Overall a fantastic setup for a bolt-on solution.
Goes well with the charge-pipe kit.
Pros:
• Aluminum.
• Comes in black for stealthy/oem look.
• Light weight
• Get's rid of a lot of the longer rubber oem hose runs which expand during boost. The couplers that come with this kit are short, that way most of your piping is actual piping and not curved/long/bent rubber hoses.
• Comes with a mounting kit for those three annoying relays sitting on a plastic shroud behind your driver side headlight. (Those things have bothered me forever) So it's nice to have them mounted in a more clean way now.
Cons:
• If you're running a standalone ECU and an electronic boost controller, there is no vacuum nipple on the pressurized hot side. That is the ideal location for a vacuum line for the controller since it is pre intercooler. It reduces line-rippe when throttle closes = less damage to the controller, also means less boost spikes since the ecu will read pressure better since it's pre IC pressure loss. Unfortunately you'd have to find an aluminum nipple and get it welded at a shop.
• The turbo elbow coupler is too bulky, and will likely rest/sit on blots coming out from the rear of your power steering pump, as well as getting dangerously close to power steering hose clamps that could cut into the elbow eventually. It is also thin, which is a little worrisome.
• Hose supplied for connecting to the MSM's catch can breather system into the strut bar was extremely stiff. Not what is shown pictured. Makes it nearly impossible to shape it correctly to line up right. I had to use spare heater hose I had that was more pliable.
• The bolt-on compressor outlet coupler that replaces the factory one with the metal gasket (which sends the turbo air out at a different angle into the replacement intercooler pipe) wasn't manufactured perfectly. The tube didn't line up with the flange. I had to port-match it myself and clean it up. Also it measured 1mm smaller in inner diameter than the factory one. Additionally, the turbo outlet was already 1mm or so larger than the factory elbow... so the HPS being 1mm smaller makes it a 2mm discrepancy. Maybe I should port it even more? Probably doesn't matter much..
• For the price, I would have expected better quality clamps.
Afterthoughts:
• I can see why the FM kit is more friendly for standalone ECU's. Also comes with a beefier (34mm) port for blow off valves. Those tend to hold boost better, but when you're only running 10-15psi, you don't have much to worry about, as most aftermarket blow off valves (even 19/20mm ones) that can clamp right into the HPS throttlebody elbow would do just fine at that boost level.
• This should have come with a basic manual boost controller and a blow off valve. Nothing fancy, but something to get people started. But again... without that vacuum nipple on the hot side pressurized pipe, there's no "ideal" location to install the manual boost controller...
4/5 stars
Solid for bolt-on solutions that just want a little more pep without touching boost or anything else.
Without a boost controller... don't expect to feel too much of a difference.
