I understand that. Unfortunately no dyno video on on the RX7 for the HKS and 1 doing 330whp for the Greddy which tells little. Really would be best to show live data on a drive to show the numbers with real air flow.

 

Back to the Aussie SMIC. It looks like Sasha made some great updates to the kit. Not sure if Marcus is doing the same but I believe those two guys split up as a business, correct me if I'm wrong. I'll be snagging Sasha's kit as soon as I have the funds available because he added a fan to the kit which will help with daily driving and Autox sessions. I'm not planning on modding any further than intake, downpipe, exhaust with high flow cat and a tune so this fits my usage perfect IMHO. The new powder coating looks good as well IMO for those that want to keep the "stockish" look or live in areas where inspections are a thing, (not sure if this is optional for the kit.) I'll be putting my car on the dyno and reporting the results as I add all the parts one by one to see the gain similar to the iconic Banzai-Racing Dyno Comparison for each part thread, only on a longer timeline unless people want to donate some cash to the cause Right now I am looking to borrow a stock catback so I can throw the car on the dyno bone stock, then put my current catback on and dyno it to see the gains. Then I have my AutoEXE intake I'll put on and dyno after that part and so on. I still believe this is probably the best "happy medium" solution for our cars to keep sufficient cooling to our radiators and intake temps down. There are claims of this unit supporting 500+ HP, I would like to see real world data to support that but for me, I'm not looking at running any more than 350hp so I think I'll be safe running this.




The n

 

Wow that does look nice with the no weld end tanks and siting in a carbon cocoon. There is no website I could find that sells it??

 

He only posts on Facebook now that I could find. Check the RX7 groups for FD Motorsports. There used to be an FD Motorsports website but it was never well maintained.

 

im having a hard time looking for FD Motorsports page too, i found sasha profile but no mention of FD Motorsports....

 

Here is one of the pages he posts on, join this group and you should be able to reach him with specific questions

 

Nice I joined the group! Saw the pics on there and it does look real nice.

 

Thank you.

 

One-off double SMIC for sale on yahoo Japan. Pretty awesome.

 

That actually looks like a decent setup. Have to relocate the battery but throw some fans on that for traffic and I think it would be pretty effective.

 

So how much does a full kit go for?

 

I have no idea anymore, I haven't spoke to him in a while and probably won't until I'm ready to purchase. Have to work on my cooling system next then I'll tackle the SMIC. Feel free to message him and see what he is charging now.

 

I know it's been over a year but do you still have this IC? If so, please PM me.

 

For anybody still interested in SMICs, I was 100% planning on buying either one of the Australian Intercoolers, even tried to buy one but they were waiting on parts for the next batch at that time. After a (probably unhealthy) deep analysis of each kit based on the access to them that I had, I've decided to build my own kit to address the drawbacks I found with the currently available ones. Here is some CFD analysis of KnightSports vs the Australian cores that I had done. I'm probably going to create my own thread for this project but wanted to update anybody following this one like I had been over the years. I spoke with Marcus this morning and he said he had never done any data testing as far as pressure drop or inlet/outlet temp comparisons, he just uses dynos and 1/4 mile times to support his claims which can be good enough for many. But I like all the data I can get. I've welded in bungs for air temp sensors and pressure sensors on the hot and cold side of my intercooler so I can see real world results whether it be great or completely disappointing. I just thought this CFD data was appropriate to post in this thread so you can see what you get flow wise with the KnightSports vs the Australian variants.

 

I am in 100% the same spot as you. I was trying for two years to buy on from Marcus but eventually got tired of asking for updates every other month. But now i discovered he had a had a batch for sale this summer that i missed. I have also, as you, made a somewhat usable 3D model of it and even made plans to have one made myself, so i am following your endeavors with interest. Aluminium 3D printing is getting so cheap its viable for things like this, and gives a lot of freedom in designs. I think the SMIC is a core featre of the OEM+ route, paired with a set of BNR twins. In my mind that would be a good final destination for my FD at least. And the extra price i need to fork out for a full single turbo build with V-mounts, Borg Warner turbo and a full fuel system and so forth would be better spent on a deposit on a BMW E92 M3 or some other fun thing for the garage.

The one problem i see tho, is making the CF funnel that Marcus and Sasha makes for theirs.

Just watched your videos and the new design are some nice out of the box thinking!
The bottom U-turn on yours have a smaller cross section area than the Australian ones, but i guess that is made up for in the more efficient hot side air distribution perhaps?
What software have you used for the CFD, and would you consider sharing the 3D scan of the OEM shroud? I have a degree in Industrial Design Engineering and while (like you) i dont work in that field, its still a great hobby to make stuff with it

 

Through this process I have found that 3d printing, CNC machining and event Casting aluminum parts in low volumes = $$$$$. I was originally going to have my tanks cast in aluminum like Sasha's kit for a nice smooth OEM look but unless I want to order 1000+ units, they will be around $700 each tank which instantly drives the cost of the intercooler through the roof, same goes for CNC or printing them in aluminum. I'm guessing that is one reason why Sasha's kit is the most expensive on the market. Unless I can find a foundry to cast me some endtanks for much cheaper, I'll be hand fabbing them like Marcus's. I have access to a 3 axis CNC but I'm rusty so I'll have to brush up on my G-Coding for that machine and I won't be able to get as smooth of results as I could with a 5-axis machine. My hand fabbed unit turned out pretty good I think but I can still go about the top tank in a few different ways depending on what I want looks wise. I'm hoping to work on the air duct next week as my 3d print and scanner just arrived. Then Once I get the duct printed, my carbon girl will let me know the price of the duct.

I'm guessing Marcus is having PWR build the entire intercooler, I spoke with PWR USA and they offer that option if I give them the dimensions but again, drives the price up quite a bit. Since I have the ability to do this myself, I'll save the money. I'm using a larger core than the Aussie kits which has made me work a bit harder, this thing is going to be a TIGHT fit but worth it in the end I believe.

 

I think you would be surprised about the current prices of alu 3D printing. I would upload some top tank designs to https://craftcloud3d.com/ and see what they charge you. I think just 2-3 years ago this part would cost $300 more to make. I did a model of the Australian hot side tank and it would cost me around $150 USD with 3mm aluminium (and 25 in shipping). My biggest issue here is my inexperience with CAD and that i struggle to make it as smooth as it should be.

 

I'll have to check them out because I tried 3 different companies with my models and they were all around the $700 mark for some reason. I wonder how well the 3d printed stuff welds too? That cost is still considerably more (not including my time) than I was able to do with standard 5052 sheet aluminum but may be a good option for something that looks more factory once powder coated.

 

Check out Jon Volk's build - he's got man a part printed and welded, not the least of which is his intake manifold and intercooler combo.

https://www.youtube.com/@CouchBuilt

 

That's pretty cool, I was surprised to see the cost of the stainless for the exhaust manifold. I'll have to upload a few of my models just for grins to see how much they would be if I wanted to do a dual tank setup vs the single I created out of sheet.