hey, i am currently mid-engine swap and i am looking for intercooler options. i am keeping my stock N/A hood so fmic is about my only option. as i am running stock boost and am not going for the "bling factor" of a giant greddy or other fmic, i was considering running the stock top mount and fabricating new mounting brackets for the front. has anyone done this? does the system become less efficient with the added charge pipe length?
thanks for your input, i would rather not cook my system with a less-than optimal setup

 

Ok, so if this is for real....i would put a scoop through the hatch glass or sumthing, like a NSX ive scene in a mag, and top mount a front mount with ducting.

But i highly doubt any of this will get to the point wher the issue is cooling...

 

I'm pretty sure he means "mid-engine swap" as in "he's in the middle of the engine swap", not "he's making a mid-engine car"...

 

^^ I agree. Also just so you know. an n/a hood will shut with a tmic.

But it is wise to cut and pound for a scoop.

 

hahaha sorry i should have made that more clear, i am in the mid stages of an engine swap, i would rather not follow the trend of having a turbo swapped car with a flat black turbo hood :P
i have been told the hood will close but i am sure the lack of airflow would make the ic somewhat redundant

 

maybe u should PM aaron cake. he used the stock TMIC up front during the first phase of project tina.

http://www.aaroncake.net/RX-7/projec...ay132002-2.htm

 

Not many if any do it. Mainly because if they undertake a FMIC then they might as well pick up a cheap core and use that. But it would work just fine to use it, but you might need to modify it a bit.

 

In general, larger intercoolers will cool down a larger volume of air at a higher effeciency and act as a better heat sink, so it's not just about the bling factor. The stock intercooler is very small, and its only real advantage is its small amount of plumbing which aids in boost response and reduces pressure drop. If you mount the stock intercooler up front, all you are getting is a little bit better airflow at the cost of more plumbing restrictions. If you want a cheap front-mounted intercooler, then better choices would include a larger cheapie Chinese Ebay intercooler, a used Starion intercooler, or two stock intercooler cores put together in parallel with custom end tanks. For the street, don't use anything thicker than 3.5", such as the silly stock Porsche 944 intercooler.

 

there are so many ways to go about inter cooling. 90% of what i see done is completely wrong.

unless you duct a front mount properly, the air is more than happy to simply go around it. sure its getting blasted, but id say 20% of the air is actually going through it. not to mention you will batter that **** like crazy with road debris.

remember, where ever you place an inter cooler, the most important fact is that you must duct it to reach its full potential.

also, dont increase the length of the intercooler rows, increase the count. a stock top mount is getting properly ducted air, the problem is the outlet of the stock unit and the tb piece that connects the intercooler to the tb. thats the major problem. increase the potential in this area, and you will be pretty much golden.

 

thanks guys! looks like aaroncake answered most of my questions. i will get to work on my charge piping/ ic mounting brackets and a shroud to direct air though the ic behind the stock s4 bumper.