all. I was about to re-drill the holes on it but after jumping on it a few times i just about got it to fit.

But nows it all fitted I'm happy....except my sunburn and slightly angle grinded finger

K03s is now pulling harder at higher revs. Been on my private test road which is a long uphill climb (i'm very rich ).... With k03 and no fmic = 105-110 mph max, with k03s and no fmic = 115 max, with k03s and fmic (plus passenger) = 130 mph. Obviously thats not the most technical analysis but its how I test my mods lol

 

[JIMYU]

Ibiza SMIC vs Forge FMIC photo

 

[ian_cupra]

glad you it all got all on and are happy!! the difference is mad aint it!!!

 

[Fl@pper]

sounds really daft so it probably is - but do a battery disconnect for 10-15 mins after

fitted 2 now and i swear they go better after ???

 

[ian_cupra]

really??

 

[Fl@pper]

really??

most apparent on a tdi - must admit the pipework was a bit longer

after a drive home was commented it felt 90% ish - but when battery was changed got call to say it was better and then some

about 2 months later got the same on a petrol too after 3 test drives and checking pipes etc - i tried the reset whilst it saw there - again came back asking wtf did you do ?

dont ask me why but i assumed it was recorded memory parameters plus apart from a radio code or a loose spanner (be careful) it cant do any harm

if i ever get round to sticking one on mine i'll let you know for sure

 

[acidstrato]

too right, an ecu reset cannot do any harm at all

once youv'e done one youj consider it an easy job comparedt to other jobs.

pain in the arsde there was no bolts behind the bumpstrip though...i'd be really pissed

 

[JIMYU]

I did disconnect the battery whilst fitting the fmic because I'd read that the ecu reset is a good idea.

Should I have waited until I'd driven it with fmic before doing the reset?

I'll prob just do it again later anyway.

There is a big difference in performance without it feeling too much different. My mate actually said the car felt less agressive accerating but much smoother. I'll be getting a remap tweak in the next week or two to get the most from my cooler intake temps.

 

[JIMYU]

once youv'e done one youj consider it an easy job comparedt to other jobs.

Thats true, I could fit another in half the time i reckon.

The good thing is it's not a very fiddly job...I would much rather fit an fmic than do a brake change any day!!

 

[acidstrato]

yeah like tom said too some people found the bumper required zero trimming, mine for example....all i cut was the clip things for the stock mesh, chopped them off and refit and mine looks straight as hell so that would have taken some time off