Lets talk Ebay FMIC. Especially if you have one.

[chicagoavenger]

I have read a couple of threads on ebay intercoolers but just wondering which ones out there that are actually good? Allot of them have something that goes like this

"Good for up to 500bhp(I have seen from 350-600). all our intercooler has been tested to withstand more then 80psi pressure and it has very small pressure drop across the end tanks, at 15psi inlet the out let has 14.8psi that means it has only 0.2 psi pressure drop ,compare to many other intercoolers it is an excellent figure (some intercooler has 1-2psi pressure drop) also at the same condition, the temperature has drop from 120 degree to 28 degree ( and it is an excellent figure for efficiency"

Is the above statement just a bunch of bs or true? Has anyone tried the Megan racing FMIC? I think it's crazy to spend 700+ on a core and piping. I really don't care about name brands I just want it to work. Kinda like a Dave Brode part or Megan Racing or Johnny Racecar FMIC all cheap but effective with great quality. Here are just a couple of FMIC I'm talking about that look good but do they perform and will they last? Please chime in if you have a ebay FMIC or had one especially if it worked or did not work well for you. thanks

Megan FMIC

No name brand but has the standard psi and efficiency spill

Street Imports FMIC

XOXO Core but has good feedback on the core

[D_Eclipse9916]

28 degrees? Are they using ice? Temperature can ONLY drop to ambient temperature outside or a little colder since the wind is moving. Remember the intercooler cools down to what the ambient temperature is outside. So if its in the winter, sure...

Edit: im thinking of going with an ebay ic but definitely different piping then they come with. I want short route. Also I am going with the ones that have one of the endtanks pointing back. Since I will only need it for 300-350 whp I dont need the most efficient design in the world.

[Turbocharged]

http://stores.ebay.com/The-Intercooler-Shop

I bought my intercooler from this guy and its great quality. I bought a 27x9.5x3 spearco with 2.5" piping, couplers and t-bolt clamps for about $600. Worth every penny IMO. I prefer my setup to to the ones you find at sbr, agp, ect.

[ivanr4g63]

Originally Posted by chicagoavenger

all our intercooler has been tested to withstand more then 80psi pressure and it has very small pressure drop across the end tanks

Well, its all about the design of the core... I'd say any nicely welded intercooler can withstand 80psi like mentioned in the quote, but can it cool down that much air flow... I doubt it firmly.

I have a FMIC and aluminum piping that I bought separetaly from eBay and did a long route piping, it works wonders for me.
My core is tube and fin design. But everyone seems to have better results with a bar and plate core. yet even at 20psi I don't have any complaints on mine Hot on one end nice and cold on the other, not to mention how well it works on cool nights.

I'd say and eBay intercooler works great, just look around here on tuners for recomendations on what size core will be more apropiate for your HP goals, see what the guys who have you similar mods have to cool their boost down, and try to search for that size from a reputable vendor with good feedback and get it from them, design your piping and you should be set.

[blackGSX2g]

I've got an XSPower bar and plate FMIC, looks exactly like the XOXOXO one posted except mine is a bit larger (same size as the SBR core). I ended up paying around $208 shipped for the core, and about $60ish for pipes/clamps/couplers. I love the SBR kit, but can't justify dropping the cash on that when I could have the same for cheaper. I found an immediate decrease in knock and increase in power. After bolting it up and going for a spirited drive, I found my UICP to be MUCH cooler to the touch than before. Even on really hot days, only the first 1/4ish of the IC is warm, everything else feels cool to the touch.

[Agent11br]

Originally Posted by blackGSX2g

I've got an XSPower bar and plate FMIC, looks exactly like the XOXOXO one posted except mine is a bit larger (same size as the SBR core). I ended up paying around $208 shipped for the core, and about $60ish for pipes/clamps/couplers. I love the SBR kit, but can't justify dropping the cash on that when I could have the same for cheaper. I found an immediate decrease in knock and increase in power. After bolting it up and going for a spirited drive, I found my UICP to be MUCH cooler to the touch than before. Even on really hot days, only the first 1/4ish of the IC is warm, everything else feels cool to the touch.

I can vouch for Matt's IC since I helped him install it and I see him like every other day...

Its a nice core, def. helps with knock and is always cool to the touch. We both did the "short route" kit (ie the shortest route possible on a side-to-side core) and both noticed tremendous increases in power, lower knock, and just an overall "consistant" (if thats the right word to use) powerband.

I myself have a JRC 8" core and like it. I personally feel 12" is kinda overkill for my 16g setup so thats why I went with it. Next time around I'm going with an EBay 10" core hopefully with a backdoor config like SBR's.

[Turbocharged]

Just for those wondering:

Tube and Fin:
- Better cooling capacity (larger internal surface area)
- Higher pressure drop (larger internal surface area = greater resistance to flow)
- Not ideal for high flowing setups

Bar and Plate
- Best flowing (least internal resistance)
- Lower cooling capcity than tube and fine (unless you get a big one)
- Lower pressure drop

You really have to decide which is best for your setup. If you are looking for 400+ hp then you should probably go bar and plate. Anything less and you are just fine with a tube and fin.

[bfdahl]

I have looked at all these products and I guess that you get what you pay for.

what crap

[hose101772]

I have one of the XOXO 24x12x3's short piped, 2.5" flared to 3 on the inlet and 3" out to Gm mas.

Was running a b16g with boost control locked. Spiking to high 20's and settling to low 20's with no knock on pump fuel.

Never measured temps but it would get hot enough to sizzle skin on the hot side and never get much over warm to the touch on the cool side.

[hose101772]

I have looked at all these products and I guess that you get what you pay for.

Looked at or used?

Are you comparing them to something else or just making a blanket statement to the notion that all are crap?

If you're trying to say they are junk compared some other name brands then you might want to check the "lineage" of said name brands before you spout off.

[Stoner]

I ran the time in my profile on a Big 16g, race gas and a Johnny Race Car fmic from Ebay with 2.25" inlets and outlets. I am switching to a bar and plate design for next year so we will see if I gain anything. The new intercooler is also an Ebay special.

Just do your research and buy one that has worked well for others. You can't beat the prices. I don't know how well these types of cores would handle a real turbo but for 16g style turbos they are great.

[Agent11br]

Originally Posted by bfdahl

I have looked at all these products and I guess that you get what you pay for.

what crap

Not to start anything, but saying stuff that like that is not contributing anything to the forum or thread or community. You not only look like a fool doing it, but you also waste space in the thread and put one more hate/bash/negative comment on the net with nothing to back it up.

I support everyone's opinions, whether they are positive or negative about a product or vendor. To not have them would be hypocritical. What I dont support is negativity OR even positive support with abolsutely nothing to back it up. Everyone so far that has posted has/is either using one of these EBay cores, something similiar, or has actually driven in/installed one.

"Looking" at them and then casting your judgement is great, but please spare everyone else and just dont post anything unless you have something to back it up.

I can personally testify to the core Matt is running, its quality, its performance, and its overall decent bang for the buck value. I helped him install it (along with a lot of other stuff), I help him tune, he helps me with tuning/installs/my 6bolt swap, hell we are like brothers basically. Because of this I feel by posting and "backing up" his thread and showing others out there that there are other FMIC alternatives other than the $850 SBR kit or $900 GReddy kit, I am helping the community out.

You are not. Spare us all the headache and please only post back if you have something decent to say that has actual relative information in it.

It is people like you that have ruined this forum and others (namely DSMTalk) as of late, and why many people in the community that have such a vast wealth of knowledge that one can only obtain over an extended period of time no longer post or help people out.

Furthermore, its bashing like this that makes unique or "different" parts/products/ideas never get any credibility. Take for example the JDM Cyclone Intake Manifold, or the GM MAFT setup when it first came out, or 18g turbos...the list goes on.

Im getting off the soap box now, but I hope other members in the community read this post, along with the moderators, and that the ones whom have the power to REMOVE threads like yours thus attempting to push this forum back to a great DSM information source like it shoud be so that the future "wisemen" or Greg Colliers of the DSM community continue to be active members of this forum and others and share/help/grow/learn with everyone else...

[DiamondStarM]

I run this one

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=33742

on a 16G at 20psi, custom piping run through the location of the stock ic on the cold side and short route around the back of the radiator on the hot side. Its a XOXO also known as xo2 Racing core. I haven't been able to heat soak it yet and I get no timing pulled after being tuned correctly. Fits nicely in the 2gb Talon bumper too, short and long. My only complaint is that the location of the endtanks made me lose my fog lights.

[chicagoavenger]

Thanks to all that have helped I will be looking into the XO or XS power ones. I don't know why people use that phrase you get what you pay so easily. Like I mentioned some companies in my first post may be cheap but they work great and the quality is excellent. Hell they may even work better then the brand names. I buy cheap cereal but it taste the same as the name brand but I get what I pay for what the same taste as the name brand? On some things yes you get what you pay for but not everything is just that. I welcome people that have had issues with ebay intercoolers to chime in so far it has been nothing but positive except some dumb bland statement with no proof to back the claim up.

[99gst_racer]

Originally Posted by bfdahl

I have looked at all these products and I guess that you get what you pay for.

what crap

Comments like this are not beneficial to the knowledge that the community is seeking. Nobody asked for your .02, so keep these kinds of comments to yourself. The thread starter is looking for feedback from people that have actually purchased and used these cores.

Please chime in if you have a ebay FMIC or had one especially if it worked or did not work well for you. thanks

[bastarddsm]

Do any of you guys have problems with you car over heating after installing a fmic. I heard of lots of people saying that they over heat after installing one.

[99gst_racer]

Originally Posted by bastarddsm

Do any of you guys have problems with you car over heating after installing a fmic. I heard of lots of people saying that they over heat after installing one.

My current core is 3.5" thick. I have a stock radiator and I have ran stock fans as well as SPAL's and I have never had overheating issues. I have read that some people do. I'm not really sure why some do and some don't. The people that have issues usually install ducts to direct air toward the radiator. That usually corrects the problem.

[DiamondStarM]

Originally Posted by bastarddsm

Do any of you guys have problems with you car over heating after installing a fmic. I heard of lots of people saying that they over heat after installing one.

If you get a core with a reasonable depth, not like 4 inchs, it wont be so much of a problem. You would want it a little longer or higher though. From what I understand really deep cores dont cool the air at the rear as well since it is pushing the hot air in there from the front. Maybe someone else could clear that up a little bit.

[missouri_dsm]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=8019125673
This is the intercooler i have. It is a hybrid intercooler and has worked great for me.