Oh I know about the results the yanks have posted, they've been on about uprated SMICs for over a decade now (Forced Performance).
SMIC or FMIC?
- Thread starter Mr OCD
- Start date
Im pretty sure every member on here (cupras and cupra R's) that has uprated their intercooler has gone for a front mount, and if thats not the case then its like 99%.
I have revo stage 2 on standard smic an i'm going the smic uprated over the fmic as i just don't want one
Well Spirit Furtive, there goes a guy in your 1% club....who coincidentally has over 16000 posts here!!
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I would re-read those two posts you quoted and then read what Lee just said before you go patting yourself on the back.
Well I've re-read them Spirit, and unless I'm missing something LEE69 wants to uprate his intercooler and has opted for a bigger SMIC rather than an FMIC, as he's knowledgable enough to know that he doesn't want or need an FMIC.
You said 99% of people go FMIC route, and so LEE is in your 1% club.
What am I missing here?!
You said 99% of people go FMIC route, and so LEE is in your 1% club.
What am I missing here?!
Having spent a few years tuning various cars, and working in the trade, im certainly ot talkong bollocks tl myself. the updated smic is just a stop gap, £ for £ you would be better going for an fmic. You can't see mine.
Problems with smic is air flow. Venting the liner doesn't really help as the wheel arch is an area of high pressure.. As for increased lag, maybe on a high boost application but not these. I certainly couldn't feel any lag increase on mine. But hell, what do I know..
Problems with smic is air flow. Venting the liner doesn't really help as the wheel arch is an area of high pressure.. As for increased lag, maybe on a high boost application but not these. I certainly couldn't feel any lag increase on mine. But hell, what do I know..
I was refering to the people who have uprated intercoolers. Now I appreciate that Lee has said that he will be opting for a bigger side mount but I couldn't have known that until he said it.
I have no problem with people buying what they want and I hope Lee and the OP see good gains from an uprated side mount but the simple fact is a well designed front mounted intercooler will see better flow and cooler temps.
As for needing a FMIC you're right you don't need it but you don't need a turbo back exhaust, you don't need a remap, you don't need a 3" T.I.P but a lot of us have that stuff because we wanted it and because we will see improvements from it.
I have no problem with people buying what they want and I hope Lee and the OP see good gains from an uprated side mount but the simple fact is a well designed front mounted intercooler will see better flow and cooler temps.
As for needing a FMIC you're right you don't need it but you don't need a turbo back exhaust, you don't need a remap, you don't need a 3" T.I.P but a lot of us have that stuff because we wanted it and because we will see improvements from it.
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My car is where I want it the smic will be enough for my use when the weather improves I'm logging my cf's later to see if I can adjust my Map at all
Posted with my Galaxy S2
Posted with my Galaxy S2
Have to agree with this. 235-245bhp driven normally you can get away without an FMIC. I did for a year if memory serves. In fact I got a very luke warm response off a very experienced tuner will I mentioned it "needed" an FMIC.
Alot of this is down to whats expected from the car... trackdays in june and youll miss not having one but otherwise youd probably not notice any power loss. Stock smic is certainly able to cool enough to give good stage 2 figures on a dyno where it gets less flow than the open road.
FMIC is more efficient but many wont need the extra cooling.
That's pretty much my take on it as well... I do have experience of both uprated SMIC and FMIC... Just not on this car. Unless tuning past Stage 2 and doing trackwork, etc I'd say an FMIC whilst beneficial is not the be all - end all...
Another quote from the same thread, especially for csd_19, who believes it's random to fit an uprated SMIC over an FMIC for stealth:
The truth is that loads of people fit them for stealth reasons.
The road hazard thing is more American, as apparently their roads are sh1te.
The truth is that loads of people fit them for stealth reasons.
The road hazard thing is more American, as apparently their roads are sh1te.
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So on a tdi an SMIC makes a big difference, where air flow isn't as high and there aren't as many restrictions intake wise.
As for coolant temp rises with an FMIC, the thermostat must've been slow to react, mine spent 6 hours on the dyno at Bills and never had an issue temperature wise
As for coolant temp rises with an FMIC, the thermostat must've been slow to react, mine spent 6 hours on the dyno at Bills and never had an issue temperature wise
Dan, decent quality uprated SMICs have been proven to work successfully upto and above 300 BHP, on petrol engines, and the poster said he had read several reports (with data logging) about the coolant temp rise.
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you can do some logs if you not sure your intercooler is doing its job, or if you think you dont need a FMIC.
get a vagcom/vcds connected and do a IAT log, IAT is channel 4 field 4. (IAT = Intake Air Temperature)
then you do a pull or run around some roads and watch your IAT, then you know if and why you need a better intercooler for sure i think.
i know when my IAT gets above 45-50 degrees celcius, i start to see some timing pulls, when i do a IAT log on my car on a summer day it will go from 30 degrees to 90 degrees when i do a 40-120 mph pull (6th gear).
i dont think an uprated SMIC could do the job, thats why i have bought a forge LCR big race FMIC (but not fitted yet).
it would be great if some one with uprated SMIC could do a IAT log, i would think.
but if you get a uprated SMIC and also fitted a W/M kit then i think you have a nice setup.
http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/a3-s3-...turborevs-side-mount-intercooler-install.html
Interesting results here.
Peak temps with the turborevs smic match the oem smic.
Interesting results here.
Peak temps with the turborevs smic match the oem smic.
Uprated SMIC looks very nice, will be putting that on my list as well 
I saw it on eBay the other day
I saw it on eBay the other daySimilar threads
