BlackRX7Turbo

Can anyone describe the pluses and minus between FMIC vs. SMIC (Or at least, tell me the best search terms to get what I'm looking for)?

Why would a person choose one over the other?

rotorbrain

your thread title is a good set of terms to start with. just fmic and smic. . . those two words will give you PLENTY results.

paul

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...=FMIC+AND+SMIC

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...=FMIC+AND+SMIC

DCrosby

What about V-Mount
"Great tasting, less filling" -> Best of both worlds...

ZeroBanger

awe...

the classic "SMIC vs FMIC" thread.....Memories.

fastcarfreak

way to bring up that discussion again. Let me start it off. fmic are the best, and thats the way it is. whos next?

doncojones

SMIC are the best, and that is the way it is!

Johnsrx7

FMIC = overheated engines on track.

SMIC are the best.

doncojones

No way man, FMIC is so much better than SMIC.

jspecracer7

I have NEVER overheated at the track....and I run a BIG FMIC.

doncojones

Let's face it, they both work well. Neither is the best. It's mostly up to personal preference.

BlackRX7Turbo

I guess my point is, what about "bang for the buck" and installation time/cost?

doncojones

Depends on which ones you're talking about. Prices are spread over a pretty good range for all of em, and different ones install in different ways. Especially when you're talking about stock mount there are some of them that are hardly any bigger than the stock one and offer hardly any improvement aside from not having plastic end tanks, and others are pretty good sized and almost comparable to the smaller front mounted ones.

My personal taste favors a big stock mount such as the M2 Large or Pettit Cool Charge III. I like having it nice and tidy all there in the engine bay and with ducting feeding it and a vented hood behind it there seems to be plenty of airflow. I also like the short intake pipes.

Plenty of people run around with front mount ICs with great results as well, and will tell you why they went that route.

So the answer to the question of which one is better, is simply "yes."

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

What are you looking to do with your car? Do you drag race, road/track race, just street driving?

What are the goals of your car?

You need to provide a little more information for people to help you.

SleepR1

FMIC with ducted Koyo race radiator rocks! No overheat @ the track, but the motor does run warm. Luckily my KDR motor has enlarged cooling and oiling passages--HAH!

drg rydaz

anyone has a pick of a nice smic?

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

Check this thread:

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...threadid=81194

SleepR1

No real testing has been done with the v-mount setup. I suspect that it's as good as the current V-mount owners say, but this summer will be the true litmus test for Cossie, and tgriesel

SleepR1

my FMIC-equipped FD R1 @ Putnam Park Turn 4

BlackRX7Turbo

I have done more road course stuff than I have hit the drag strip. At this point, I don't want to be a "specialist" in either one -- I enjoy the acceleration when hitting the drag strip and checking out what I do in a 1/4 mile, but at the same time, I like to TURN.

I use the car as a "daily driver" if you want to call it that -- I drive it only on nice days (i.e. no precipitation, no residual snow, etc...).

I guess the point is, I don't plan on doing any competing (some of you guys have superfast cars!), I only plan on doing it for fun.

Another plus for me would be an intercooler that didn't require more than just an intercooler upgrade. For example, some intercoolers REQUIRE moving the battery -- I don't (at this point) want to have to deal with having to modify multiple things at one time.

That said, who knows what the future brings... I remember when I first got the car, I didn't think I'd be using it on the track or drag strip, either, and now I am... doh! I guess that's what happens when you get behind the wheel of one of these cars and feel just a small portion of what it can do!

kcolyer27

fmic looks sweet

SleepR1

I went back and forth on this issue, FMIC vs SMIC, (I was looking into the ASP large). IMHO, the biggest drawback to the SMIC is the extreme heatsoak during stop and go driving in the summer.

All the FD road racers on this forum thought I was nuts when I went FMIC (considering how many DEs I did). I may have been spitting in the wind, but in the end I'm VERY happy with my Greddy Type 24 V-spec (2-row). I only wish I'd gone whole hog, and stepped up to the Type 32 V-spec (3-row) FMIC core LOL

If I were going for a NASA comp license to run in Super Unlimited class, then I'd probably switch to V-mount with a vented hood. In theory that's the best for road course racing. We'll have to wait for tgriesel and cossie for their results this summer.

Of course there's no denying the sheer bling-appeal of FMIC. Something about that toothy grin LOL

Kento

Do some research, figuring in how much work you want to put into fitting an IC. There's only a few SMICs that are just a "drop-in" (meaning no other modifications are necessary); Greddy, Blitz, and PFS come to mind. Other SMICs require a different airbox; only the really large ones (M2/ASP large, V-mount) require moving the battery. FMICs are cheaper, but they require some work to fit, and they block a major amount of airflow to the radiator. Do a search and read.

Fritz Flynn

iTrader: (263)

I am so tired of hearing people put down the front mount ic because of cooling issues. If you remove the ducting from the stock rad your going to overheat. When you install a fmic you have to come up with your own system of forcing air through the rad. Once this is done your good to go. If your going to track the car it doesn't matter if you have an smic or fmic you still need to add oil coolers, front nose, and more duct work if you plan to drive hard for 30 minutes in 90f wheather. Even r1 coolers are not enough for a track car. I have tracked a variety of fds with a variety of different setups and here is my conclusion. A single turbo is more important than using FMIC or SMIC if both equally thought out in regard to temp. Optimum setup for temps would be single turbo, big rad, big coolers, big smic, and mazdaspeed type nose. That said optimum setup for power would be the same as above only huge fmic. If air is forced to go through the rad after the fmic its not that much hotter or moving that much slower to really make a huge difference if the opening and duct work are optimal. Lots of people think the single turbo is hotter but believe me its not. Single throws heat to the outside but in contrast the twins heat is absorbed more by the oil, coolant, and engine.

Let the flames begin

Kento

I guess I should have added to the FMIC sentence "if you don't fabricate an alternate system of ducting to force airflow through the radiator."