smic vs fmic??

[dirtdiggler666]

ok here is the deal im turboing my ka and im just using a t3 at about 6-7 pounds of boost, i got a huge fmic and 3'' pipe it just seems like it will lag and a side mount would work better with my setup, i hope im not on crack and you guys understand what im trying to say.

[pileofherpes]

The bigger the intercooler the better. It won't create lag, a bigger (slower spooling) turbo will.

good luck

[womenbeshoppin]

just be like viceroy and get a fmic cuz it looks cool

[thepest]

The bigger the intercooler the better. It won't create lag, a bigger (slower spooling) turbo will.

good luck

Like he said bigger is better. What kind of SMIC?? factory sr20? If you have a FMIC already, just go and get your BOV and wastegate and hook that chit up! Its bigger and looks better. :hsdance: GO for IT!

[nissanberto]

yea i would only go sidemount if i lived in cali, and if i wanted the sleeper look.

[Ian]

Like he said bigger is better. What kind of SMIC?? factory sr20? If you have a FMIC already, just go and get your BOV and wastegate and hook that chit up! Its bigger and looks better. :hsdance: GO for IT!



bigger is NOT better...but...generally, most reputable companies don't make ones that are too big for most setups.


And what the fuck does a wastegate have to do with his intercooler setup?

:keke:

[yokotas13]

ARC sidemount will be plenty
id rather have a sidemount htan a front mount personally

[SC_S13]

ARC sidemount will be plenty

+1
if your not pushing too much hp, a side mount will suffice. personally i like the look n function of a fmic, but hey, the sleeper look is always king.

[dirtdiggler666]

well i was planing on building the engine then i got the itch and i want to drive this damn thing and i had allready bought the fmic, but only pushing say 7 pounds just seems like a waste to have a fmic kinda like a poser, i dont care about looks.i was planing on using just a sr20 s14 side mound i dident evean know other people made them, anyone got a link? oh and is the s13 and s14 side mount diffrent?? thanks guys so far

[nissanberto]

if you already have the FMIC use it,, dont spend money on something that you already have... you can alwasy crank the boost up later on.....

[McRussellPants]

just be like viceroy and get a fmic cuz it looks cool

It totally counts as sack riding when you hate on someone un provoked when they don't even know/care who you are.


I do roll front mount for no other reason than my motor didn't come with a side mount though.

[Taniguchi_Is_#1]

why spend more money? the FMIC is already paid for. use it.

[s13gold]

bigger aint always better....small ass turbo and big ass intercooler equals pressure drop...

[nissanberto]

jsut go in between fmic and smic and get a v-mount intercooler , those are awesome when the hood is cut out for them.

or a intercooler on the roof ..
quote from JOHNNY RICER=====""THAT WILL BE TRUE RAM AIR"""

[OptionZero]

get an RMIC, rear mounted inter cooler

[yokotas13]

man i thought htat was the new roof mounted IC?

['90RPS13]

Fuck it, dont run with a intercooler. Send it to me and I will send you a thank you letter. haha.

Just use the FMIC. The cutting and effort you have to put in to do a Side Mount, might as well go FMIC. *a

[nissanberto]

yea and a fmic will make ricer honda kids scared.. even if ur not running alot of boost, the person next to you wont know that!!!!! tehe....

[pileofherpes]

Fuck it, dont run with a intercooler. Send it to me and I will send you a thank you letter. haha.

*a

Yeah, or maybe you could just act like you're gonna buy it, and never send him the money!!!!!!!

:mrmeph:

[Full-Lock]

if i were you, id use an sr20 sidemount. i would sell the fmic and save the money for something else. if you dont plan on running a lot of power for some time i wouldnt use it.

[annie4rb20]

3" piping? Like 3" in diameter? Now THAT is too big for the set up. The first time around my hybrid FMIC came w/ 3" piping and a huge FMIC, and I actually didn't realize it was laggy until I changed to 2.5" piping. Now, I also changed my intercooler (smaller), and I honestly think it spools much faster.

[SSC299]

Just go front mount. You won't have to worry about upgrading later if you plan on going for more boost.

[S13Disco]

depends HOW BIG YOUR FMIC really is.... Bigger is not always better, and 3" is really big.... your going to have lots of lag... I have a T3/T4 turbo 13psi on my SR, my FMIC pipeing is only 2.25....very little lag...

You will loose pressure if your FMIC setup is too big

[drift freaq]

ok there is a whole bunch of misinformation in this thread.

First off boost amounts do not determine if you should run a FMIC or a SMIC.
The things that determine intercooler size are multiple. Turbo size and boost combined with higher HP are factors.

In a sense someone running a T28 on a SR with a boost controller and sidemount will still get excellent results with say 12-13lbs on a sidemount with a relatively stock setup otherwise. I.E. has not upgraded injectors, maf, or computer. Also has not put on a Turbo that exceeds the flow rates of the injectors and maf.

How much HP are you going after? Intercooler efficiency is the the key here. A larger intercooler unless pushing high hp can be quite inefficient in some applications. Quite often a lot of SR owners stick big ass FMIC intercoolers on their cars yet they do not go much beyond 250-300hp. In that range they could actually get away with a 6 x24x3 FMIC intercooler and have great response with no lag and be quite efficient. Also piping size is not critical if you have the proper core size. i.e. 2.5 vs 3in. If your core is a little to large then yes the 2.5 piping will help but its almost like compensating in the wrong area IMHO. You need to start with the proper core size. Remember turbo's like free flow and 3 inch is free flow. Focus more on proper core size than if your piping is 2.5 or 3 again IMHO.

The benifits of a FMIC over a side mount? Well, cooling is one the other is possibly shorter piping runs. Shorter piping runs is why you see people doing top or V mount.

In a lot of applications HP wise a side mount works just fine. Now if your planning on pushing upwards of 300-400 hp I would say a intercooler size along the lines of 9x24x3 would work just fine. In fact its ideal. If your going to the 500HP and above range then a 11 or 12x24x3 is in order.

Yes many intercooler companies sell big ass FMIC's because its the old one size fits all syndrome. They figure these guys are going to to get the boost HP bug and start upgrading all over to get higher HP range. Also a lot of them sell the intercooler with race only in mind. So they figure people are going for big numbers already.
The bandwagoners just jump on buying large FMIC's because its cool regardless of having the knowledge or nescessity of needing it.

[dirtdiggler666]

ok drift freaq ill tell you my setup and u tell me what you think

ka24de
stock long block
t/3 turbo
3'' dp
sti injectors
safcII
msd btm
n60
only 7 maby 10 psi
the only reasion i got the fmic is i was going to build the ka.
intercooler is 3'' in and out and the pipes are 3''

[steve shadows]

ok there is a whole bunch of misinformation in this thread.

First off boost amounts do not determine if you should run a FMIC or a SMIC.
The things that determine intercooler size are multiple. Turbo size and boost combined with higher HP are factors.

In a sense someone running a T28 on a SR with a boost controller and sidemount will still get excellent results with say 12-13lbs on a sidemount with a relatively stock setup otherwise. I.E. has not upgraded injectors, maf, or computer. Also has not put on a Turbo that exceeds the flow rates of the injectors and maf.

How much HP are you going after? Intercooler efficiency is the the key here. A larger intercooler unless pushing high hp can be quite inefficient in some applications. Quite often a lot of SR owners stick big ass FMIC intercoolers on their cars yet they do not go much beyond 250-300hp. In that range they could actually get away with a 6 x24x3 FMIC intercooler and have great response with no lag and be quite efficient. Also piping size is not critical if you have the proper core size. i.e. 2.5 vs 3in. If your core is a little to large then yes the 2.5 piping will help but its almost like compensating in the wrong area IMHO. You need to start with the proper core size. Remember turbo's like free flow and 3 inch is free flow. Focus more on proper core size than if your piping is 2.5 or 3 again IMHO.

The benifits of a FMIC over a side mount? Well, cooling is one the other is possibly shorter piping runs. Shorter piping runs is why you see people doing top or V mount.

In a lot of applications HP wise a side mount works just fine. Now if your planning on pushing upwards of 300-400 hp I would say a intercooler size along the lines of 9x24x3 would work just fine. In fact its ideal. If your going to the 500HP and above range then a 11 or 12x24x3 is in order.

Yes many intercooler companies sell big ass FMIC's because its the old one size fits all syndrome. They figure these guys are going to to get the boost HP bug and start upgrading all over to get higher HP range. Also a lot of them sell the intercooler with race only in mind. So they figure people are going for big numbers already.
The bandwagoners just jump on buying large FMIC's because its cool regardless of having the knowledge or nescessity of needing it.


thank you, I almost grabbed the m4 from the case and started making a list.

It also depends on the actual geometry of the intercooler, and the thickness of the 'bar and plate' design etc.

Pressure drop is an overused scare tactic.

Side mount IC FTW.

If you want sleeper or cop friendly in CA, try driving an NA car...

use the turbo for racing, buy a trailor I dont know what else to say.

[drift freaq]

ok drift freaq ill tell you my setup and u tell me what you think

ka24de
stock long block
t/3 turbo
3'' dp
sti injectors
safcII
msd btm
n60
only 7 maby 10 psi
the only reasion i got the fmic is i was going to build the ka.
intercooler is 3'' in and out and the pipes are 3''
that setup would work fine with a s15 or ARC SMIC, or a 6x24x3 FMIC, max. of 9x24x3. Your not going to get much beyond 280-300hp if your tuned with that setup at those boost levels. Please get yourself a fuel pump before you blow your engine up. Also you have a fuel setup there thats probably good for at least 14lbs boost. The only thing that would limit you is the trim level and compressor size on the Turbo.

[annie4rb20]

Good point. Sizing the core is definatley important. I switched from a huge core, which was, I'm guessing like (i don't remember how big it was, but too big) 28x16x3.25, to my current one which is 27x9x2.75, and that was definately a noticable difference.

BUT, if quoting Corky Bell, he has a mathematical equation for velocity and plumbing diameter.

Excel Program (http://zhome.com/~aktar/calc/VelocityCalc.xls)

They discuss it here:

Forum (http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=78977)...

It's a very interesting debate though, because even though you can see a mathematical change in velocity, it doesn't necessarily mean that you can tell the difference. It depends also on how your pipes are bent, how long/short they are, how many bends you actually have... etc. Just from first hand experience, 2.5" plumbing is definately "cleaner" to route than 3" ... but keep in mind this is w/ the RB intake, and not like your forward facing SR/KA/CA ones.

[white97s14]

thank you, I almost grabbed the m4 from the case and started making a list.


lol thats funny, just keep your front mount, you already have it so use it

[dirtdiggler666]

oh dont worry fuel pump is allready in i just forgot that, ok few more questions is the s15 side mount bigger than the s14 side mount, and whats about the max hp a s14 or s15 smic can take befoure it starts choking itself?