I just got a PFS SMIC, used. I stripped off all the paint and a friend of mine, VAGambler, is going to powder coat the piping and the endtanks "chrome". Since I'm adding a big hunk of shiny to my engine bay I thought the GReddy 2 piece elbow set would be a nice addition. But I'm not sure if the pipe from the elbow to the intercooler will be too long for my setup. Does anyone know if the 2 piece set will fit with a PFS SMIC? Or will I need to get a custom pipe to go from the elbow to the IC? Thanks!

For the curious, the PFS SMIC sans paint:

 

If you run the Greddy elbow, you will need a custom pipe from the elbow to the outlet of the PFS. This just adds an additional point of failure...

 

Thanks Rynberg. I guess you're not a GReddy elbow fan? Since the PFS IC removes the lower IC elbow adding the GReddy elbow will keep the number of failure points the same as sticking with the stock IC and elbow, right? Or are you saying that the GReddy elbow is "all show and no go"?
Anyway, I'll keep your point in mind.

 

I thought the PFS intercooler connected to the stock elbow? I think what ryanberg was saying is that since the greddy elbow is shorter, you will have to add another little pipe to connect the intercooler pipe to the greddy elbow, thus adding an additional coupler... which is another point of failure.

 

It does connect to the stock elbow. My point was that it's no worse than using the GReddy elbow with the stock IC.

 

Right, because you still have one additional point of failure over the stock elbow. Not a big deal, def. looks better than stock too. ;-)

 

I'm getting confused, maybe it's the cold medicine. PFC IC with stock elbow will have 2 silicon hose connections. PFS IC with Greddy elbow won't work unless you weld some length on either PFC IC or the greddy elbow, in which case you still have 2 silicon hose connections. Using the PFS IC with the elbow and just a piece of pipe means you now have 3 silicon hose connections. I guess you could use a very long piece of silicon hose, but that over time with start to expand from the boost pressure, much like the stock ribbed connection expands when your watching it on the dyno.

Tim

 

cut the cold pipe off the IC and fab a single pipe (straight) to the greedy elbow...cut the hot pipe off and fab a single (straight) pipe to the y-pipe. <---but now, you've taken a lot of the positives out of the PFS IC...

 

I wish you would have told me. I would have sent you a precut piece I have that I was using with the IC. The key is to use silicone flex connectors. I still have those too. Send me a PM and I'll sell it all to you. The couplers were kinda expensive (they're red) - something like $25 or $30/ea. The pipe was polished pipe I had from something, can't remember. Anyway, point being, there is no need to modify the IC. I was using it with my greddy elbow, no problem.

The IC looks good by the way!

 

Thanks dude. PM the info about the couplers and pipe and I'll get back to you tonight. Gotta take the IC over to the powder man!

 

I used to have one of the pipes you will need.
Ryan, whats with this additional point of failure rap? The likelyhood of blowing off a coupler after the intercooler is pretty slim wouldn't you say? It's a straight shot through the pipe there. It's not like the air is pushing against the pipe and forcing it loose or something. I have never seen or even heard of any of them blowing off other than the one that comes off the Y pipe and that is because the air tries pushing it off at the bend. I aint saying it could never happen but it would be extremely rare and certainly nothing I would waste time worrying about.

 

True. I think the way I worded my post made it seem like it was a big issue, and I don't believe it is.

Damn, the PFS looks really nice polished like that....what setup are you running now with your single turbo?

 

Oh man...talk about history. If I'm not mistaken, that pipe was originally made for Rikki's PFS Supercars FD...then you got it, then you sold it to some other guy, and low and behold, I ended up w/ it some years later haha. I noticed cuz on the inside of the pipe, it had "Don't Be a Rikki!" written in marker hahaha. And soon enough, it's gonna be up for sale again since I'm ditching the PFS SMIC. Wonder if it'll stay in the DC area

~Ramy

 

VaGamber just finished the powder coating. Thanks dude, they look great!

 

looking good Yosh

 

aaah too bad I didn't see this earlier. Otherwise I would have chimed in and said that Chrome powder coating does not look like chrome at all. More like silver as in your pic.



Still looks nice though. Much better than the red IMO

 

Getting back to the original topic, why not just polish the stock elbow? The PFS is a perfect fit onto it so you won't have to fab anything or do any guess work. Just take off the stock elbow, clean it, polish or powdercoat it to match, and there ya go. IMO that would be the easiest and best-looking solution.

 

That's a little difficult to do when it's plastic! :poke:

 

ha ha

 

I knew what it was going to look like. VaGambler some of his other chrome powdered pieced. But yeah, much nicer than the red.

 

Here's my solution. Polished, not chrome.

 

As well as a full engine shot

 

Mine. Has an extra injector bung that I don't use

 

You laugh but I had someone actuall send me a stock intake elbow and ask me to polish it. I had to contain myself when I emailed him back informing him that you cannot polish plastic to look like shiney alluminum.

 

No it was made for me Ramy. I don't know why Ray had written rikki in it but I assure you the pipe was hand made for me by Ray. I have to believe back then both of us were kind of associated with calling folks "rikkis" By the time I got that pipe Ryan was already in the process of selling his RX7.