1G Best FMIC?

[Randy's TSI]

What is the general consensus for the best FMIC for 1st gens?

Thanks

 

[TuskeeTuner]

Usually the good intercooler pipes are made from stainless steel. Here's the ETS page for Evo 8 and 9 intercoolers and piping. The piping is all stainless.
ETS Evo piping kits

I vaguely remember that when I bought mine, they offered the piping made in either stainless or aluminum. I chose stainless because heat transfer through stainless is slower than through aluminum, and the upper intercooler pipe that has to travel back through the hot engine bay, you don't want that transmitting a lot of heat to the air inside the pipe.
Even without that though, aluminum pipe will dent easier unless it is a lot thicker. General strength, like for the clamping forces which are pretty fierce where you have to clamp a silicone rubber coupler to the metal pipe, it's more secure with stronger pipe like stainless.
For corrosion - Seattle is a low corrosion area but bare aluminum will get this white corrosion layer on the surface if you have to leave the car outside very long. It just about has to be anodized. Stainless on the other hand can just be polished or even left unfinished, and it will be fine and look nice for a long time.

Thanks for the links on the two tuner shops in Everett. They may be able to help me with my 92 Laser whenever (long time from now) I can get it back together, configured how I want it, and on the road. The information you've provided is GOLD!

I just got my ETS 3.5" street core today; 25% off Black Friday sale - it's "heavy," feels sturdy, and shiny. Chose the 3.5 because I'm only running a KTS D-645/TD06 turbo (11-blade billet "20G compressor wheel), the 3.5" should cool well enough for 400-ish on pump 92, and I don't want more lag from the 4" core.
I noticed only two mounting tabs on the ends though - is this really enough strength for mounting to the crash beam and withstand vibrations produced by the road and car? Should I bend up a joggle-strap for additional support?

I bought the CX Racing pipe kit and plan to add a 2" pipe from the turbo outlet to the driver-side end tank once I decide to build the pipe setup with the JM Fab Street intake mani.

 

[DSMPT]

I noticed only two mounting tabs on the ends though - is this really enough strength for mounting to the crash beam and withstand vibrations produced by the road and car? Should I bend up a joggle-strap for additional support?

I didn't put additional support. I was using only those 2 mounting tabs with the self-tapping screws that came with the intercooler. In my case, I hadn't had any issues.

 

[CrackedDSM]

Thanks for the links on the two tuner shops in Everett. They may be able to help me with my 92 Laser whenever (long time from now) I can get it back together, configured how I want it, and on the road. The information you've provided is GOLD!

I just got my ETS 3.5" street core today; 25% off Black Friday sale - it's "heavy," feels sturdy, and shiny. Chose the 3.5 because I'm only running a KTS D-645/TD06 turbo (11-blade billet "20G compressor wheel), the 3.5" should cool well enough for 400-ish on pump 92, and I don't want more lag from the 4" core.
I noticed only two mounting tabs on the ends though - is this really enough strength for mounting to the crash beam and withstand vibrations produced by the road and car? Should I bend up a joggle-strap for additional support?

I bought the CX Racing pipe kit and plan to add a 2" pipe from the turbo outlet to the driver-side end tank once I decide to build the pipe setup with the JM Fab Street intake mani.

Mine has been on this car for 10 years and has held up great.

 

[We're on Boost]

I noticed only two mounting tabs on the ends though - is this really enough strength for mounting to the crash beam and withstand vibrations produced by the road and car? Should I bend up a joggle-strap for additional support?

I'd say no. I didn't add any extra attachments on mine.
What I find is that the pipes (2.5" dia) that come into each end of the intercooler are holding it about as much as the 2 attachment tabs are. So you've got 4 attachment points really. It seems to be plenty. Even if one pipe blows off, the core isn't going to fall off the car.

If you did add a joggle strap, I don't know where or how you would attach it to the intercooler anyway.
I have a "story" for that which might help:
I had my intercooler installed by English Racing, I didn't do it myself. I asked them to look at the idea of welding a 6061 T6 aluminum beam (square tube or angle probably) full width across the back side of the intercooler and bolting each end of this beam to the 10mm studs that the crash beam assembly normally attaches to on the car chassis. The idea was for the extra beam together with the intercooler to become like a crash/crush beam to replace the stock crash beam which was removed to make room for the intercooler.
They didn't really want to do it.
Part of their reason was, welding on a pressure vessel is a little iffy, and a pressure vessel made from a bunch of flat metal pieces welded together is already a little iffy.
So we didn't do that. Now, the only welds on the intercooler are the ones made by ETS during original manufacture of the intercooler. If the intercooler blows open at some point, I won't be blaming English Racing for it. It's not their fault.

 

[AdrianDSM]

Best FMIC kit is the Buschur one, comes with all the piping needed, works with small turbos and they use a Garrett core so you have everything you need and if you plan to go big in the long run, you won't need to upgrade the intercooler because it's rated 900HP.

 

[erikoberdorfer]

I agree with AdrianDSM, the Buschur racing front mount intercooler is very good. I had that unit for many years and it was a great performing product and is highly recommended.

 

[lucasbellan]

Thanks for the links on the two tuner shops in Everett. They may be able to help me with my 92 Laser whenever (long time from now) I can get it back together, configured how I want it, and on the road. The information you've provided is GOLD!

I just got my ETS 3.5" street core today; 25% off Black Friday sale - it's "heavy," feels sturdy, and shiny. Chose the 3.5 because I'm only running a KTS D-645/TD06 turbo (11-blade billet "20G compressor wheel), the 3.5" should cool well enough for 400-ish on pump 92, and I don't want more lag from the 4" core.
I noticed only two mounting tabs on the ends though - is this really enough strength for mounting to the crash beam and withstand vibrations produced by the road and car? Should I bend up a joggle-strap for additional support?

I bought the CX Racing pipe kit and plan to add a 2" pipe from the turbo outlet to the driver-side end tank once I decide to build the pipe setup with the JM Fab Street intake mani.

Did you have to trim the plastic bumper?

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

I run VRSF (no longer available) and didn't have to trim the bumper, just cut out the backside of the crashbeam. Some people don't put the crash beam back on but I do for a "little" bit of protection.