Im looking into a v mount intercooler for my fd. I was wondering if anyone had some websites, articles or insights that might help decide.

 

Look into december issue of super street. Shows signal auto installing a v mount in a 3rd gen.

 

I think if you search in the 3rd generation section you will find plenty of information regarding this topic

 

just look on rotary extreme's site. he has all the pros listed... and the really only con, is that you can't see it when the hood is closed, so you don't have that cool fmic look

 

To me that's a pro.

 

I say function over looks and it definately functions better than a fmic.

I say the only con is the price$$$$!

M-P

 

The price isn't really that bad either when you price it all out it's about the same.

-Sean

 

I have one from Chuck at Rotary Extreme. The craftmanship is excellent. I will let you know how it performs after I get my car back together.
Chuck is great to work with as well.

 

PM Cossie, he has the HKS V-mount from Japan, it's super big and also fits very nicely. The price was around $2200 or so if I remember correctly

 

The HKS one is pretty nice but it does not come with a radiator. You will have to either use your stock one or get an aftermarket one. If you use the stock radiator, it becomes a waste to get the vmount. The only thing I don't like about the HKS vmount is that you can see the radiator hose from the front of the car and someone can actually loosen your radiator hose from the mouth of car. Just make sure you got no haters around.

The core size is 26.6" x 10" x4" which is just a little smaller than our monster v mount.

Chuck Huang

 

Hey Chuck

How big is your core on the monster v-mount kit. I have the HKS fmic and a PWR radiator. I was thinking of making my own v-mount in the future, but wasn't sure if my hks fmic core would work. Just looking for a size comparison if you wouldn't mind.

Thanks
M-P

 

A thicker core radiator isnt always better. It would mean that you are more likely to get get heak soak if ambient tempertures are high.
Same principle to why thicker core intercoolers are better.

The radiator hose is obvious due to the fact that this is a kit made for a 99 spec car. Mine with a 93 spec has a smaller opening.

 

Yes, it will work if you have the Type S HKS front mount. The HKS Vmout uses the same core. So you will need to cut off the end tank, make a new one and do some custom piping.

If you can't find someone locally to do that for you, I can finish that for you. Email me for a quote.

The core I use is 20x11x4.5. It's a little bigger than the HKS in volume but not as wide.

Chuck Huang

 

Sorry man, it seems like you are contradicting yourself.

"Thicker radiator core is bad but thicker intercooler core is good. "

A thicker radiator is good because it holds more water. It takes longer to heat up and actually takes longer to be heat soaked. The heat generated from the engine is the same regardless how big your radiator is. But when it's too thick, it's no good becuase air will have a hard time flowing through it. So I should say a proper radiator thickness is very important. A 2" one is perfect. Isn't the Koyo 2" thick radiator what you are using on your car?

You also have to consider the surface area of the radiator and the air inlet area. A larger radiator does take longer time to be heat soaked but it also takes more time for it to cool down assuming the amount of air flowing through it is the same. But regardless, with a smaller radiator, your car will be heat soaked faster and possibly overheated before a bigger radiator even be heat soaked. So in comparison, a thicker radiator is bette than a smaller one given the same condition.

Seeing the radiator hose isn't really a big deal as long as you have no haters around that will screw around with your car.

Chuck Huang

 

Your analogy to a thicker IC is also incorrect in this case. With the V-mount setup you no longer have the problem of having an intercooler that is too big, because the IC and Radiator are going to be seeing relatively the same amount of air, due to the set up. Plus if you go a step further and create a sheild on either side of the radiator and IC with holes for to go directly to the engine bay, you will most likely see lower temps as well. Furthermore, if you made an undertray that blocked all ways for air to get out except where you wanted it, mostly in the back, you will see incredible drops.

- Steiner

edit: one last thing, you also should look at the aerodynamics of it, with a fmic, you have a high pressure zone in front, and the air will just move around it. But with V-Mount you have a high pressure zone at the corner where the IC and Radiator meet, but with the sides blocked off the air is forced to go through either the IC or the Radiator, this means faster air travelling through which means you can get the air out faster, which means cooler engine, and ic.

 

Based on my experience with two of my cars

1) My FD here. When I upgraded to the Koyo with my old setup(PFC SMIC Cold airintake), I noticed that water temps were much higher and took a longer time to cool down while on the track.
In fact, after the koyo upgrade, temps soared after I had "cooled" down and parked the car. Is it fair to call this heat soak?
I dont have this problem as I dont drive that hard on the street.

2) On my GTR33, when I had the Griffin radiator upraded, I had problems on the street. But this was in Asia where temps were much higher as it was a tropical climate and alot of time is actually spent in traffic.

So, yes a proper sized radiator is necessary. I just dont think the koyo in a stock mount position does better compared to a stock.

I used the koyo as I had it lying ard after I took it off. and seeing how it never could fit when I had the Blitz FMIC.
I am just stating my personal experience with the various radiator sizes. With the new V mount set up, I
have had much better temps while on the track.

Whether this is due to the increased airflow due to the v mount, the air splitter or a combination of both, I dont know. All I know and cares about is that it works for me.

Yeah, I never tot about the issue with the hose clamp, I guess I have yet to offend anyone enough to justify such a worry.