tired of the same ol' FMIC

[wa-chiss]

I've had this idea in my head for a short while. I'm trying to figure out how to go about making it and if there would be any benefits to this approach of intercooling.

OK, take the stock air filter housing out, fab a skinny air box to house about a 10"X10" filter (or biggest possible) behind the headlight facing up. There's plenty of room inbetween the headlight and the shock tower if, like me, you have aftermarket ignition with the stock coil moved.

Now, fab a way to mount a 10"X10" core (or whatever size to match the filter) intercooler on top sanwitched between the hood and filter box.

Next, cut slots in hood or put in a small scoop (scoop? I know.... sounds a bit but I'm talking like the celica GT-4's scoop) above filter/cooler.

My idea is that with a steady increase in air speed forcing air past the intercooler, there will be a steady decrease in air temps.

I'm all for a stock apearance on the outside aside from a scoop/slots. Hence my separation from FMICing. Plus, the piping length would decrease because you can come 45*-90* out of the turbo, about 1.5' to cooler, and the cold pipe could just follow the stock route to the TB. My only dowfall is, I can't figure out what to do about water. IE rainy days.

Any input?

[Ilvemynissan]

Could you just use a SMIC and have a vent going to that? I donno, maybe i'm confused.

[AZ89two4Tsx]

10" x 10" is kinda small for an intercooler no? I'd rather find a sneaky way to have a front mount. Kinda cool idea though. Do it.

[Razi]

Hmm maybe I'll post an update on my KA-T, my intercooler setup is sorta sneaky. :P

[wa-chiss]

It's really more about the way I see it working. With FMIC or SMIC, you're relying on available air to pass by it. Not hard to do with a FMIC cause it's in direct path of air flow. My idea uses the compressor intake to move air through the cooler and the velocity at witch it moves past it is relative to RPM's. Higher engine RPM's=higher turbo RPM's witch means higher airflow.

My theory is, your car goes from 0-XXXmph steadily. That means, the faster you go, the more air would pass by a FMIC/SMIC. But, you shift 4 times to reach max speed reaching high RPM's or hold high RPM's through a drift for extended periods of time. At least on the drift car, you wouldnt have to worry about adiquate cross flow because the turbo would provide itself with the airflow acrost the cooler.

[wa-chiss]

10" x 10" is kinda small for an intercooler no? I'd rather find a sneaky way to have a front mount. Kinda cool idea though. Do it.

I was just using 10X10 as a reference. Not an actual figure. The biggest possible. And I've stared at that location for a good while and there's deffinatly room for bigger that a 10X10.

[Razi]

Pretty good idea but I don't think 10x10 will be good enough.The concept is good but I'm not sure it would work that well.

[wa-chiss]

Hmm maybe I'll post an update on my KA-T, my intercooler setup is sorta sneaky. :P

hmmmmm. verry interresting

[ss82480]

I remember a friend of mine having some old greddy side mounts for his z32. Always thought it would be cool to run dual sidemounts for the low key effect.

[Razi]

hmmmmm. verry interresting

It's a FMIC though, but it is somewhat concealed.

[wa-chiss]

I think I know what you're doing.

[SullivanRacing06]

nice thought, so sort of like the old supercharger mr2 or old celica 4 trac cars?

the only problem with this that i could see would be the problem of a mass amount of airflow over it, if you mabey had a puller fan under the i/c then yea thatd work but youd still need a clear path of flow for the i/c for the fan to pull,

why not do a fmic or a larger smic

why do u wanna do this, more flow to the rad and a/c cond?

good thought

[S14toRPS13]

Wouldn't that raise the air intake temperature if that air would have to pass through an intercooler first? I think this would increase the heat soaking process. Could be I'm misunderstanding you though.

[AZ89two4Tsx]

^ Maybe he wants to put it after the intake filter? If I'm getting this right he's thinking that he can use the suction from the intake to force air into the intercooler that is either above/below the intake filter. Idk, imo it just makes more sense to run a front mount. Besides, they look cool anyways. That's the most important thing right?

[agile_moments]

I don't think water is a huge issue. My DD is a supercharged Mini. I have an aftermarket hoodscoop in the factory location that dumps right into a bigger TMIC (think subaru) and I've never had a problem with it.

[karmapolice991]

If your looking for a stock apperance have you thought about a liquid to air intercooler. Here is one on a sr20det its kinda ghosted out with photoshop but you can still see it.

[Ilvemynissan]

Oh, I see what you mean now. I was too tired last night. Sounds like a great idea but I am not the smartest when it comes to this stuff so i'll let you guys figure it out lol.

[livinglegend2100]

paint your FMIC black. no one will be able to see it unless theyre really looking. its a good idea in concept i think. but it seems like you would have airflow problems without some subaru sized scoop. plus water issues like you mentioned

[240zac]

this all sounds like modified version of a top mount or v-mount setup if im reading it right...

for the hassle, i would rather do a v mount

[wa-chiss]

I don't think water is a huge issue. My DD is a supercharged Mini. I have an aftermarket hoodscoop in the factory location that dumps right into a bigger TMIC (think subaru) and I've never had a problem with it.

The filter isn't behind the cooler so there wouldn't be any problems on your mini. My design puts the filter after the cooler.

If your looking for a stock apperance have you thought about a liquid to air intercooler. Here is one on a sr20det its kinda ghosted out with photoshop but you can still see it.

I've thought a lot about liquid to air but i dont want to add a seperate water tank, lines, electric pump, and the cooler itself. Just a whole nother electric circuit to add.

Wouldn't that raise the air intake temperature if that air would have to pass through an intercooler first? I think this would increase the heat soaking process. Could be I'm misunderstanding you though.

The air would heat up a little passing by the cooler first but we're talking what 3"-4" thick moving at high rate of speed. Thats not a long time to heat up. So, I would think the rise in temp would be insagnificant.

this all sounds like modified version of a top mount or v-mount setup if im reading it right...

for the hassle, i would rather do a v mount

But you're still relying on available air to pass by it at what ever speed you're going. Lets say, your doing a burnout with a FMIC, SMIC, TMIC, or a V mount. You're not moving thus little/no air is passing by the cooler. What are your air temps doing? Raising.

Now let the turbo pull the air past the intercooler and no matter how fast you're going, there is air passing through the cooler. And the higher the RPM's means more air passing the cooler.

[johnny butt]

paint your FMIC black. no one will be able to see it unless theyre really looking. its a good idea in concept i think. but it seems like you would have airflow problems without some subaru sized scoop. plus water issues like you mentioned

^^^^

yup.

black appliance paint."whyd you paint your radiator??"

[PyroTecK]

i remember seeing a picture of someone who had a sidemount up behind the driverside headlight... dont remember where i saw it though

[midnightouge]

Get this.

[ANVIL]

that would be right near the turbo... heatsoak ftl

[ilovesideways]

I think a top mount with a hoodscoop wouldn't be too bad except you would have every subaru's problem...heatsoak from the block and intake....

[agile_moments]

And in my case the supercharger too..haha

also..my filter is right under the window vents...not designed too well. it gets wet every time it rains

[OutToWinPAHC]

I say boo to the liquid to air for a street car, once it heads up its just gonna make the air hotter and hotter. I like the look of that SR20 radiator / intercooler set up, but painting black works well if you don't hack the bumper too bad.

[ca18detgabby]

most never see my IC, I stole it off a 740 turbo volvo...... looks like a radiator.

you would have heat soak from the core, there would be restrictions from to the filter by way of the core, and the piping to do so would be a real pain

seems a FMIC or a SMIC is better suited, but worth a try it you really have your heart set on it.

ps water cooled is a **** load of extra work for little gain and less reliable on the street

[fast_s13]

idont see how this would do any good asyour intercooler gets hot you gonna be feeding hot air into your turbo...why even run a intercooler

[wa-chiss]

you would have heat soak from the core, there would be restrictions from to the filter by way of the core, and the piping to do so would be a real pain

Turbo and DP wrap

and if an intercooler is so restrictive, why put it in front of one the most vital parts of the engine, your cooling system.

Piping would be a sinch. Turbo outlets usually face the shock tower on a top mount manifold. JGS makes a cast manifold that turns the turbo inward. I found that older Saab's use an intercooler where the inlet is centered but aimed ~45* and the outlet is 90*. Hotpipe would run from turbo to the inlet side whitch would be the side closest to the firewall, and the coldpipe would run along the factory intake path to the TB. I wouldnt have to lengthen or shorten any wires to run a blow through MAFS, and/or I could re-cerc the blow off just before the turbo. Extremely simple piping.

I think a top mount with a hoodscoop wouldn't be too bad except you would have every subaru's problem...heatsoak from the block and intake....

Not exactly. Subaru's have the cooler "on" the motor. Mine would be behind the driver headlight sheilded from as much heat as possible.

I say boo to the liquid to air for a street car, once it heads up its just gonna make the air hotter and hotter. I like the look of that SR20 radiator / intercooler set up, but painting black works well if you don't hack the bumper too bad.

Acually, water-air isn't that way. Water is a far better medium for heat exchange than air. They're seperate systems from the engine's cooling system so the hottest and coolest it'll ever get is whatever the ambient temp is. They use fans to pull air acrost a seperate cooler then route it back to the intercooler. And yes, it's too much of a hassle for a minor gain.