Time for a fmic

[icekilla126]

So its that point in time that every dsm tuner will go through. Its time for me to select a FMIC. So help me out.

GOALS:
core must cost less then $300
Must be able to handle around 20 psi of boost and live up to my hp goal of between
300-400
Have a B 16G right now. May upgrade later.


Any advice will be very appreiciated

 

[Boosted_out]

Your asking for just the core, or a whole kit?

 

[pj91gsx]

I like the XS power intercooler kits. 220 shipped is what I paid for everything except a bov. It was new and from NC. Check them out its SSautochrome. It is the long route intercooler piping, but I read up on it and if it is a difference its not much of a difference, and the intercooler is good for more power than you are planning to make.

 

[Detective Coating]

Paid $330 shipped for the SSAC FMIC with all piping, couplers and T-bolt clamps. All you need is the 1g BOV. I love the core and the piping is rather easy to work with and its a short-route

 

[FonZ454]

Spend the extra money and get an ETS kit. Don't cheap out on parts.

 

[awdmonster1904]

So its that point in time that every dsm tuner will go through. Its time for me to select a FMIC. So help me out.

GOALS:
core must cost less then $300
Must be able to handle around 20 psi of boost and live up to my hp goal of between
300-400
Have a B 16G right now. May upgrade later.


Any advice will be very appreiciated

e bay is your friend

 

[Yngvar]

get the XS power fmic its a good kit for the price. The only bad thing is the pipes don't have a lip on the ends

 

[64_Frankenstein]

eBay intercooler?

 

[sonik619]

ebayyyyyyyy

 

[Boosted_out]

Go with the punishment racing kit $420 shipped!! Best and cheapest short route kit out there.

 

[spawn87]

Go with the punishment racing kit $420 shipped!! Best and cheapest short route kit out there.

agree

 

[pj91gsx]

Paid $330 shipped for the SSAC FMIC with all piping, couplers and T-bolt clamps. All you need is the 1g BOV. I love the core and the piping is rather easy to work with and its a short-route

I didnt know they made a short route. Ill let you guys know how good the SSAC XSpower intercoolers hold up when I get to wooping some a$$. I know they are good intercoolers kits and Ive done 30 psi on mine but that was when it was running, looking to doing possible 35 in the far future.

 

[mikEclipse99]

im running an obx intercooler kit, it was like 300 dollars and came with core and pipes and i havent ever had any problems with it

 

[dsm-onster]

Ebay. Not all intercooler are the same. But an ebay intercooler still cools just fine. That extran 5% efficiency at 75% is not as much as many brag on.

 

[talonalex92]

I run an eBay core. The vendor was called "CXRacing"

 

[tkelly27]

You will be fine with any of the above intercoolers. You will get what you pay for. From what I understand, ETS fit the best, are the most efficient, and have a lifetime warranty. Other vendors pieces are really good, I have read the most on ETS though. Some people swear by DVDT, something about the CFD'd end tanks, but I didn't see any CFD, only CAD. Some people love the SBR core. The punishment kit is an in between as far as price, size, and fitment go. Greddy and other major name brand ones are total rip offs in comparison, IMO.

You could probably even have Bell intercoolers spec out an IC personalized just for you, if you've got the $$.

The ebay IC will for sure get you where you want to go. Not having a job, I felt it hard to justify spending more on the IC than I did on the car, so I'm going the ebay/home made route. It's also allowed me to afford a logger, ostrich, wideband, injectors, and some other goodies. It may or may not be as efficient, but it's much better than stock, and I imagine my money will be getting me going faster than someone with a more perfect IC. If you start going into bigger turbos, or needing to push a smaller turbo harder, you may not get the performance out of it that you need.

If I had the money for all of that and the ETS, I'd get it in a heartbeat, its a really well tested piece.

 

[jrohner]

On ebay, I bought the same kit that SSAC sells (because they were out of stock). I think it came to $270 or 280 with shipping from SSAC; since I didn't want to wait til who-knows-when, I did a best offer of $280 on ebay and got it.

It took some time getting it to work off my J-pipe, but other than that it is great and the rest was easy to hook up. If you have a turbo that has the compressor outlet facing down, it should hook pretty much directly up.

I think it is a very good setup. The IC looks nice and it is HUGE, but fits fine after trimming the bumper cover (which took about 5 minutes) and getting rid of the bumper support (you could trim that and keep it which would be a good idea). You also have to cut a hole with a hole-saw next to the radiator where the IC outlet goes through, which is easy to do. The throttlebody flange on mine needed an 'adjustment' with a hammer because it was slightly bent in where the TB bolts go in, easy 1-minute fix and it now seals fine.

I really like the setup and would recommend it to anyone. I have never noticed mine get hot or even warm at about half way across it. The inlet is hot to touch, and the outlet is as cool as any metal part on the car. No couplers have blown off (which happened to me quite often with my SMIC) or given any kind of trouble. Just snug the clamps up with a short ratchet, do NOT crank on them -- it's just a good way to ruin the clamps or couplers.

 

[welfle18]

I have the SSAC kit also and my intake temps are only a few degrees above ambient. Mind you though I am only running the t-25 right now but hopefully when the 50 trim goes on I will be able to get a little better feel on just how efficient it really is. For the price if you don't plan on running huge amounts of horsepower then I think that its is justified to buy the intercooler. But if you plan on making gobs of power in the future then maybe skimping out on a part that serves a valuable purpose like the intercooler wouldn't be a wise idea.

 

[Twistaye]

ETS is having a group buy right now.. get in on it.. end of story

 

[dsm-onster]

I have the SSAC kit also and my intake temps are only a few degrees above ambient. Mind you though I am only running the t-25 right now but hopefully when the 50 trim goes on I will be able to get a little better feel on just how efficient it really is. For the price if you don't plan on running huge amounts of horsepower then I think that its is justified to buy the intercooler. But if you plan on making gobs of power in the future then maybe skimping out on a part that serves a valuable purpose like the intercooler wouldn't be a wise idea.

What is 'gobs of power'? I've been in 500whp (limit of the stock 6-bolt block) territory with my FMIC and a TINY m3 water injection nozzle (just enough to get away with pump gas at 30psi).

I agree that if you're doing a 600+ whp build, you can afford the difference in performance. OP, your block will never handle the power that merrits a "name brand" intercooler.

 

[IceMinion]

The $420 Punishment racing setup is pretty nice, I personally recommend it. I have had all sorts of crappy ebay intercoolers, this one blows them away

 

[welfle18]

When I say gobs of power I mean like you wouldn't be thinking about buying a knock off intercooler. I am not knocking the SSAC IC at all I love mine actually and cant wait to boost more than 15 psi with it. All I was doing if anything was agreeing that ebay intercoolers in particular the SSAC one is definitely worth the 295 they cost.

 

[dsm-onster]

The $420 Punishment racing setup is pretty nice, I personally recommend it. I have had all sorts of crappy ebay intercoolers, this one blows them away

You didn't state why it 'blows them away'. I'm not contesting your advice at all. I just think the OP would like to know why. I would. My ebay IC is COLD at the outlet endtank after a 25psi pull at 40lb/min with my h1c.

 

[crimsonGST]

Ebay's are nice for how cheap they are, and I've never heard of problems with them. I have an ETS kit and it is great! Depends on your cash and preferences.

 

[MaNGiNa24]

VR Speed Factory

Pretty much the same kit as the ssauto but includes all the missing couplers & clamps, black couplers and an extra long 2.5" coupler for ease of installation