Upgraded Sidemount Intercooler

[Nautilus]

If you have a LC / LFR, which has throttle body on right side of the car, use a SMIC. It's very hard to run the pipes for a FMIC through the engine bay to go right and feed into the throttle body.

If you have a LCR (throttle body on the left side of the car) use a FMIC, it's just in place to run the pipes where needed.

2 uprated SMICs (Tyrolsport, Eurojet, BoostFactory) can easily be fitted to a LCR in place of factory SMICs, and this would give a total IC volume of 12-16 liters, compared to a usual 600x300x60 FMIC, which gives about 11-12 liters (core + end tanks together), but nobody does that either here or anywhere else, because of cost - you have to pay 600-1000 EUR plus shipping for 2 SMICs, compared to a much cheaper FMIC, some of which can be found for 300 EUR new or 150 EUR used.

~Nautilus

 

[csd_19]

Or use a Forge FMIC for the LC, dual-pass so the outlet of the FMIC is the same side as the throttle body.

 

[Mr OCD]

Interesting convo... As I will be taking my LC to stage 2 (it's nearly there) and don't want the hassle of a FMIC ... I would assume for a 240bhp LC an uprated SMIC will be sufficient to keep EGT's sensible...

 

[aaron-gardner]

Basically the stock intercooler I's capable of handling the ko3s max power output. It's only I'n the summer months where you will suffer from higher egts but a uprated sidemount I's capable of overcoming this. If going down a bigger turbo route then a fmic I's a better option which I's what I'll be doing.

 

[nd-photo.nl]

Leon owners in the NL beg to differ. 90% of them recommends going FMIC, but Im thinking going uprated SMIC. Im not chasing very big power figures, but would like to see a nice increase with a remap (after 3" downpipe + sportcat + uprated smic + uprated tip + open cone + 2.5" Cobra catback)

 

[aaron-gardner]

Should get around the 240bhp Mark providing all I's I'n good condition.

 

[8bit]

Done a bit of research on this, I've got an LCR and I don't fancy hacking up the bumper and/or crash bar, losing fogs or spending lots of cash. There's some good info on general SMIC vs FMIC theory on VWVortex, in particular - http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthre...t-SMICs-data-experience-wanted&highlight=smic

Page one has some good theory, page two has some initial results and page three some more good info.

I'm personally kinda tempted with these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NISSENS-I...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item48416106d1

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NISSENS-I...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item4841610b37

First one is the left hand side one, second is the right. Price-wise it's around the same sort of money as the AMD/Airtec FMIC that's just been released, but I guess the cash-constrained among us could replace one to start with and then the other later on if they felt it necessary. It's also more stealthy/OEM+ for those who like that sort of thing.

 

[Nautilus]

Nissens is far too small. 185x161x85mm gives barely 2.5 liters for the core, maybe 4 liters with end tanks, which are plastic and don't conduct heat properly.

Tyrolsport dual kit ICs (designed for Audi TT, the same BAM engine as a LCR) have 190x114.3x203mm, which gives 4.4 liters for each core (in the 5.5-6 liter range with end tanks).

A stock BAM IC core is 177.8x184.5x86mm, which gives 2.8 liters for the core, so it's larger than a Nissens.

~Nautilus

 

[Mr OCD]

Good info gents... just found the GodSpeed unit in the US and looks awesome... so seeing if I can get that shipped.

I've also asked turborevs for core dimensions of their SMIC.

 

[nd-photo.nl]

Keep us updated, I would like to know

 

[Mr OCD]

Will do...

Whilst I remember... can the install be doing without removing the front bumper or not?

I ask as I replaced my old SMIC on 200SX just by getting into the wheel arch...

 

[nd-photo.nl]

This is a question I also want to see answered...

 

[8bit]

Nissens is far too small. 185x161x85mm gives barely 2.5 liters for the core, maybe 4 liters with end tanks, which are plastic and don't conduct heat properly.

Tyrolsport dual kit ICs (designed for Audi TT, the same BAM engine as a LCR) have 190x114.3x203mm, which gives 4.4 liters for each core (in the 5.5-6 liter range with end tanks).

A stock BAM IC core is 177.8x184.5x86mm, which gives 2.8 liters for the core, so it's larger than a Nissens.

~Nautilus

It isn't just about volume though is it, design of the core matters a lot too. I'm sure the Tyrolsport stuff is very good (gets good reviews on Vortex) but it's almost US$1200 which works out at more expensive than a Forge FMIC kit...

 

[8bit]

i have the large toy sports cooler and still have my fogs

Any pics/guides?

 

[Mr OCD]

hi, approx. dimensions are 190mm x 200mm x 130mm (thickness)

- turbo_revs
Reply in your email program or through My Messages

 

[Mr OCD]

So that gives a core volume of 4.93L ... so 6.0 + with end caps... what is the standard LC SMIC?

 

[Nautilus]

Standard LC SMIC is ever so slightly bigger than a single LCR SMIC, in the 3.3 liter range for the core: 184x203x90mm.

Next size up is Forge SMIC (210x210x99mm and a waste of money, too small of a difference to count), then Godspeed, then Eurojet, the Tyrolsport and finally BoostFactory.

BoostFactory is almost a cube (very similar in design to the Behr top-mounted intercoolers of a Ferrari 288GTO) at 205x203x152mm, which gives a core volume of 6.35 liters and maybe 8 liters with end-tanks. Some people over the pond think it may be oversized for a stock K03 1.8T/150. If properly insulated from the engine bay, it never heats up. Not even in a 40°C day of crawling in stop and go traffic alternated with highway runs, the nightmare of engine cooling.

It isn't just about volume though is it, design of the core matters a lot too. I'm sure the Tyrolsport stuff is very good (gets good reviews on Vortex) but it's almost US$1200 which works out at more expensive than a Forge FMIC kit...

Quite so. The dual-SMIC is a very clever engineering option, for reasons of weight distribution, uncluttering of the coolant radiator, core volume and space management, yet replacing 2 SMICs may run into 1000 EUR for parts only plus shipping and labour cost to fit them, while finding a Chinese 600x300x60 cored FMIC for the price of a petrol tank filling means you can live with space and weight disadvantages. Money dictates.

~Nautilus

 

[Mr OCD]

Interesting! I enjoy your informative posts

The turborevs cooler is actually a Godspeed unit so it seems from other forum posts I have seen elsewhere right down to same dimensions, etc. so for £105 is a bargain... Especially seeing as we cannot obtain eurojet, tyroll or BF coolers over here easily.

 

[8bit]

Quite so. The dual-SMIC is a very clever engineering option, for reasons of weight distribution, uncluttering of the coolant radiator, core volume and space management, yet replacing 2 SMICs may run into 1000 EUR for parts only plus shipping and labour cost to fit them, while finding a Chinese 600x300x60 cored FMIC for the price of a petrol tank filling means you can live with space and weight disadvantages. Money dictates.

~Nautilus

OK.... So I'm a bit confused - are you saying the Nissens coolers are no good or not? I understand that the volume is a little less than the LCR coolers but do you know if the design is any better? If so is it enough to make up for the volume deficit?

 

[Nautilus]

1. It doesn't make any sense to replace a bigger stock cooler with a smaller aftermarket cooler in the first place. Regardless of how it's built.

2. The second worst fault of the VAG stock SMICs after small size is material - the end tanks are plastic, which barely conducts any heat. The third worst is cluttering of plastics in front of them (which may be solved easily with a Stanley Knife, removing all unwanted bits around the foglight and cutting slots in the fender liner behind them).

3. The fitment of dual SMICs is very clever from a strictly engineering point of view: weight is distributed equally left to right, coolant radiator is not obstructed by a large FMIC, 2 SMICs may have a larger volume compared to a FMIC, they use the otherwise wasted space in the fenders.

But to replace the stock LCR SMICs with a Tyrolsport pair (made for TT 225) may run into over 1000 EUR for parts only, plus labor costs.

So mostly everyone picks a Chinese 600x300x60mm core with entry and exit on opposite ends for 150-300 EUR and fits it in front.

4. An ideal solution for a LCR would be:

- 2 x BoostFactory or 2 x Tyrolsport SMICs;
- vents cut into the fender liner behind each of them;
- stock funnel scoops between foglight and SMIC removed and custom funnel scoops made from fiberglass to embrace tightly each core and leave no air flowing outside;
- all air paths which divert flow away from the SMIC funnel or away from the coolant radiator sealed with foam and silicone rubber;
- foam insulation on the plastic fender liner to separate the SMIC completely from the engine bay heat.

This is both costly and in need of painstaking labor from yourself, because no workshop would waste time to cut your fender liners or seal cracks between them. They fit the SMICs, tighten the screws, put everything back like factory did and that's all.

~Nautilus