ok, here's the deal. i bought a conquest i/c and took to a "speed shop" the told me they could front mount it with smooth bends. i repeatedly asked if they were mandrel or not and they told me they "could get them" well i get my car back and they didn't cut off the conquest stock tiny piping and they used 2 1/4 pipe which they bent using a $50 bender they ordered from JC whitney or something. they cut my stock BB I/C pipes and used them. they cut the pipe coming off the turbo and turned it around backwards facing the battery. the pipes were not kinked, but it's by far not mandrel bent. is my car safe to drive??? what should i do???:confused:

Dude, calm down. Now that you're calm...As long as none of the hose connections are leaking boost, then you'll be fine. Intercooler pipes do not have to be mandrel bent. Ever see stock piping? Not even close to mandrel anything. Hell, some cars use plastic for piping and endtanks!

bring it back to them and smack them across the face, if thats not what they told you they where going to do and not what you paid for then bring it back, but if you dont have any bad leaks it should be safe to drive.
Sean

If that's not what you wanted, bring them back the car.

my VAC used to sit about 20 at idle and now it sits around 10 so I'm assuming there's a leak somewhere. if i fix the leak could i actually kick up the boost like i planed on doing in the first place?:mad:

My idle is at 1600 and my vaccum is at 16... not really good. I also have a leak, but it is inside the intake manifold or any line that connects to it. If the intercooler leaks, you won't know that by your vaccum gauge.

the guy told me that since the i/c core is much larger than the stock BB core that my vac is going to be lower. Did anyone else's vac pressure go down when they went front mount?

I have a front mounted starion too and my vac is at 16 @ 1600 rpm

If your taking your vac reading from the manifold side of the throttlebody, then any leaks on the intercooler side shouldn't effect the reading at idle. On stock cams you should pull at least 18hg. in. at 850rpm. 16 ain't too bad. Turn the idle screw in. Pull the vac hoses off the manifold and cap them off one by one with the car running and the gauge on it. Or turn the car off, do a bong, and blow the smoke thru the vac hose and watch where it comes out. If you don't find it, at least you won't worry too much about it :D Good luck with your ride.

Cheers,
Charlie :)

my idle is about 900rpm. my vac should be about 18hg??