Advantage of FMIC over SMIC when only BPU?

As the title says, is there any advantage of adding an FMIC to the TT over an uprated SMIC when only running BPU mods? (Other than the bling factor)

I've heard it can cause more lag in spool up?

I know it's obviously the choice to go for big single or hybrid twins due to its cooling properties, but is there actually any negative effects when only pushing 400bhp when an uprated SMIC might be enough to do the job and still give good if not better performance?

Or am I just talking rubbish... lol

No - you're better of with a well ducted and designed CW SMIC for everything upto a small Single pushing just over 600bhp.

I wouldn't say it's better to have a smic, if you drive the car hard enough a side mount could be less affective than a front mount. If you just use the car for blasts now and then there wouldn't be much point putting the front mount on as the side mount will suffice.

if you drive the car hard enough a side mount could be less affective than a front mount.

thats fairly perverted.

to the OP - I certainly tried to save you some time and hassle however feel free to search on the forum and draw your own conclusions.

If you are looking for bling then perhaps the Front is better suited - a lot of Chavs now own supras and chase form over function

A properly made Side mount is more than up to the job for bpu, way better than a cheap chinese

front mount with an unknown core.

It also doesn't block airflow from the rad and if you fit a front mount it really needs to be ducted

to work properly.

If i was doing my car again i certainly wouldn't waste over £1k on the HKS R spec i bought but i didn't

know any better then and went with the HKS b/s and the look at my intercooler club mentality

CW smic for the win up to 600 ish fwhp

Side mount every time, main reason people fit front mounts is because it looks cool blud innit.

If the FMIC was invisible from the outside but the SMIC shone like a beacon it would be the SMIC that everyone wanted. What does that tell you?

Smic is positioned in it's own side pod duct that was designed in a wind tunnel. It creates a pocket of air in front of it that collects and is then forced through the core at pressure, at the rear of the smic is the front wheel, which, at speed creates an area of low pressure through what's known as the Venturi principle, effectively creating a suction effect, helping with airflow through the actual intercooler. Pretty clever stuff eh?

I think I'd rather use the stock ducting and positioning of the intercooler for this reason, unless I was forced into not being able to use it through performance requirements, ie it couldn't handle the cooling after a certain horsepower figure any longer.

You have to ask if the upgrade to a front mount has equal or better ducting than what is being replaced in order for it to be an upgrade.

Smic is positioned in it's own side pod duct that was designed in a wind tunnel. It creates a poccket of air in front of it that collects and is then forced through the core at pressure, at the rear of the smic is the front wheel, which, at speed creates an area of low pressure through what's known as the Venturi principle, effectively creating a suction effect, helping with airflow through the actual intercooler. Pretty clever stuff eh?

 

I think I'd rather use the stock ducting and positioning of the intercooler for this reason, unless I was forced into not being able to use it through performance requirements, ie it couldn't handle the cooling after a certain horsepower figure any longer.

 

You have to ask if the upgrade to a front mount has equal or better ducting than what is being replaced in order for it to be an upgrade.

Exactly.

There would be extra milage in fitting a second SMIC in the RHS front over going with even a good FMIC for the same reason.

I wouldn't say it's better to have a smic, if you drive the car hard enough a side mount could be less affective than a front mount. If you just use the car for blasts now and then there wouldn't be much point putting the front mount on as the side mount will suffice.

I'm sorry you couldn't be wrong

I suggest you do some searching on here

Properly setup fmic of good core design has the potential to cool a higher flow

The uprated cw side mount is wot I would recommend bpu and small singles as mentioned above is well ducted and takes advantage of wheel arch low pressure

Any increase in the volume between the turbo (s) and inlet adds lag time

Horses for courses

If for example you were bpu but thinking of going single later on and shooting for bigger hp figures fm may be better

But if the more than ample and drivable bpu is where you raining then buy a cw side mount

What I said was the side mount isn't better, as it isn't.

I did say the side mount would do the job but to say a side mount is better is stupid lol.

Front mount will stop the radiator from getting sufficient air emmmmm ok!! I run a front mount on my drift car that sits closer to my rad than on the supra and my water temps never go above 87degrees lol

I don't need to search on this forum to find out what's better, and to say people put them on for bling points is ridiculous. Sound like a bunch of old men not accepting change ha ha

And lmao at front mounts creating more lag than side mount. Have you ever manually pressurised an intercooler system, I can tell you now that there would be milliseconds in difference between a top mount set up (say subaru) and a front mount.

If I do some searching on here I'm gonna find a detailed test of temps before and after of both intercooler setups after a few laps of a circuit?

Wow

Thanks for the replies all and the advice.

It will be for a daily driver, that will probably see one or two track days a year and an annual trip down to Germany.

As I said, no plans to go big singe, maybe hybrids in the future and definitely not bothered about the 'bling' factor as being well in to my 30's I think I may be a little too old to be a chav....

I'll do some more searching and have a look at the CW SMIC, already been looking at Whiffbitz offering in SMIC and that looks quite nice too.

Thanks again

I have a FMIC on BPU .. IMO of you have a stock front bumper your probably better of with the SMIC but if you have a Do-Luck front like mine I would say FMIC ... I like the look of a FMIC and the Do-Luck really shows it off well and has a massive mouth for cooling too

Personally I would not worry to much about it, If your not bothered about looks I would stay with the SMIC unless you want the look of a FMIC or your going to go for big power one day then get a decent FMIC

I have a FMIC on BPU .. IMO of you have a stock front bumper your probably better of with the SMIC but if you have a Do-Luck front like mine I would say FMIC ... I like the look of a FMIC and the Do-Luck really shows it off well and has a massive mouth for cooling too

 

Personally I would not worry to much about it, If your not bothered about looks I would stay with the SMIC unless you want the look of a FMIC or your going to go for big power one day then get a decent FMIC

 

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y112/mplavery/5A18628E-CCC2-48B0-870C-A53D38A6DF83-7705-0000035599D16F1A_zpsac42bcaf.jpg

Face it your just a chav to these lot lol

Face it your just a chav to these lot lol

Yeaaaa boi

For BPU a SMIC is best, no debates, it's just a fact.

I have used many vary unit over the years, including a whole host of exotic branded items, the SMIC especially one with an up rated core such as a CW SMIC will be much more efficient and will make use of the correct ducting in order to direct the airflow directly onto the cores face. FMIC use a far wider surface area, many cheap Intercoolers use cheap cores with poor design, and usually do not have a great end tank design to boot. FMIC should also be ducted in order to direct flow into the core, but there are very few items on the market that offer this within their product design and production.

BPU will see you running 1-1.3bar under normal circumstances, so the SMIC is well within it capability to offer a well rounded setup.

Anything will seem better than a 20 year old stock unit though.

I disagree, a front mount does not need ducting, it has a mass of cold air blowing towards it which covers a wide area of the cooler.

If you where to stick your head out the window of a moving car and smile with teeth showing, would wind go round your face without forcing air between your teeth or would your face need ducting lol.

Also if you create to tight a ducting towards a small side mount you are creating a pressure build up infront of the intercooler which reduces the speed at which the air can be dispersed. Then your left with a build up of air spilling back out and round the bumper.

For BPU a SMIC is best, no debates, it's just a fact.

 

I have used many vary unit over the years, including a whole host of exotic branded items, the SMIC especially one with an up rated core such as a CW SMIC will be much more efficient and will make use of the correct ducting in order to direct the airflow directly onto the cores face. FMIC use a far wider surface area, many cheap Intercoolers use cheap cores with poor design, and usually do not have a great end tank design to boot. FMIC should also be ducted in order to direct flow into the core, but there are very few items on the market that offer this within their product design and production.

 

BPU will see you running 1-1.3bar under normal circumstances, so the SMIC is well within it capability to offer a well rounded setup.

 

Anything will seem better than a 20 year old stock unit though.

Sorry I'm not trying to cause a argument .. Just more interested then anything else

So have you tested both types of Intercooler set ups on the same car ? I'm guessing that's the only real way to find out and what gians/losses where they ?

I'm not saying that the sidemount won't do the job though

Sorry I'm not trying to cause a argument .. Just more interested then anything else

 

So have you tested both types of Intercooler set ups on the same car ? I'm guessing that's the only real way to find out and what gians/losses where they ?

That's what I would like to see, test results of temps while on a track before and after the intercooler.

Take 1 well set up FMIC against 1 well setup SMIC and the differences will be minimal. I would be amazed if there was much difference at all to be honest. IMO a good FMIC would be better than a stock SMIC, but with a more efficient core (CW) it would be more than enough to keep the bum dyno from noticing any differences.

A large FMIC will definitely lag more, but again..... splitting hairs as long as you aren't looking for a silly size core.

I have tested a fair few different brands:

ETS

GReddy 2row

Blitz LM Spec

Miami GT (SMIC)

CW (SMIC)

HKS Type R

Stock SMIC

To name a few, all on the same car, all running BPU, and as I stated, all ran better than the stock corroded Unit, but who figured right .

I found all the FMIC units and SMIC unit suitable and worked well with the BPU setup, I will also mention though, that the car felt more responsive when I ducted the FMIC, and the difference between a CW unit and the Greddy FMIC was very noticeable.

As I stated, at BPU either will work fine, but id rather stick to a CW SMIC, as it's been by far the best unit of the lot.

I disagree, a front mount does not need ducting, it has a mass of cold air blowing towards it which covers a wide area of the cooler.

 

If you where to stick your head out the window of a moving car and smile with teeth showing, would wind go round your face without forcing air between your teeth or would your face need ducting lol.

 

Also if you create to tight a ducting towards a small side mount you are creating a pressure build up infront of the intercooler which reduces the speed at which the air can be dispersed. Then your left with a build up of air spilling back out and round the bumper.

I don't mean to be rude, but were you born without lips?