99/00 Intercooler with AC/PS
#1
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Ok so I’ve seen a few people asking about nb intercooler setups while keeping ac/ps so I figured I’d start a thread on how I did mine. I’m definitely not the first to do this. I actually got the idea from one of 18psi’s builds and I think he got it from someone else. Regardless of whos idea it is, heres how I got it to work on mine. There is a hole behind the driver side headlight. Obviously its too small for a pipe but can easily be expanded to fit a 2.5” i/c pipe. Then its just a 90* into the intercooler. The cold side is fairly straight forward and similar to other year models. Just down and around the radiator.
One issue I did have was mounting the intercooler because of the a/c canister. If I recall correctly my i/c is a 27"X5.5"X2.5" ebay special. I don’t think a 3” would fit.
Ok so heres some pictures. Please go easy on my rusty innards :(
![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xYM4SqrCLYQ/Tla31IwZc3I/AAAAAAAAAN4/IDhKHd4m1-s/s640/IMG_1923.JPG)
Heres a pic of the i/c
![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-V857G0vMYcI/Tla3-DSzs0I/AAAAAAAAAOA/KP_NU1vshKM/s640/IMG_1927.JPG)
Mocking it up
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-e4jMwUhQ2TI/Tla4J_CR4UI/AAAAAAAAAOM/3EjH-RnrBYc/s640/IMG_1932.JPG)
All mounted up
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-agVP-lL_VKY/Tla4DYH7yFI/AAAAAAAAAOI/WMiSaLG5Bn0/s640/IMG_1931.JPG)
Heres a picture of the hole placement. I can’t remember if this is the final shape of the hole but pretty close.
![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-4NTR8Ruvr-U/Tla3-ewSHbI/AAAAAAAAAOE/P37klO0a9d0/s640/IMG_1930.JPG)
Here it is from the front looking through the headlight hole.
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gec8sM3mqz8/Tla2oFDEEkI/AAAAAAAAAMo/hgYPS7hHhIw/s640/IMG_1950.JPG)
Here’s a shot from the top with pipe in place. As you can tell I got a little trigger happy with the grinder, probably didn’t need to be quite that big.
![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/--2SYzkVuDks/Tla464CIKCI/AAAAAAAAAOk/dfVZl293KOc/s640/IMG_1946.JPG)
Another picture from the top. Make sure you either round the cut area or do what I did and put a scrap piece of coupler between the pipe and metal. Otherwise it will rub and cut a hole in your pipe.
![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Cw-69KmkGU4/Tla2emKA_mI/AAAAAAAAAMc/N8z_JEkP3mM/s640/IMG_1949.JPG)
Here it is from under neath
![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-EbwzFQfzrp4/Tla2fxzWLOI/AAAAAAAAAMg/7ap3SMDR4Ck/s640/IMG_1948.JPG)
Where it meets the i/c.
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aXU0Hi2bNEc/Tla45m6q9uI/AAAAAAAAAOg/aR-BSlyKUd0/s512/IMG_1943.JPG)
Heres a picture of the hotside pipeing out of the car for reference.
Cold side:
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6LVnx-tVg8k/Tla4MBUon2I/AAAAAAAAAOQ/AUGVpPJSz-s/s640/IMG_1937.JPG)
Heres a pic of the cold side piping out of the car for reference.
![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-JjWUFroxUBE/Tla2_4ZsNmI/AAAAAAAAANA/oUdn4W_DAKg/s640/IMG_1959.JPG)
Side view, this is a good picture of how the intercooler sets up against the canister in front of the condenser and rad. Also after these pics were taken the ic was drilled and tapped for an iat sensor on the cold side.
![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0psfsAtxCzY/Tla3B5VKHQI/AAAAAAAAANE/Mfd5z5dz670/s640/IMG_1957.JPG)
From the throttle body its just straight down. I had to remove the ducting but I havn’t had any problems (115 heat this summer but I don’t do track days) so if you anticipate problems you’ll need to make custom ducting. Hope this helps.
One issue I did have was mounting the intercooler because of the a/c canister. If I recall correctly my i/c is a 27"X5.5"X2.5" ebay special. I don’t think a 3” would fit.
Ok so heres some pictures. Please go easy on my rusty innards :(
Heres a pic of the i/c
Mocking it up
All mounted up
Heres a picture of the hole placement. I can’t remember if this is the final shape of the hole but pretty close.
Here it is from the front looking through the headlight hole.
Here’s a shot from the top with pipe in place. As you can tell I got a little trigger happy with the grinder, probably didn’t need to be quite that big.
Another picture from the top. Make sure you either round the cut area or do what I did and put a scrap piece of coupler between the pipe and metal. Otherwise it will rub and cut a hole in your pipe.
Here it is from under neath
Where it meets the i/c.
Heres a picture of the hotside pipeing out of the car for reference.
Cold side:
Heres a pic of the cold side piping out of the car for reference.
Side view, this is a good picture of how the intercooler sets up against the canister in front of the condenser and rad. Also after these pics were taken the ic was drilled and tapped for an iat sensor on the cold side.
From the throttle body its just straight down. I had to remove the ducting but I havn’t had any problems (115 heat this summer but I don’t do track days) so if you anticipate problems you’ll need to make custom ducting. Hope this helps.
#5
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i think i may go with a over the radiator set up with a top panel.
if i were to do this and cut holes i would use a metel hole drilling kit that would make the hole a circle or round the edges to where you could put some edging there.
but either way that is a good looking setup and i like the size of the intercooler. thanks for the pictures also.
if i were to do this and cut holes i would use a metel hole drilling kit that would make the hole a circle or round the edges to where you could put some edging there.
but either way that is a good looking setup and i like the size of the intercooler. thanks for the pictures also.
#6
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Ya over the top is definately an option, I just don't remember seeing an over the top setup work with ac. Plus I like the look of the entire mouth filled. Your right it would definitely be better with the correct tools. All I had was a 3" grinder I picked up at wally world. Also I wasn't sure where the pipe needed to be, I originally had the pipe farther towards the back and had to cut the hole bigger to move the pipe forward.
#9
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Took a good chunk of time to do right though. Probably like 3-4 hours cause I even made sure not to crack the paint
![big grin](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/smilies/biggrin.gif)
#19
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I am really interested on how much this affects the cars structural rigidity.. That is a gaping hole in the uni-body, not to mention at the same location of some very critical joints.
I don't approve, but I don't have to. Just don't be surprised if you track/AutoX the car for a while and then get back to the alignment shop and see some very bizarre "numbers" on the rack. In a hard right turn I would bet money that outside wheel is not acting as it should.
I don't approve, but I don't have to. Just don't be surprised if you track/AutoX the car for a while and then get back to the alignment shop and see some very bizarre "numbers" on the rack. In a hard right turn I would bet money that outside wheel is not acting as it should.