CenturyI

I've noticed that alot of people have the underhood intercooler instead of a fmic. Now I come from a world of fmic so underhood is new to me. Other then not allowing more cooling into the engine bay is there any other reasons why it is a better set-up? And is over-heating that much more noticeable with a fmic? Also if I get a better radiator such as the fluidyne, or koyo would that make up for me having a fmic? Which one of those radiators would you recommend also or another if you don't recommend any of them?

Sorry about so many questions just trying to learn.

cruiser

Yes, even with stock setup you can overheat in hot weather. Now imagine putting a block infront of your radiator. For street driving and track (not strip) racing/hotlapping SMIC is the way to go IMO.

adam c

iTrader: (2)

So, you are from "FMIC world". It's nice to see that they speak english there

Many people with FD's have chosen FMIC's. Most of them are young drivers that like the Bling factor, and don't care if the car runs a bit hotter than it should. I think you will find that most of the experienced (older) guys run SMIC's.

alberto_mg

i prefer brunettes with big knockers

there are a couple of really good threads in the "Advanced Tech" section. you might want to check them out.

there are so many pros and cons to both that really come down to how you are going to use your car.

Regardless of which style intercooler you go with, you should do the radiator. the Koyo is probably better on a FMIC situation b/c its thicker. The Fluidyne is a little thinner and fits better / is easier to install in a SMIC situation.

check out the threads in advanced tech. i'm pretty sure all your questions will be answered there.

CenturyI

you and me both.

Thanks guys I have been looking in the advance tech forum and it helped out alot. I decided to go with the smic. Now 1500-2000 is a crap load of money to dump out at once. Does anyone know if someone sells only the brackets and then I can get the intercooler and radiator seperately. Or if someone has some closer pictures of the bracket I could probably fab up some myself.

KaiFD3S

iTrader: (37)

and if you want to go all out dont forget to check out v-mounts.....it's a lot of $$$$ though

AntiVenom7

Agreed, do a search there are mountains of info out there on intercoolers.

Personally, I know a lot of guys, both you and old, running an assortment of FMIC without a problem. I would say getting the front end off and creating some good ducting will help.
I also know a lot of guys running SMIC. I know a lot of the track guys like the SMIC for better cooling(and I won't comment since I have never been to the road track). However, for street & drag apps the FMIC seems to do just fine.

Like has been mentioned DEFINITELY go with an aftermarket radiator regardless of whether you stay stock, SMIC, or FMIC. T

There is no cut and dry answer to any decision when you are modding. Everything works together as a package and depends on what direction you are taking the car.

impactwrench

Try Ebay.

speeddemon7

im running the pfs smic and although I dont have hard numbers as far as air intake temps I can tell you this much.
Before replacing my crappy stock intercooler both the inlet pipes and the outlet pipes were hot as hell.Enough to burn your hand to the touch. Now the inlet pipe is still hot to the touch while the outlet pipe is barely warm after a hard run.The smics do their job without compromising something thats much more important.Coolant temps.
I thought about the same thing.Do I really want to burn through 2k plus for an V mount intercooler setup? I picked up the pfs for 675 used off this board.It works great ,gets the job done ,is 2 and a half times the size of the stocker and I didnt even have to mess with the radiator or the front bumper. Same day installation.Cant beat that.

alberto_mg

Unless you specifically want a NEW intercooler, you can check the "Parts for Sale" section of the forum for used intercoolers. The numbers you are talking about seem way high. Check prices at rx7store.net.

Also, don't forget that a SMIC is useless w/o a good duct. Unless it is an intercooler that is specifically designed to use the stock duct (the Blitz is the only one I know of) don't buy it w/o the duct. Blitz, Greddy, M2, ASP and PFS are all good choices.

Regarding brackets, check with Jason at rx7store if the rad comes with brackets.

rotoboy661

jpandes

radiator.com sells Koyo's for $330 shipped and price matches

I'd check 3G parts section for the SMIC. FYI, If you find an SMIC w/o a duct, you can buy a new fiberglass duct from Pettit that will work with the ASP/M2 Large SMIC & the Pettit cool charge III SMIC's

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generation-specific-1993-2002-16/real-world-comparo-ait-water-temps-smic-vs-fmic-373078/