My intercooler (manual trans) fits right up against the grill (or maybe 1mm behind) and there was no pressure when installing the grill. In this picture, I actually have some space between grill and aluminum.
I had some earlier model silicone hoses that were larger diameter so we had to do some removal of plastic up front..it wasn't too bad though. Some pictures of your situation will help. WHen I get home, I'll post some new pics to show our solutions and maybe your shop will get an idea of how best to work yours.
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