my xspower ic does not have extruded internal fins. i have never seen bar/plate ic that have extruded internal fins (i'm not saying there isn't any). only tube/fins ic like the oem one have extrude internal fins, from what i've seen.

 

The AMS unit and it's eBay knock off are visibly different. Same overall shape and size, but very different . . .

 

Like I said, I was going off (very poor) memory. I know they were visibly different inside. Perhaps it is not extruded, but the internal fin construction is very different nonetheless. . .

EVOlutionary

 

maybe people should start taking pictures looking into / @ the fin design of their aftermarket i/c.

That way people will be able to distinguish which "ebay" fmic they have or what vendors are selling.

I will take a pic && post a pic of my fmic fin design when i chnage my oil tonight.

 

I will take pictures too after I see what you are looking for.

 

Lets see these pictures!

 

I bought a 05 RS with the Ebay stuff on it plus some other stuff and ya AMS said they wouldn't put it on their car if it was given to them. I am in the process of changing it all but as of right now I thnk the car is fast. So I guess it can only get faster. OHHH Darn. Anyways Like I said I have no problem.

 

I dont know about you guys but this looks pretty much the same except the exits of the intanks....

ebay : http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/jdm-E...ayphotohosting

AMS : http://www.amsperformance.com/store/...EVO%20FMIC.JPG

and they both have 17 front core bar's

 

If you look hard enough you will see a difference in the end tanks and the outlets. Also on the AMS unit the top mounting location is welded on.

Plus the cooling fins look 10x better on the AMS unit.

 

i must be blind lol

 

Has anybody tried to fit one of the 4" thick cores with the 3" outlets?

 

Of course they look the same. The eBay unit is A COPY OF THE AMS UNIT. They purposefully made it look similar to boost their sales and to be able to "claim" that it performed identical to the AMS unit. Here are the differences:

- the core is made in China and is vastly INFERIOR to the core AMS uses.
- internal fin design is different
- eBay end tanks are cast aluminum (some say therefore heavier), AMS is welded sheet aluminum
- outlets are at a different angle and do not mount up as well as AMS'
- top mounting bracket on the eBay unit is in the center - this does not line up with the mounting point whick is offset to one side about 1.5". Therefore you have to fabricate your own top mounting bracket.
- eBay unit mounting brackets are screwed on with 2 little screw each. AMS unit has all mounting brackets welded on and in the proper positions.

So, as you can see, there are ALOT of diffences, but upon initial quick glance they look the same. I have owned both, and now only own the AMS. I will let that speak to which one I favor. . .

EVOlutionary

 

As far as endtanks being sheet metal vs cast, the cast is better. If you look at the precision intercoolers that use garrett cores, they use cast endtanks, hks, greddy all cast endtanks. The weight difference is very minimal when comparing sheet metal to cast endtanks. A friend of mine has an ebay intercooler with cut off endtanks and they hardly weigh anything. And if you use to thin of sheetmetal, under high boost it is possible it will blow apart and with cast endtanks you dont have to worry about that.

 

Quote one high perf. source that says cast is better. . .

Weight difference is minimal, but still exists. . .

Why would you cut off the endtanks?? I don't understand . . .

AMS has never had an IC blow up that I know of, up over 40psi. . . I wonder how many eBay ICs have been over 40psi regularly. . . so your last point is completetly moot. . .

ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD??

 

Well the intercooler that was purchased was not for the car so he had someone make custom endtanks for it. But like I said cast are more durable. I am not saying anything negative about AMS intercooler, as long as their welding is solid it should be fine and material is proper thickness which it is, then it should be fine, but you are saying your comment like cast aluminum endtanks are a negative attribute, when it is not. A good correlation would be intake manifold. Which is more prone to explode a sheetmetal one or a cast unit? That is the reason I say cast is more durable. People who make sheetmetal items do say they put their stuff thru rigorous testings, but what you have to worry about is consistency in the welding which some have down to the T. With cast that is not a worry though.