why not mid mount intercoolers?

[Drift_FX]

ok im familiar with the psm intercooler setup, but what im wondering is why more people don't just convert their front mounts to mid mount setups? its perfect for the silvia front conversions, although im keeping the popup look...

why I went mid mount...
shorter pipes
out of the way if I hit something
easier to make ducting
(I will be making ducting to channel air more efficiently)
and it fits too perfectly not too....

is there a reason to go with a front mount over a mid mount?


I thought it may be interesting for discussion... and if any others have done something similar, post up pics! ill put some updated ones as mine comes along...

http://i347.photobucket.com/albums/p473/jfoxx88/2013-06-18170615_zps1a4104f5.jpg (http://s347.photobucket.com/user/jfoxx88/media/2013-06-18170615_zps1a4104f5.jpg.html)
(sorry bout the blurry picture)

[Croustibat]

mid mount have pros, but the main con is you get heat soak from your engine coolant radiator.
Better space them and duct them to avoid this.

The other reason people dont do mid mounts is it usually requires quite some cutting and custom fab, while you can get bolt on kits for front mounts.

[slidewayz240]

I did exactly what you are talking about. Works great.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/champish/Coupe/rb3_zps8a32d530.jpg

[souljaseth33]

I originally took my big front mount and ran it as mid mount. Worked great but was sandwiched up against the radiator. Wound up even damaging the radiator and it started leaking. I went and purchased the PBM high mount, and fitment is different & better with the smaller core, and no where near hitting my radiator.

[Bmxer300zx]

Mines actually up flipped up between the headlights ...but I don't have a 240 so idk if it would fit
http://i633.photobucket.com/albums/uu55/bmxer300zx/20130617_185512_zps38d7bb5e.jpg (http://s633.photobucket.com/user/bmxer300zx/media/20130617_185512_zps38d7bb5e.jpg.html)

[Chris28]

If you track your car heat soak is a big deal, you want some room in between the radiator and intercooler. With a full size fmic in front of the radiator you're blocking a lot of airflow, and during extended track sessions you will most likely have some overheating issues.

[slidewayz240]

If you track your car heat soak is a big deal, you want some room in between the radiator and intercooler. With a full size fmic in front of the radiator you're blocking a lot of airflow, and during extended track sessions you will most likely have some overheating issues.

Agreed with that. Mine is fine while daily driving, but if I run the car hard for more than 15 mins or so it starts to get warm. I plan on trying to fix that with some proper ducting to the intercooler/radiator, and between the two.

[Bmxer300zx]

Agree'd
I actually have 2 electric fans behind the fmic pushing and one in front of the radiator in the bay centered and pulling. Nismo T-stat and a stillen oil cooler to keep temps down.

[Drift_FX]

If you track your car heat soak is a big deal, you want some room in between the radiator and intercooler. With a full size fmic in front of the radiator you're blocking a lot of airflow, and during extended track sessions you will most likely have some overheating issues.

the psm intercooler wasn't an option for me because of its power constraints... I would have to disagree with you about the "blocking air"... with a front mount all the air still has to go through your intercooler first. so I don't see there being any difference between it going through 2" before or 2' before..... and with the psm intercooler I would think that air would take the route of less resistance and just around the intercooler....

[Bmxer300zx]

Ya but the air still has to go through the front mount. It's not as direct flow as it is without it there, plus the rows are differnet directions. The airflow will be disrupted compared vs a factory sidemount.
That being said regardless of where a FMIC is mounted it's going to block the little bit of air it does wether it's high, mid or low mounted.
V-mounts a good way to keep the airflow even between the 2 but its a pita. Only thing I would worry about is it being close to the radiator the heat from that will be soaking into the FMIC a tad. I mounted mine with enough room to get fans between the two. Just don't put the radiator in front of the FMIC, I hate seeing people do that lnothing like hot air blowing onto it lol.
My setup has never seen over 190° even getting stuck mid summer in N.Y.C traffic or beating the shit out it.

[fast250sx]

I have been dding and tracking my mid mount for the better part of 3 years with zero cooling issues. The only modification I made to the setup was I lowered the I/C as low as possible to make sure it had sufficient air flow. Great throttle response.

Version 1

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/fast240/build/8-6-09009.jpg

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/fast240/IMAG0184.jpg

Version 2

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/fast240/build/20130120_125458.jpg

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/fast240/build/20130120_125439.jpg

[Twinkies!]

yeh mid mounts and top mounts both get hot from the engine b ut if you do it right i dont see why it wouldnt work

[Chris28]

Ducting can help, but it also depends on your definition of "tracking" your car. If you drive road courses, you're driving hard for 25 minute sessions. If you drift, you're driving hard for 30 seconds and allowing 5 minutes between runs for everything to cool down.

In addition to blocking airflow through the radiator, your IAT's are going to be extremely high. On track coolant temps are usually around 200°, and with your fmic snug against your radiator it's going to absorb a lot of that heat. IAT's are normally well under 200°, so with the intercooler against the radiator it's actually heating up the intake charge.

[fast250sx]

With the two perma cool fans I got blowing over 3000 cfm of air each, my I/C stays cool to the touch. And I haven't even started on the ducting yet. Still no good reason too not do it.

[bc.]

The only reasons I see for a mid mount is if you are worried about hitting stuff or you don't want your car to look like it is turbo when the hood is closed. You really are not gaining much effiecency wise with the shorter piping.

[Chris28]

With the two perma cool fans I got blowing over 3000 cfm of air each, my I/C stays cool to the touch. And I haven't even started on the ducting yet. Still no good reason too not do it.

Try touching it after a 25 minute track session. If you don't drive your car hard then I guess there's no reason not to do it, but if you care about performance at all it does more harm than good.

[Drift_FX]

Try touching it after a 25 minute track session. If you don't drive your car hard then I guess there's no reason not to do it, but if you care about performance at all it does more harm than good.

as long as they are not touching, and there are fans forcing the hot air towards the motor there really shouldn't be a way the intercooler will heat up from proximity to the radiator.....

[NoPistons!]

He probably means ambient which really doesn't matter at idle when you're not putting any load on the motor to build boost.

[cured13]

Why not mid mount - its much better idea than front mount if done right.
Keep one inch space between rad and intercooler sealed, strong fan with full shroud behind radiator and it's already better than front mount.
Make sealed tunnel from intercooler to the front bumper opening and it's perfect.

Here is an example from Australia
http://www.cruisingbrisbane.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/DSC3634.jpg

[cured13]

I think regular intercooler with 22"-24" wide core with inlet and outlet at 90 degree plus of the shelve universal 22"-24" wide radiator from Griffin etc. with Taurus or Lincoln fan will make similar combo.

Now if you look at the pictures, there is room for taller radiator than they use there and I think 22" x 19" radiator from Griffin will fit perfectly.
http://www.cruisingbrisbane.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/DSC3616.jpg

[jr_ss]

You say tomato, I said tomoto... This really is an argument of personal preferences. You can have issues if both setups are thrown together and you can have zero if both are done right. Some people are cheap, where others know the importance of having a cooler running engine on track. Everyone knows SR's run hot on track, or should at least educate themselves in their track manners.

[TheRealSy90]

If you do it, weld the outlets on the side of the end tanks so you don't have to make some big crazy bend. That shit looks ugly. Like the cars posted. The blue one is the way to do it. You're doing it for shorter piping so having those big loops in the piping is just ass backwards.

[TheRealSy90]

Bumping since I finally started doing my high/midmount intercooler.

I'm concerned with the radiator heat soaking the intercooler, which a lot of people say will be a problem.
But then a lot of people say it won't make a difference once the car is moving.


I currently have it close enough to seal (duct) between the two with weather stripping. If I move it further away from the rad, I don't know how I can seal between the two.


https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/hphotos-xfa1/t51.2885-15/s640x640/sh0.08/e35/12141881_163589900656376_94932638_n.jpg

[RurouniMidnight]

If you have a big bumper opening you need a front mount to fill the area and look cool otherwise its not as stylish with midmount. Also if your running ac you cant fit the midmount without tossing out the condenser. Ive ran both ways and prefer the front mount for these reasons.http://i798.photobucket.com/albums/yy262/RurouniMidnight/5-30-10-3_zpsddlgtriw.jpg (http://s798.photobucket.com/user/RurouniMidnight/media/5-30-10-3_zpsddlgtriw.jpg.html)http://i798.photobucket.com/albums/yy262/RurouniMidnight/will%20pic%202_zpshtjcm1vz.jpg (http://s798.photobucket.com/user/RurouniMidnight/media/will%20pic%202_zpshtjcm1vz.jpg.html)http://i798.photobucket.com/albums/yy262/RurouniMidnight/20150329_132532_zpskxg8fyyh.jpg (http://s798.photobucket.com/user/RurouniMidnight/media/20150329_132532_zpskxg8fyyh.jpg.html)http://i798.photobucket.com/albums/yy262/RurouniMidnight/IMG_20150621_153920_zpspnr4hnwg.jpg (http://s798.photobucket.com/user/RurouniMidnight/media/IMG_20150621_153920_zpspnr4hnwg.jpg.html)

[Croustibat]

I run a front mount because the only fabrication i had to do is getting the angle grinder out to remove a bit of the bumper support, and make a hole in the battery tray (which has now been relocated to the center console, behind the control panel, small battery FTW).

Mid mount would have been a real pain. Considering pain vs gain ratio, i'll stick to front mount.

[TheRealSy90]

http://i798.photobucket.com/albums/yy262/RurouniMidnight/20150329_132532_zpskxg8fyyh.jpg (http://s798.photobucket.com/user/RurouniMidnight/media/20150329_132532_zpskxg8fyyh.jpg.html)



Aaron Losey is that you? :)


I'm sure i'll miss the look of the front mount in the bumper, but with my td06 I'm more concerned with getting the best response that I can with it, so mid mount is the way for me to go.


Maybe i'll go back to 2000 and put mesh in the front bumper opening haha.

[RurouniMidnight]

Thats not Aaron haha.

[Sills]

IMO-
My question would be why do people mid mount? Its a somewhat poor location, Its less conventional, You dont have it possitioned in the bumper gap to provide the typical flow and aesthetics. Not as many mid mount kits, Heatsoak, Harder to mount, fabrication...

Its just not something for me, and those are my reasons why. Even in very high Hp applications the tried and true fmic is often used. So why not. Keep things simple.

[onehundredoctane]

Mid mount intercoolers help keep the intercooler from becoming the first thing that gets hit when you run over some poor animal or run up on a curb pulling into a parking spot. The performance gains (when done correctly) are MUCH quicker boost due to having less intercooler piping. Some people prefer mid mounts because it gives the car more of a sleeper look since the intercooler isn't hanging out the bumper.

I agree with you Sills, keep it simple. Less intercooler pipe means less couplers, means less hose clamps, means less possible leaks. Shorter intercooler pipe, quicker boost!