front mount or top mount?

[occschemguy]

what after market intercooler works best top mount or front mount or do u see much of a diffrence, i know some of u have had the ETS top mount then switched to a front mount, why did u and has it made much of a diffrence, if it was just for looks say that.

[bova]

do you like heat soak?

[NYpest]

i have a TM love heat soak !!

[occschemguy]

dont want to loose boost either, ive heard u loose boost on front mount, and the top mount cools right down if u are moving, right?

[bova]

i haven't lost any boost and can't really notice any lag.

[occschemguy]

Originally Posted by mdogg why would you lose boost with a FMIC? You would only lose boost if you have a leak or bad connection somewhere..... on EITHER the top or front ICs....

not necesaraly i turbo is not that great the greater distance can hinder performance, the sti is this way, the stock turbo does not perform well with a front mount bcos of the distance it has to push.

[ultraspeed619]

I had the ETS TMIC and loved it when I was running stock boost. Heatsoak wasn't too horrible here in san diego, though. I now have the Standback and a FMIC running 17psi and no heatsoak whatsoever! Power whenever you want it without worrying about heatsoak, FTW...

[SLS MS3]

Originally Posted by mdogg why would you lose boost with a FMIC? You would only lose boost if you have a leak or bad connection somewhere..... on EITHER the top or front ICs....

I think he is referring to the pressure drop you get with a FMIC.

[bova]

if its a good core you won't get a pressure drop, it could be the same drop as the ets. only thing you would really get is turbo lag which most don't even notice.

[Mr._Pickles]

I did an FMIC kit on my GTI and it was a huge PITA.


TMIC are cheaper and take all of 10 minutes to install. They work great and heat soak is never really an issue.

[mrlilguy157]

i just got my 3.25" TMIC ETC core in.... looks great, no regrets.

[bova]

the problem is only auto exe and ets make new top mounts for our cars. and if you want to donate a kidney then get the auto exe but and if you want to be weary about what you bought get a ets (heard so many stories about crappy welds and them leaking).

not that you can't have problems with a front mount either, i mean look at me, stupid maf housing.

[Haltech]

I think but im not sure, that the 3.5 ETS is the one with the welded end tanks and you need to inspect it before install. The 3" and 3.25" are good to go with casted end tanks.

[grimreaper]

does fmic void warranties?

[occschemguy]

Originally Posted by grimreaper does fmic void warranties?

according to Mazda corprate any after market intersooler can void your waranty, even a BOV is grounds for them to revok it!

[grimreaper]

thats cool i understand the situational part, it just seems from the posts ive read that mazda is a little more deaf to the magnos act (spelling?) compared to other auto makers, granted not every single person posts on the forums

[Performance Racing]

Originally Posted by bova80 i haven't lost any boost and can't really notice any lag.

FMIC FTW!
I think the Corksport is sexy as hell, well priced.

Or you can do custom like me for under $600, some have done ti for under $500.

[Mr._Pickles]

Originally Posted by mdogg amen brotha! heat soak isn't an issue???????

not in comparison to my previous VW. That car heat soaked BAD.

[Jspeed6]

...I had the 3.5 ETS about a year ago, heat soak was very noticable......switched to the CPE FMIC a few months back and havent looked back. without a doubt in my mind, the FMIC (from any vendor) will out perform any TMIC hands down! this is comming from someone who's had both......just my .02 cents.

....Im in sunny south florida so all I see is hot weather...

[Averia]

Originally Posted by mdogg if Mazda corporate voids your warranty due to a BOV, then they would be asked to prove this if it goes to court. Honestly, someone with the financial backing needs to fight it out one of these times.... the only "grounds for them to revok it!" is if the part in question causes the failure. furthermore, based on a little reading, I think they are only allowed to void the part of the warranty pertaining to the aftermarket part and the damage it causes. It is ILLEGAL for Mazda to revoke your warranty if they simply see that you have an upgraded BOV. But.... someone might have to take legal action for the favorable out come.... but anyways....

Guess it would be hard for my dealership to deny much of anything - the parent company sponsors "Pimp my Ride". Sure if they modification clearly caused the problem but blacklisting a car just because it had mods on it is un-American.

[kurfgator]

Going to any upgraded inter cooler will provide better performance. The factory TMIC uses very restrictive paths to increase contact time and reach a higher temperature drop. The drawback? Almost a 3.5 psi pressure drop. The ETS and all FMIC kits (as far as I know) have about a 1-1.5 psi drop. So even with the extra piping of the FMIC the decrease in work required by the turbo will result in no noticeable lag. The ETS will actually have a reduction in lag versus stock so if you went from an ETS to a FMIC you might feel the increase in lag.

The ETS will perform a little better than stock based on the increase in compressor efficiency. To run 15.6 at the manifold the turbo has to run about 19psi with the stock inter cooler and only 17 with the ETS. The ETS also cools almost as well as stock due to the larger core. The greater area of each tube increases cooling contact even though the air isn't being held in the core as long.

The FMIC will do the same as the ETS with a little extra lag (as compared to the ETS, about equal with stock as long as it isn't a custom with an over-sized core). The advantage of the FMIC is that it will keep boost temperatures low regardless of driving conditions. The TMIC will definitely cost you power after idling for a minute while the FMIC will be barely above ambient (remember, it still gets flow when you are stopped if the rad fans kick on) but the TMIC is fine if you are moving at decent speeds.

I have the ETS 3.25" with the SU boost tubes now and while I like it much more than stock I am getting ready to go to FMIC.

As far as warranty, Mazda can void it for your driving habits if they can prove you've been racing. If you are really worried about your warranty, don't mod. It is a little bit like Russian Roulette with Mazda dealers and mods.

[Haltech]

Im sitting waiting for that "perfect" fmic to come into existence! its either going to be Cobb or PTP.

[occschemguy]

as of right now i will need to go costum anyway none has a intercooler effecient to 500hp. or even close unless cpe gets theres done.

[redrocketz]

ATP makes a 600hp core but what are you doing to actually need that kind of power?

[occschemguy]

i dont need that power but want that power!
i am mostly doing it for exposure(get in to more mags and win more shows etc) wich means more and beter sponserships and i enjoy compotition.

[redrocketz]

Originally Posted by occschemguy i dont need that power but want that power! i am mostly doing it for exposure(get in to more mags and win more shows etc) wich means more and beter sponserships and i enjoy compotition.

OK let me rephrase it what are you doing to get that power?

[occschemguy]

we are working out most of the stuff as we go along, but fully built forged motor, gt35r and many supporting mods, still working on the fuel system of wht it will exactly consist of and we havnt decided on a tuning solution as of yet, we may go to a stand alone and be running an extra set of injectors.

[redrocketz]

what are you using for the built motor?

[FileNotFound]

Originally Posted by Haltech Im sitting waiting for that "perfect" fmic to come into existence! its either going to be Cobb or PTP.

What's your idea of a 'perfect' fmic?
Or what don't you like about the current offerings?

[Haltech]

Perfect = NO fitament issues with any intake i want to run. also, no problems with aftermarket manifolds, piping getting in the way with a TT brace AND still being to run the bottom engine cover.

[phailerider]

Originally Posted by Haltech Perfect = NO fitament issues with any intake i want to run. also, no problems with aftermarket manifolds, piping getting in the way with a TT brace AND still being to run the bottom engine cover.

you forgot to add.... that the ic sits squared up in the grill..lol

I HATE the options we have right now. I think its rediculous that we havent gotten a core that solves these problems.

[whoosh@Realtune]

Originally Posted by occschemguy we are working out most of the stuff as we go along, but fully built forged motor, gt35r and many supporting mods, still working on the fuel system of wht it will exactly consist of and we havnt decided on a tuning solution as of yet, we may go to a stand alone and be running an extra set of injectors.

you better hurry up lol...

I've had a 760HP, 1080 CFM IC core hanging out in front of my speed for a while now

[acidbbg]

It's all about what you are looking to get out of this car.

In all honesty i think most are not looking to turn their speed6's into race cars.

Some like myself are just looking for moderate increase of power with ease of install. Go with the TMIC.

For other looking to upgrade turbo's and live in very hot area's (Florida, etc) i would suggest going FMIC.

-C