Not true. For strictly streetrod use the FMIC is the way to go for big rwhp. And yes, I do like the toothy grin of the FMIC...the shiny grin let's dumb-*** C5 owners know not to screw with you at the light. FMIC is perfectly fine for open tracking in cooler ambient temps. It's only during the summer heat, that FMIC becomes a real problem. IMO, FMIC is getting an unduly bad rap. My advice to noobs, is to know what you're getting into, and what to expect. If the worst happens (as in my case), there are no surprises. Each enthusiast will have to reach his own decision as to which type of intercooler is the best the for his needs/wants. Hindsight is 20/20, and there's never enough money to do what's best. Choose wisely. It's this simple. If you don't track your FD, you live in a temperate climate, and have addressed all cooling issues, there's no reason to shy away from FMIC. If your FD is a bonafide open track car, go with V-mount or SMIC.

 

KevinK2, you're more than welcome to stop by Rx7 Store and share your ideas with Zavier. Oh, and your mods can't cost much, b/c, I'm already in deep with the rebuild. It's easy to criticize, and say I told you so, when it's NOT your car waiting on an engine rebuild isn't it?

 

Disadvantage is install. SMIC just drops right in. Are you trading intercooler heat soak for radiator heat soak? ...that's debatable. They are about the same price or even more expensive so i'm not sure where someone got the idea they are cheaper. V-Mount seems to be a good concept but it's incomplete to me. The closest to a finished product is HKS which can direct air flow. You will still need to fab shields for the sides and close all the gaps and maybe funnel the shields to cover all of the opening. The duct on the SMIC just doesn't make any sense to me. The opening is what 1" x 6"? Unless the car is moving the SMIC will get heat soak. So it's a trade off and figure out how to compensate for it (vented hood, etc) and there's nothing wrong with a visual preference on a street car.

 

Manny, your experience is not uncommon with what I've seen of Japanese tuners running hot laps with FMIC. And this was 6 or 7 years ago.

So the fact that you went head over heel b/c of the he-man factor of a front mount means that you're complicit in the destruction of your engine. In plain English, you screwed up tracking a car with FMIC when it's well known in the RX7 community here and in Japan 6 or 7 years ago that you don't run a FMIC in a road race car. That and the fact that you're running 240F with 85% water. What were you thinking? 240F would be fine with 50/50 but not 85/15.

Consider this, I'm running a Fluidyne with NPG+. At 90F and 80mph, I turn on the AC which drops the interior cabin temp about 20 degrees. Guess what? My water temp 200F at the filler neck goes up 20 degrees b/c of the AC radiator transferring heat into the Fluidyne. Now imagine your IC which must drop air intake temp about 100 - 150 deg F; that's alot of hot air that will be transferred to your Koyo whether or not you're running NPG+. From my search, there was a guy in Kansas who ran a FMIC with NPG+ and he reported 280F.

Regardless of the finger pointing, consider the $3000 as your up front tuition for a learning experience. If it were me, I would sell the FMIC, get a used SMIC and run Evans NPG+.

 

Nothing like the weekly SMIC Vs FMIC debate

Past 8 years I have run front mounts with no overheating issues. We have installed the greddy front mount probably 40 times and not one customer has had an overheating problem.

Look at it this way.
ASP SMIC $1500
Vmount setup $3000 ( To take advantage of the Vmount you need a vented hood so add $600)
Greddy FMIC + Koyo Rad + Vented Hood + Water Injection = $2250 Nuff Said

Jason

 

Manny,
A good investment would be a vented hood. That made a huge difference in temps when I put one on my car.

Jason

 

FMIC will cool your intake temp more than a V-mount. Cooler air first hits the IC and warms up a bit then it hits the radiator. V-mount the cooler air hits the radiator first.

This real simple people.

 

Jason, let's be honest. Do you or any of those 40 customers track the car (not drag strip, road course)? Manny had a well put together machine and it overheated, plain and simple. This can happen with SMIC too, no doubt about it.

Manny, I see plenty of high hp cars with SMIC or V-mount. FMIC is not necessary for high hp. I see no point in reducing the cooling ability of the car to get intake temps a few degrees cooler (which water injection would make up for anyway). There is a reason that most track guys don't run FMIC. Manny, we agree on many things, but not this...

 

I would have to agree with running a smic setup with some spray or possible co2 charges.

 

If the shop were 15 miles away, and not 1500, I would. You can always give him copies of posts which he can think about or use as toilet paper, I don't care it's your car. Fact based suggestions are not intended as criticisms of you, and don't remember saying I told you so. I do recall the blitz and/or true apexi are set back designs, and allow air to bypass ic (cew uses one of these at texas track days). This may be possible with the greddy also.

 

and what a debate it is


no water injection, would like to keep things simple.

 

PM zayrx7, rotarded, and Jason about your ideas on how to address GReddy FMIC setup for better air flow to my Koyo radiator.

The GReddy sits right out front (it's not set back like the Apexi'). There's a large air gap between the front bumper support, and the rad core. Perhaps there's a way to cut slits in the undertray, and mount a deep air scoop that will divert under car air into that air space, for more direct air flow to the rad core? Just a thought...

 

Yes, that reason is, most Rx7 track guys don't have the ***** to try FMIC on track LOL

 

Is there a "Manny discount special" for a vented hood, and perhaps Mocal 19-row oil coolers LOL?

 

If you can get intake temps where you like with a stock mount or v-mount why is there even a need to consider a front mount that robs the radiator of cooling air?

 

Well you're not me, but thanks for your opinion

 

If I lived in Austrailia, I would stay with stock mount IC/rad or go V-mount IC/rad. FMIC/rad might not be the best choice for you, especially if you live in the Outback LOL

 

Good question! Cuz GReddy FMIC looks so cool LOL

 

THis reminds me of women wearing high heels or lung-aphyxiating corset: It hurts like hell (in your case $3000) but it looks great.

I'll bet some Iraqui Dinars that you're going to see coolant temps in the 280+ range and after a year of tracking, you're going to see coolant seal problems.

 

Place your bet now. Face it. You like hot chicks with high heels so STFU LOL...

I'm going on my third engine. So what? That's par for the course. The car has over 80 days of track and 122,000 combined street/road course/autocross/drag race miles. That's averaging 61,000 miles per engine (from both failed engines). That's pretty much within the average lifespan range of 13B REWs that are driven hard eh?

 

$PRICE$

 

So...what did the Aussie decide to do? We need closure on this topic, dammit?!

 

FMIC looks soooo rice.

 

didn't get much sleep last night hey?

well considering i'm not going to do too much modifications to the boost or engine for that matter, i'm thinking of selling the FMIC and upgrading the stock SMIC with a larger item from avo. (pic attached) i'm fairly certain its the same IC used on the SP model. little expensive though i really don't want to spend bucket loads of cash on fixing the cooling system, although i will still upgrade the radiator.

thanks again for the help guys. no problems with heat atm guys, it was -2deg C this morning in the outback

 

Just do a FMIC...