FMIC versus SMIC which is better

[zoom 79gc]

I was thinking of going to a front mount intercooler as opposed to a side mount intercooler . Have heard a few people say that the fmic will cause the car to be laggy, and that the side mount unit is better (if you are not going past 10 psi on your boost )also that turbo spool is faster on the smic . So really not being a expert on this i have decided to ask the masses and a few of the rocket sceintist that we have on the forums for some more knowledge .
Would like to know what your answers amd opions would be
Thank you to all who post, as I am a bit of a newbie and still learning(bow)

 

[CantCMe]

I was thinking of going to a front mount intercooler as opposed to a side mount intercooler . Have heard a few people say that the fmic will cause the car to be laggy, and that the side mount unit is better (if you are not going past 10 psi on your boost )also that turbo spool is faster on the smic . So really not being a expert on this i have decided to ask the masses and a few of the rocket sceintist that we have on the forums for some more knowledge .
Would like to know what your answers amd opions would be
Thank you to all who post, as I am a bit of a newbie and still learning(bow)

I'm still learning about turbos myself, and everyone has told me already if I'm gonna stay between 8-10psi I should get the SMIC, but if I wanna go past that then I should get the FMIC (the one thing I do know is there def be turbo lag with the fmic at low boost)...and you came to the right place. This forum is filled with knowledgeble people about EVERYTHING with our cars.

 

[AcolyteMSP]

10 psi SMIC the boost lag would barley be noticible especialy to someone new to turbo. Personaly i dont think the 200-350rpms will make that much of a difference if it was even that bad. For the price of good SMIC compared to FMIC these days it would seem dumb not to get FMIC unless you plan on returning the car to stock to sell or what not.


This Looks to be a VERY promising and affordable FMIC

He is going to use 1 peice pipes where as most FMIC kits use a millon miles of pipes with a million breaks and couplers. im waiting for this bad boy personaly. The core is HUGE will fill the bumber nicely and probably easily support up to 27psi (way beyond what any of us will ever see)

 

[2.0t03speed]

umm i woudlent see past 12 on the stock motor with out timing control and a j&s. but i say fmic just for the bling factor =D

 

[1moreMPH]

there are pros to the smic, yes. But if you ever plan for any real power, it will not suffice. yes you'll have faster spool up, yes it's ADEQUATE for 9psi or less, and yes it will flow a decent amount, but you will never get close the cooling and power that a fmic has to offer.

I would say that fmic is the only way to go, especially considering that with piping + bov + smic is going to be close to the same price of a fmic kit. I would personally stick with small fmic's if you're going for moderate power goals and/or little boost (stock-14psi). Hiboost and BEGi are relatively small ones (i have the hiboost and it's great) and the CS is probably the next step up as offered as a kit. The Perrin is a monster.

If you custom your own, it will be the cheapest and best but for a noob that may be difficult. If you want to custom, i would get something a little larger than the hiboost. check the web for specs.

a new IC opens this car up soooo much, you will not be dissappointed. It's definitely been my favorite mod to this car, besides my custom tune (glare)

 

[SeR_Cyclops]

their is so many topics on this and I'm going to shoot you straight, no one can agree so go with what you like your self i personally like the fmic just cause they look bad ass and you get more for dollar spent, a smic will cost you a little under what you can get a fmic for so all in all its a personal preference

 

[mazda03maniac]

kind of like what everyone else has said. you need figure out what your future goals are for the car. don't buy a smic if your future plans are gonna need a fmic. why waste the money. i have been over this many of times and i am gonna go with the fmic when i get the money saved up for it. but like i said it all depends on what your plans are for the car. If you have anyone that can help you custom make a fmic i would do that cause you can save lots of $$$. Plus i think everyone likes the look of a fmic.

 

[geomatics_tech]

SMIC + meth = better than FMIC

 

[yashart_mp3]

SMIC + meth = better than FMIC

great minds think alike

 

[fr0st]

i for one bought SMIC and am very satisfied... i dont even plan to pass 10 psi anyways so i needed something pretty much bolt on.. and in deep snow like here a FMIC is not the best thing.... which might be the cast of others but still..

i'd rather get to 10 psi on a forged engine and leave it at that.. for log time reliability... if this ever exist on a msp... then the tranny will go out anyways..

right now i see this car as a dead end/bottomless pit..

but i still love it..

not all cars that go way up in HP absolutely need a FMIC.. look at a 99 and less mitsu eclipse.. you can get to 300 hp on the stock SMIC.. i assume a custom msp SMIC can do that if the engine is forged.. im not talking 300 WHP here.. engine HP.

 

[1moreMPH]

what is customMSP's smic upgrade rated at as far as flow? I doubt it will flow enough air properly for 300hp, and god only knows what the stock MSP smic will flow -- maybe 170?

fmic + meth = better than smic + meth . I am looking into that one.

 

[fr0st]

what is customMSP's smic upgrade rated at as far as flow? I doubt it will flow enough air properly for 300hp, and god only knows what the stock MSP smic will flow -- maybe 170?

fmic + meth = better than smic + meth . I am looking into that one.

true.. but,

at let's say 9 psi on the stock turbo, are you in reach of maxing out the custom MSP SMIC ? must be more like 12 and at 12 with no forge is dangerous territory

so unless you plan on forging later down the line, why use a FMIC ? okay maybe for you folks in florida and texas for the heat.. over here in summer were RARELY get to 85-90... nights here in the summer went to 68-70 on lucky days..

 

[Knox Joe]

(the one thing I do know is there def be turbo lag with the fmic at low boost)..

wrong.

I'm running 7psi with FMIC, I had the same set up with upgraded SMIC and there is no difference in lag, and/or throttle response.

 

[fr0st]

well tha last msp i tried got against at a traffic light, the guy had a FIMC of some sort , CAI and BOV...

the 2 lights we tried he was behind be in the first 2 gears and then pass me fast.. it had lag for sure.. maybe all setups aren't the same when it comes to FIMC and to that, maybe SOME DO have lag..

 

[livelyjay]

I had fuel issues with my iON FMIC and CAI. The car seemed slower off the start than my friends MSP that was stock. When I would autocross, after the car warmed up, I would bog between gears. I installed the SplitSecond AFC and it helped a little, but still did not solve the bogging problem (paying for a tune might have helped out). I am now back to stock and the car is slower overall, but it pulls off the line faster and no more bogging issues. There's my experience with the FMIC. I have no experience with the upgraded SMIC, but down the road I might get one just to see what the difference is.

 

[BOOSTR]

Bottom line is get the one you want and don't let the opinions of others impact your buying decision. Each one has its pro's and con's. Get the one that is best for your needs and move on.

FWIW, I run a CustomMSP without issue down here in Florida. Running over 10 psi of boost has not been a problem when I choose to do so. My car pulls hard all day long no matter how much boost I am running.

 

[jred321]

neither is better, they each serve their own purpose and there are pros and cons to each. once you figure out your use you can then determine which to buy. it's basically like asking which turbo is best. there is no answer. if you're building a drag only car, you can go huge because it doesn't matter if you have no power below 6k. but if your car is built for day to day driving that'd be terrible. to figure out which turbo to buy you would have to figure out what you're going to do with the car. same goes for the intercooler, fuel system, intake, everything.

 

[yashart_mp3]

I run the Turbohoses SMIC Version 2. The endtanks are larger, the piping is larger, and the core is slightly bigger. Lag is non-existent. And this puppy can support well over 10psi. IMO, this is the best way to go. At one point I did have their version 1 SMIC, and this is 100 times better. The revised one (V2) pulls harder and flows better. FMIC results without the hassle or lag.... can't beat it.



LOL, the only FMIC that I have heard that does not create lag is the hiboost. I never had a hiboost FMIC, but I did have the Perrin. And that puppy at stock boost was HELL. Talk about lag.... I think a hamster could have beat me in a race with that thing.... Now turn up the boost and its a completely different story.

 

[evilmonkeyMSP]

LOL thats becuase at 7 PSI it took 5 minutes to fill that enormous Intercooler w/ air before it made it to the throttlebody hahahahaha

LOL, the only FMIC that I have heard that does not create lag is the hiboost. I never had a hiboost FMIC, but I did have the Perrin. And that puppy at stock boost was HELL. Talk about lag.... I think a hamster could have beat me in a race with that thing.... Now turn up the boost and its a completely different story.

 

[Knox Joe]

well tha last msp i tried got against at a traffic light, the guy had a FIMC of some sort , CAI and BOV...

the 2 lights we tried he was behind be in the first 2 gears and then pass me fast.. it had lag for sure.. maybe all setups aren't the same when it comes to FIMC and to that, maybe SOME DO have lag..

Ricers with OVERSIZED FMICs have lag. (braindead

So what.

To say a blanket statement like; "the SMIC is the best option" or "FMIC have more lag" is ******* retarded. Too many people on this forum say that and it's BS.