Ford Focus ST Forum banner

Just installed my Depo FMIC

40K views 114 replies 49 participants last post by  angrychair 
#1 ·
Eye guys I just had @NicolaST help me install the Depo 3.5" FMIC. Overall it wasn't that bad, but I would recommend it as 2 person job. Even if they are there primarily just to assist you with removing the bumper, leveling the cooler, etc.

First off my intercooler needed to have the weld near the upper support where the bracket and two bolts go to be ground down. The bracket didn't sit flush enough to have the bolts line up. Not a huge deal and took about 10 minutes. I also was missing two nuts (M6 I believe) for the bolts on the lower mounts when the FMIC is mounted up. For use the charge pipes proved a bit difficult to get off so one of us squeezed the rubber piping while the other puller the stock intercooler towards them and wiggled it up and down a bit. Through my Ultra Gauge I can already see that my temps are lower which is awesome! As far as taking the bumper off and putting it back on just check YouTube because that is all you will really need. So far I am happy with the product, it came well packaged, and will really suit my car once I get the tune from stratified!

We used a floor Jack and put the car on jack stands to give us a little more room too. Thanks again Depo!
 
#3 ·
betta update dat sig. PICS?
sorry I didn't take any pics. We're were in work mode. Plenty of other pics on here and YouTube.

Haha I will update my sig.
 
#5 ·
Just got mine in the mail and will be installing soon. Thanks for the heads up on the missing bolts, I'll make sure I have enough lying around before my bumper is off
 
#6 ·
When I did mine I went to the local hardware store and bought stainless M6x1 socket cap bolts so you can use ball end Allen key on the end of a socket extension to go in from the headlight. I also used stainless washers and stop nuts to match. Made install much easier.
 
#8 ·
my intercooler needed to have the weld near the upper support where the bracket and two bolts go to be ground down. The bracket didn't sit flush enough to have the bolts line up. I also was missing two nuts (M6 I believe) for the bolts on the lower mounts when the FMIC is mounted up.
Installed mine last night and ran into the same issues as you, other than that, it fits great and cant wait to get on the road. If this kit came with two M6 nuts in the future, it would be absolutely perfect :D
 
#9 ·
Did you have to grind a weld down or no? Mine may have just been a one off.
 
#11 · (Edited)
Finished installing mine today too. I noticed some tight fits, but I got them to work with no grinding needed. The only thing I had to do was make the hole for the MAP sensor slightly bigger for the bolt to go through. My map sensor didn't have a metal ring in it like the one in the BEAST how to write up. The T-bolt clamps work really well too; great time to put them on for peace of mind. Overall, I'm very satisfied with the quality and install, especially at the great price.

A few tips for any future purchasers of this IC from what I've researched and experienced:

1. If you're jacking the car up, make sure to jack up the front AND back. Having the car level on both sides made it easier to line up the IC.
2. Take off the front wheels if you can. It makes getting the two 10mm bolts off of the bracket where the front bumper meets the fender much easier.
3. If installing by yourself, use a jack to hold the IC up while you're mounting it to the car. By the time you slide up the top mounts and have the bottom brackets sitting on top of the stock tabs, it should hold on ok. Connecting the charge pipes helped hold the IC in place, but I disconnected them to give more room in tightening the stock bolts and additional M6 nuts to the bottom brackets.
 
#12 ·
I installed my 3.5 IC yesterday on my 2015 ST:

-Removing the bumper was slightly different for the youtube videos of 2013-14. You have 2 extra T30 screws to take out near the hood latch.

-Not sure if it was just me but my T-bolt clamps DID NOT fit, they were too small. So I had to re-use the stock clamps unfortunately.

-You will have to use a drill for the bolt included to fit the sensor, I used a 5/16 drill bit which worked perfectly.

-For me the most difficult part of the install was getting wrenches to the 8mm bolts (stock bolt) that secures the IC. It was so difficult because of the limited space for turning the wrenches.

-I picked up two nuts (M6 X 1.0) from Home Depot like others have mentioned, which is necessary to use with the stock bolts.

-I also had to grind the inside welt of the IC for the bolts to fit through those metal tabs included in the hardware to fit.

Overall I feel Depo Racing makes a great FMIC for the ST, BUT

1) I feel that they could do a better job confirming that ALL hardware needed is included (2 nuts to go with the stock bolts) and fits (should not have to grind the metal for things to line up)

2) The stock sensor should fit WITHOUT the need to drill a bigger hole.

I wanted to share my experience because other peoples tips really helped me with my install!
 
  • Like
Reactions: RedRocketFL and SRo
#13 ·
What size T-bolt clamps did you buy? Did you try taking the whole clamp apart and wrapping it around the charge pipe?

I agree with your two caveats about this IC. It would be a more complete kit if the two M6 bolts were included since you're required to use the stock bolts (but man was trying to tighten those were a pain!). At the $350 price tag though and the end result of the installed IC, I think we can all agree that these things are pretty minor.
 
#14 ·
So the weld and missing nuts sounds like a batch issue. As said before they are minor issues for a great FMIC and this price point.
 
  • Like
Reactions: stupidgts
#17 ·
So I just weighed my 3.5 and it is 20.5# and the stock is 5#. Goes to show why the factory heat soaks so quickly. Really excited to install mine and the charge pipes!!
 
#20 · (Edited)
Never sand, grind or file a weld on a product you purchased to make it fit. Send it back and get one made properly. Glad I resisted this cheapness.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lkaufmann319
#22 · (Edited)
Hey guys. I did mine Monday and had some similar issues with the welds on the mounts. I took a few pictures. Ceiling Machine
Ice Aluminium Metal
Auto part Automotive exterior Wire Bumper Engine
Product


Even though I had to grind a little out, there was a ton of weld to work with and have no worries about the integrity of the seam. Unlike some people in this thread, I am glad I DIDN'T resist this "cheapness". Very, Very happy so far. Thanks Depo!

Sorry the pics are out of order, you get the idea though.
 

Attachments

  • Like
Reactions: HBGeek and LB2015ST
#23 ·
Hey guys. I did mine Monday and had some similar issues with the welds on the mounts. I took a few pictures. View attachment 126445 View attachment 126447 View attachment 126449 View attachment 126448

Even though I had to grind a little out, there was a ton of weld to work with and have no worries about the integrity of the seam. Unlike some people in this thread, I am glad I DIDN'T resist this "cheapness". Very, Very happy so far. Thanks Depo!

Sorry the pics are out of order, you get the idea though.
That's the spirit! Mine pretty much looked the same with that chunky weld. I just ground it down a bit and it fit nice and snug after that. I too see no issue with the integrity of the weld and grinding it down a tad.
 
  • Like
Reactions: stupidgts
#25 · (Edited)
Mine needed drilling. I'm not sure, but the bolts may be different sizes between the 2013'-14' and the 2015'-16's. Also, my MAP sensor didn't fit flush with the cooler. Again, not a big deal as there are no leaks and I don't expect any issues, but just thought you might want to know about it. Auto part Pipe
Metalworking hand tool Auto part Calipers Tool
 
#32 ·
Looks like I'll be grinding this down also. Are there supposed to be hose clamps provided with this? <img src="http://www.focusst.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=126594"/>
Now that I think about it, I don't think mine came with t-bolt clamps, are we reusing the stock ones?
 
#37 · (Edited)
Hello all!! To those of you on the fence about purchasing...pls do yourself a favor and purchase. You won't regret it. I installed mine yesterday and it was perfect. I did not have to sand down. I did have to drill MAP sensor and I could not get t-bolt clamps on the stock hoses but I might of had to many [emoji482]... @DepoRacing thank you for making a great product.

Edit: I installed the 5.5 monsta!!!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#44 ·
You may be in for a nice surprise, my weld doesn't have to be filed down so you may be lucky
 
#46 ·
Dammit I was just about to order one. Out of stock :(
 
#50 ·
Yeah it says he plans to have more by mid may. I don't think my needs are worth the extra cost for the beast, even though he did lower the price $40.
 
#52 ·
The beast is just too much intercooler for me, the son of the beast is already 1000% better than the stock one. Helped a buddy install his yesterday had to file the welds for the brackets to fit. But for the 5~mins that it took to do it is definitely worth the price you pay. ? for depo
 
#53 ·
A buddy and I installed the 3.5" intercooler today. Didn't have to grind the welds or anything. Did have to enlarge the MAP sensor hole along with the hole on the actual bolt hole. Definitely grab a pair of 1 1/4" bolts for bottom bracket since stock didn't come close to working for me. Definitely happy with investment. Buddy has one of the first styles of Levels intercooler and he's considering swapping to Depo. Hopefully C.A.T go down now. :)
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top