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DSM Side-Mount Intercooler Mounted in 5G Civic Fender

Intro:
A cheap way to avoid the $200+ price tag of a Front Mount Intercooler is to use a DSM side-mount intercooler. On Ebay or in some "for-sale" forums, they can be had for as little as $10 picked up or $30-40 shipped, depending on the condition. There’s a variety of ways they can be mounted… either in front (which looks goofy, but has optimal air flow), engine bay corner mount (which looks ok, but has little to no air flow) or fender mount (which is completely hidden behind the bumper and allows for some air flow—similar to the location of a cold air intake).

This write-up will cover the fender mount setup.

http://www.puchare.com/tweaker/SMIC0.jpg

The DSM side-mount has 2 ports, one on the side (lower inlet) and one on the top (upper outlet). The upper outlet fits nicely into the opening once used by your stock air box. The lower works it’s way underneath the frame, allowing for a direct link to your engine bay/turbo. To get it to fit properly, you may need to cut off a few of the original tabs/flanges, but be careful not to cut off something you may need later. The intercooler may also need to be tipped back slightly so that your bumper will go back on (see pic below). Do some periodic test fits with your intercooler and bumper to make sure everything will fit correctly. The intercooler can touch the inside of your bumper with no long-term damage.

http://www.puchare.com/tweaker/SMIC1.jpg

In the first picture, you can see that my intercooler was mounted in 2 places, marked #1 & #2. The top (#1) was mounted using an 8" or 10” piece of flat steel that I got at Home Depot for 2 or 3 bucks (it's more like a flat "joining" bracket than just raw steel). Bent 90 degrees, drilled a few holes, mounted the bracket to the car using an existing fender bolt (just under the corner light) and a simple bolt/washer/nut setup to mount my homemade bracket to the intercooler bracket. Just about any size bolt will work. Slotting your bracket holes helps for later adjustment if needed.

http://www.puchare.com/tweaker/SMIC2.jpg

The lower (#2) was slightly more complicated. Once I knew for sure where my intercooler was going to go, I marked a spot on my frame where the lower bolt should be. Rather than drilling and tapping into the frame, I opted for a stud setup instead. Next to the passenger side tow hook, underneath the car, there’s a small opening in the frame about the size of a quarter. I drilled a small hole in the frame where I had marked my original spot and then fed a 1-1/2” to 2” long bolt with a double serrated washer on it thru the opening in the frame and through the hole I just drilled . On the outside of the frame, I used a nut and washer to finish the stud. It doesn’t take a lot of force to get the serrated washer to bite the inside of your frame or bolt (keeping it from turning on it's own), meaning you don’t have to try and get a wrench or finger up there to tighten it up properly. From there, mount your intercooler and use a large washer, lock washer and nut to finish the job.

I also JB welded some rubber strips to the side and top of the intercooler where it touched my frame. No point in rubbing or scratching the paint off if I don’t need to. The lower inlet needed to be cut down a little because the angle it comes into the engine bay interfered with the frame. Just cut a little at a time, be patient and try not to get any metal bits into the intercooler. You can also wash out your intercooler with water if it has any oil or metal in it. Just give it plenty of time to dry. You might also have to cut your rubber fender liner a little too... That's just how it goes.

NAME:
Chris Griffin
HMT Username: 95RedEX

PARTS LIST:
DSM Side Mount Intercooler
Home Depot 8” or 10" bracket
Some misc. nuts, bolts & washers

CONTACT INFO:
Chris Griffin
http://www.puchare.com
puchareracing@yahoo.com