FMIC Piping costs
 

Ok so tomarrow i get my FMIC installed. Im not sure if im getting ripped off or not but maybe someone could tell me how much shops usually charge. Im getting charged around 6-700 for custom piping and install of the FMIC. Granted this was a over the phone quote without looking at the car. So he doesnt know where the pipes will go. I told him abuot the Short route but i dont think he really understood how little piping was needed.

Re: FMIC Piping costs
 

Yeah thats alot. But if they are not experienced with that sort of car then I am sure 90% of that cost is labor. Mounting the FMIC and getting it looking good can take some messing around. If I were you, I would try to mount the FMIC before you take it there then just have him fabricate the piping for you.

CRAIG

Re: FMIC Piping costs
 

If you are talking polished SS piping, that isn't too bad (polishing adds $100). It is a little more than I charge. If you are talking mild steel piping, then it is really high. Hopefully they are using T-bolts and nice silicone couplers too.

Re: FMIC Piping costs
 

its using a Very High Grade aluminum thats really thin but really strong, all mandrel bent.

Re: FMIC Piping costs
 

LOL, that's funny! No aluminum is very strong when it is thin. You don't really want aluminum either, it will conduct heat from the engine bay warming up your air. We have had this discussion before on here. It won't be a huge amount, but some.

So are they using a ton of couplers or are they going to TIG weld your piping? More couplers = more places to leak.

Re: FMIC Piping costs
 

Yea that is alot for IC piping, especially aluminum? Who would use thin aluminum that can heat soak very fast when it near the hot engine? I would get a quote for SS. Or just buy a nice kit from somewhere and install it yourself. You can buy a whole IC kit for like 800 bucks at most internet DSM shops.

Re: FMIC Piping costs
 

I would and did. Hmm, I wonder what most sheetmetal intakes are made out of...

Aluminum piping costs a lot more and requires longer to weld, so that isn't too bad of a price. Considering the time it takes to custom mount the FMIC; piping, coupler, and clamp costs; and then the time to make the pipes.

Re: FMIC Piping costs
 

Yea intakes are a whole different story than piping... Piping will absorb more heat because of the larger area of tubing versus just an intake manifold. Especially if you use a phenolic spacer between the manifold to cool things down. I was mainly talking about having aluminum piping near the exhaust. I guess it depends in where you are routing the tubing. I know intakes and IC are made out of aluminum but having super thin (but strong?) piping will heat up pretty quick, compared to other materials.

Re: FMIC Piping costs
 

It will also dissipate the heat quicker as well. So I guess SS or aluminized or mild steel piping does not absorb heat? Hmm, that is interesting. And a phenolic spacer... good boost leak.

Re: FMIC Piping costs
 

I would've gotten aluminum if I could've afforded it.

But then again, who in their right mind would use aluminum?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...va17/Brent.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...etglowhuge.jpg

Re: FMIC Piping costs
 

Yeah, I see Alum Radiators ;)

Re: FMIC Piping costs
 

Sorry guys, but I am going to have to disagree. Where do you think the heat is dissipating too? Maybe the coolest area around, which would be the air inside the IC pipe? Those all out drag cars the IC pipes are not near the exhaust, like on a DSM and weight is most important on them. A 3000 lb DSM, saving 15 lbs on IC piping isn't going to do squat.

I do agree that there are good and bad points to both sides. The SS is heavier but the Al heat soaks more. Which is better? It is probably pretty damn close between the 2. Very thin SS is probably the best for a DSM.

Re: FMIC Piping costs
 

Thank you, Tomarrow (today now i guess) ill get a quote with SS piping.

Re: FMIC Piping costs
 

why dont you call mike. Have someone do it that everyone KNOWS how to do it.

Re: FMIC Piping costs
 

Umm because he is in California.

CRAIG

Re: FMIC Piping costs
 

damn, thats no good! well it is.. but its not. My bad!

Re: FMIC Piping costs
 

No boost leak on my spacer, even without longer bolts/studs to compensate for the added thickness. Just use an intake mani gasket on each side of it and you are set. The only boost leaks I had were from a shitty EGR blockoff from ebay and not properly sealing the port for the PCV on my intake manifold.

And yes the spacer works, you could tell after about 10 pulls on the dyno when you felt the intake manifold compared to the IC piping and the piping was warmer. Not that anyone was arguing the effectiveness of the spacer.

Re: FMIC Piping costs
 

I am not going into either side of this argument again, I apparently wasted a ton of time last time all this was brought up trying to straighten out people with their theories messed up. As far as the pics of the alluminum piping on the cars you showed Cher, they don't apply to a street car with all it's underhood sheet metal etc that gets driven more than 1320 feet at a time. Neither of those cars are going to have any kind of underhood temperature to heat soak the pipes, for those cars alluminum is fine especially with that short of piping. Apples to oranges.

Re: FMIC Piping costs
 

I agree with Jet and Alpine, but there are negatives and postives on both sides like Jet said. Raptor hit the spot.

Re: FMIC Piping costs
 

BTW, it doesn't cost anymore than SS to get alluminum piping done. It is way easier to work with than SS, if I thought it was smart, I would charge less to do alluminum for labor.