Guide: Fitting Seat Sport FMIC

[pip_vrs]

Fitting the Seat Sport FMIC onto a Fabia vRS

So this is what a Fabia vRS looks like without a FMIC:

First things first, this is how I carried out the install and is only a guide. If you manage to kill yourself or someone else by following this.. You’ve done it wrong.

Items needed:

Seat sport FMIC

Mounting brackets

Pipe work

Tools:

Selection of different Torque screwdriver attachments. (The star shaped ones)

Selection of different sockets

Screwdrivers

Sharp knife

Angle grinder

Hammer

Get the bumper off.

In this picture I have done a yellow dot for screws, which are in the arch, on top of the bumper and underneath. The three orange dots show where there are three plastic clips, which I just cut away. The fog lights and temperature need to be disconnected too.

Take off the crash bar.

Once the bumper is off you can see the Torque screws which need to be removed. This picture shows where the screws came from and also the SMIC which is to be removed.

We decided for ease to remove the headlights, this will become clear later.

There are two torque screws and a bolt to hold the headlight in place then unclip the wiring.

[

The next step is to remove the old SMIC, This is held in place with a few bolts and clips, once you can see it, it’s obvious what needs to be done here. The pipes are removed using a flat screwdriver to pop off the metal clips, and then they just pull apart.

This step is different to what I have seen done before as I wanted to try and make the FMIC look as standard as possible, so I removed all the plastic which holds on the radiator etc. This is held in place with lots of torque screws and some clip things, once again it’s simple to see where the screws are once in front of you.

We test fitted the FMIC with the brackets and found it could do with been about 2mm further forward away from the radiator, so we put in some washers to space it a bit.

Once both brackets were secured in place, they bolt directly to the mounting holes of the radiator, so the same screws are used. We attached the FMIC.

Now the FMIC is in place the hard parts, or more frustrating. Cutting the black surround so that it doesn’t foul on the intercooler. This part will need to be done without guidance, as I cannot say how much/little needs removing. Just offer up the plastic and see where it fouls and cut away the plastic as you need, we used an angle grinder as it was easy.

This shows how the whole bumper bracket needs to be chopped off.

Picture of all the plastic trimmed and back together with the small FMIC snug inside

Edited 15 August, 2010 by pip_vrs

[pip_vrs]

Then time for the piping, making sure it all fits. No need to tighten it all yet as it will need to come apart to see where the crash bar needs to be altered. (REMEMBER to remove the old seals from your original pipe work and fit them in the joints that connect the new pipe work to the old, I forgot and by god did the car smoke ha-ha)

We decided to remove the whole of the lip so that there was no way it could foul on the pipe work. Put some blue tap on it to show what was cut. Then tightened the crash bar back onto the car.

Then fitting the MAP sensor, this needs to be taken from your old SMIC and put onto the pipe work, I managed to get the plug to fit inside the sensor by removing a few cable clips to give me that extra inch.

Then fitting the bumper back in place and putting in the lights, the lights just bolt straight back in (make sure you clip in the wiring).

The bumper needs some of the black inner plastic removing; again I just used the angle grinder and chopped off what wasn’t needed to make sure it wasn’t touching any of the pipes.

We did a before and after rolling road to see what the difference was in having the FMIC fitted.

Before: 158bhp

After: 185bhp

Remap: 195bhp

(other modifications done too)

Will post the rolling road graph once I get an electronic version.

[Guest BigJase88]

hi did you trim the long straight samco coupler that goes onto the bottom oem pipe?

i trimmed mine as in untrimmed form the long pipe pushed the oem pipe from the turbo back onto the driveshaft rubbing a hole in it

[pip_vrs]

No, i pushed it all the way up the 90* bend, will have a look at that make sure its not touching.

[Guest BigJase88]

No, i pushed it all the way up the 90* bend, will have a look at that make sure its not touching.

it will rub on driveshaft on left lock, take 1" off it

[pip_vrs]

Will take a look at that. TBH it's about 8" too long anyway

[Guest BigJase88]

Will take a look at that. TBH it's about 8" too long anyway

aye knock an 1" off and pull it forward

[Gaz_vrs]

That's a really good guide I didnt cut the long samco either, ive had no rubbing as yet. I need to get mine on the rollers to see what difference its made!

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

Excellent guide, and much needed. I dont know why anyone would pay more for the forge intercooler tbh, i noticed the past few weeks more people taking a interest in these. I`m a bit comfused about the difference in power, did you fit it then map it?! I`v noticed mine feels so much smoother now without tweeking the map, although im waiting till i get the bigger turbo before i remap it again.

Matt

[pip_vrs]

It was mapped, and rolling roaded at 158bhp. Fitted the fmic, rolling roaded then it produced 185bhp. Then i had a new map put on and it got 195ish. Comparing the rolling roads will become clear when i get the graph up. I'll email Chris at CC Tuning to do a print screen for me, rather than take a picture of the paper copy.

[Guest BigJase88]

was the rr after the fmic and remap at a different place to the first?

pd130 turbo will not pull 195bhp, well it might... for about 10s then BOOM

[pip_vrs]

Nope.. All on the same rolling road.

[Tech1e]

Good little guide but I dont think that MAP sensor wiring will last long like that, you really need to extend the loom.

[Guest BigJase88]

Nope.. All on the same rolling road.

alright sounds good

the run on the rr without the fmic you must of had some serious heat soak or possibly a boost leak on the standard smic piping...

at 195bhp i'd look to uprate to a pd150 turbo

[pip_vrs]

Good little guide but I dont think that MAP sensor wiring will last long like that, you really need to extend the loom.

i must admit its not that tight now. Extended it by chopping off the plastic bend in the engine bay and straighnening the loom so it does directly to it.

Will get a bigger turbo, when £££ allows.

[Guest BigJase88]

oh and i have a sachs clutch for sale which you will require sooner rather than later

[toosmiles]

my crash bar was chopped off for the fitting of mine

[Thirdtimeluck]

my crash bar was chopped off for the fitting of mine

[Guest BigJase88]

crash bar is vital. have a look at the front end without one, the bar hold the front chassis legs together, without it the car will twist

trimming is okay but removal is stupid

Edited 16 August, 2010 by BigJase88

[lukeanderson31]

great guide (y), just a question,

is there a specific pipe kit you can buy for fitting this FMIC? or do i just need to work out all the pieces i need and buy them seperately? i wanted green piping or something that looks really OEM, not wanting red or blue like most you see, cheers

EDIT: and also, forgot to ask, are the mounitng brackets custom made or just the standard ones off the SEAT? thanks again

Edited 19 August, 2010 by lukeanderson31

[pip_vrs]

The pipe kit is for the ibiza made by forge. If you go on the forge website and search seat sport it'll come up.

The fitting kit needs to be ordered with the intercooler, i have a spare bracket though so could save someone £5 if they want it. Will get the part number so you only need to order the other one.

[lukeanderson31]

The pipe kit is for the ibiza made by forge. If you go on the forge website and search seat sport it'll come up.

The fitting kit needs to be ordered with the intercooler, i have a spare bracket though so could save someone £5 if they want it. Will get the part number so you only need to order the other one.

ahh i understand now so its the exact same fitting kit, just making sure lol, only the forge one only comes in blue apparently :/

and i take it from this that the brackets are not the standard ones then?

[pip_vrs]

The brackets are for the ibiza, and are used to mount it, when you order the intercooler just as for the brackets. My kit is from forge and i asked for red. They do all colours if you actually ask, the three main are red, blue and black. Just ring them up to see what they do.

[lukeanderson31]

The brackets are for the ibiza, and are used to mount it, when you order the intercooler just as for the brackets. My kit is from forge and i asked for red. They do all colours if you actually ask, the three main are red, blue and black. Just ring them up to see what they do.

cheers bud, will get right on it, thanks for the help

[pip_vrs]

No problemo, thats what we're here for.. to help each other