Sesshoumaru

iTrader: (1)

i want to get an after market top mount but haven't seen many.

I like the low pressure drop and the use of the hood. I don't like all the piping and i'm not going to boost over 10psi so i won't need a massive one.

I'm doing this for saftey and a little bit of hp.

I just can't find any. There all FMIC. Is there a trick way to convert a small fmic to tmic?

Anyone know of some sites or something?

Project84

front mount is more efficient cooling then top mount. No aftermarket company is going to profit from making a top mount intercooler when all these front mounts cool better and sell more. I think it would be a waste of your money to buy another top mount just to have a different looking IC on top of your engine.

Bigretardhead

not true. lots of japanese companies make aftermarket TMIC's for FC's. I just saw an HKS one go on ebay. it looked pretty nice. I have never, however, seen one for sale in any store.
FMIC's may cool better, but since there is much more pipeing, it takes longer for the boost to reach the engine. with a top mount, there is very little piping, so it doesn't take near as long to fill up with boost. however, I would guess this time is not very noticeable.(I don't know for sure though).

dr0x

Im about 60% sure I saw a RE replacement TMIC some where.

gsracer

I saw the HKS TMIC on ebay as well.

I don't think that the FC core is in question, but the actual placement ontop of the engine where it is fed by a tiny and questionable hood scoop. You could have a giant TMIC, but if no air is getting to it, it can't do it's job. There have been quite a few debates on the effeciency of the stock top mount, and how much air actually gets through the intercooler. If you're only going to be boosting 10pounds on the stock turbo, the stock IC will hold it's own regardless.

dr0x

Go look at the hood scoop of a STi and then look at yours. Notice a slight difference in functionality?

Liquid Anarchy

iTrader: (2)

E-Mail BNR Supercars. They came up with one.

NZConvertible

No matter how much better an aftermarket TMIC is compared to the stocker, it's still fed by the same bonnet scoop (compare it's size to the opening in the nose) and is severely compromised by it's location directly above the hot engine. Even a small FMIC provides much more consistant temperatures due to the lack of heat soak.

Notice that just about all manufacturers use FMIC's stock. Other than Subaru, even those who used to use TMIC's in the past have switched, including Mazda.

If you choose a pipe size and core to suit your application, you'll keep any loss of response to a minimum.

Sesshoumaru

iTrader: (1)

hmmmm.......

i was aware of the disadvantages and advantages. I think i read somewhere the reason they moved the ic to top mount was weight distribution.

i have a huge core and 3 inch piping on my 240sx and it didnt' make that much difference. I think with a free exhaust you drastically improve the respose to the point where no matter how big your ic it's going to be better than stock, but i definately don't want to throw a calsonic skyline core on

I just wanted a little more protection

If the general consensus is i can run my 10psi of boost safely i might skip the ic.

also- i just rebuilt my engine (s4 with a s5 turbo).

I didnt' port the wastegate. But i hear it's much better.

This is kinda reaching but has anyone switch turbos stock to stock and how much improvement was it for creep? A couple psi?

With a massive ported s4 i could hold about 10-11psi

rxse7en

Anyone using an upgraded TMIC? I was looking through pix online and came across a very thick upgraded TMIC and I have to wonder. If a stock-sized core was used, a core that was 50% thicker, would that not be sufficient to keep intake temps down for say, a hybrid turbo upgrade?

rxse7en

Based on this site http://www.tdi-plc.com/MazdaRX7.html...989-92%20TURBO
it seems that a good top mount might be worth up to 18bhp besides adding safety. You'll need to scroll down to Stage 4 on that site.

Brian

rxse7en

bump

dr0x

There is still the questionable amount of air thats being brought in by the hoodscoop.

ponykiller

Have a hoodscoop made that is a little taller than stock (similar to a WRX's) and modify the hole in the actual hood to allow more to pass through. I spoke with MikeL on the other forum about having one made (about a year ago) and he said it would be very simple to modify his copy of the stock scoop to my dimensions. And modifying the hole in the hood to allow more air to pass through would also be very simple. If you look at the stock TMIC, you will see that most of the air hits the back half of the intercooler. If the scoop was modified, then all of the intercooler could be used efficiently.

The stock top mount is better than people give it credit for being - especially if you put some heat shielding between the bottom of the IC and the TB/engine.

Ni5mo180SX

Are you guys praising the new WRX's hood scoop? It wasnt made like that on purpose, it was a mistake between designers/engineers.

Liquid Anarchy

iTrader: (2)

Hate to get off topic but... care to explain? The WRX & STi hood scoops have looked the same way for years... if it were a "mistake", you'd think they would have changed their mistake by now.

$150FC

Liquid Anarchy: BNR doesn't have an upgraded TMIC for sale. He's thinking about doing one, but it doesn't actually exist. (The website said "Coming Soon!" for a long time, and he's still looking at doing one.)

victor

Liquid Anarchy

iTrader: (2)

:shrug: mybad... I own a non-turbo.

chris1234p

Kind of off subject, but has anyone ever heard of using nitrous or co2 to cool the intake after the turbo, replacing the need for an intercooler? I saw it in an old Turbo-High Tech and performance from last summer. There was a kit for a honda made by Nitrous Express (NX) that says it added 52 Hp to a turbo civic.

ponykiller

N2O sprayers and CO2 sprayers and H2O sprayers all work by spraying onto the intercooler. These will not replace an intercooler, except maybe the water injection (but there are still reasons why it will not and I do not want to discuss them). All the things you listed are used to make an intercooler cool charge temps more efficiently.