Front mount air duct for SMIC

[flaps720]

I was thinking of fabricating an air duct to mount on the bottom grill area (as mine is missing anyways) that would direct the air onto the entire SMIC. The duct would mount in front of where the bottom of my aftermarket SMIC is already exposed and have fins that would allow the incoming air to hit the whole front of the SMIC rather than just that bottom half...

comments?... suggestions?...it wont make a huge difference, but could help and be a fun project...

 

[shane02pro5]

Just make sure it doesn't divert too much from the radiator!

 

[special--k]

Just make sure it doesn't divert too much from the radiator!

+1
rad is more important the SMI.

however, i say go for it. Take lots of pictures at each step, you could make a nice How-To. Something i might even try, if all goes well.

 

[flaps720]

yeah, the duct will not sit in front of the radiator, it would be the approximate width of the smic itself, maybe an inch or two wider

 

[satyr36]

i thaught of doing this "ram air!" but dont know how ! lol

 

[special--k]

i was also thinking, cars a designed to have airflow through the engine. maybe if you change the inlet, you might change the airflow. could cause a problem. Another way to explain it, if you have a High powered computer that produces a lot of heat, then you need a case to move the heat very quickly. If you take the side off the case that you mess up the air-flow and you can cause your computer to over heat.

 

[cmahlig]

anyone ever thought of making a custom intercooler to fit in the hole at the bottom of the engine bay. Ive seen supercharger kits that have their intercoolers facing the road at the bottom of the car.

 

[43975]

anyone ever thought of making a custom intercooler to fit in the hole at the bottom of the engine bay. Ive seen supercharger kits that have their intercoolers facing the road at the bottom of the car.

I guess for that you could just mount a FMIC.

 

[SpeedAdiction20]

lol its funny you mention this, because ive been thinkin about doing this for a little while, but since im back at school its hard to get time/materials to do this, i was thinking just making something like a "ramp" where it mounts in the front corner where the SMIC is and just redirects that air towards the SMIC, not necessary covering it, more like a big air scoop that funnels a larger chunk of air from the bottom to further inside the engine bay and in front of the SMIC, when i go home this weekend im gonna take a look at it and see if there is enough room to mount a hard plastic piece there without it rattling and whatnot, ill post if i end up figuring any ideas out. if anyone actually ends up doing this let us know!

 

[SpeedAdiction20]

gonna bring this thread back, anyone tried anything so far with this, I had an accident that has slowed me down with things for me car, but this summer I am going to get something worked out for this.. trying to do some research as to how to mount it ect.. anyone else done anything? or is it forgotten

 

[flaps720]

haha, wow this is old, I have a big ol' fmic now, but I did continue to dabble with this idea. If you go to the hardware store (a big one) and check out the plumbing and/or heating/venting/duct sections, you'll find some things that could be used as a model to funnel more air to the smic, with custom fabrication of course. I came across a few attachments for a shop-vac that looked worthy of cutting into and mounting there. Aside from that, all i could think of was to construct a few pieces of aluminum or plastic to simply divert some air in that direction (similarly shaped to the 03.5 fog deletes) and attach to the back of the lower grill.

 

[SpeedAdiction20]

lol, ya the main reason why I am trying to get this working or something made is because I was/am debating to get a FMIC, but I have spent A LOT of money on the smic/hardpipe kit that I have now (an extra $150 to get the coldpipe fixed from bad weld and have WeaponR make a new top half all that..) and $200 about on couplers/t bolts.. so going to try to get this to work and see this summer what happens, (turning up the boost to around 9.5-10psi) to see if smic gets any heatsoak.. and since I don't really have many/any more mods I am going to get this summer since I got most of it last summer, this will give me a good project to do, have a few ideas so far, but it's hard when my car is at home and I'm at school lol

but I think that even just being able to get some extra air diverted infront of the whole SMIC instead of just that corner would and should give it a little more cooling ability and make it that more effective, we will see

 

[shane02pro5]

Before turning the boost up I suggest a better flowing midpipe and a step colder plugs and still 10psi can be risky with out a long list of other things too!

Nevermind just read your sig...after saying you didn't really have any mods

 

[SpeedAdiction20]

me?... I have the vibrant exhaust, think that should be good, I also have the CS full exhaust if I wanted to stick that on, but I don't want to deal with the CEL, and I have the NGK colder plugs, i dono maybe you have sigs disabled(dunno),

-im just hoping that someone has done something remotely close to this, but I am doubting it (as far as smic air ram kinda thing), main concern is whatever I make rattling due to improper air flow because I am planning on stick it somewhere either right at the corner of the SMIC, or more likely somewhere under it, diverting a little air from under the car area up right into the SMIC, but I have all summer to correct it, should be fun

 

[Velocifero]

Just a thought that it might be easier to do a DIY IC sprayer.

 

[shane02pro5]

this summer what happens, (turning up the boost to around 9.5-10psi) to see if smic gets any heatsoak.. and since I don't really have any mods

This was what threw me off at first.

 

[SpeedAdiction20]

Just a thought that it might be easier to do a DIY IC sprayer.

ya I was thinking about that, and honestly I am not too sure how those work, do they spray all the time when your in boost (meth right?) or just at higher boost app. and how long do they last about as far as how much do I have to fill it up, the main reason why I am trying to get this to work is just because 1. I think it will be fun, hopefully, and 2. because the fact that the stock SMIC sits right behind the bumper and is almost completely blocked isn't the best design that mazda could have done, so again w/o going to a FMIC I would like to try to see if I could get more air flow to that area, I already have a CAI with a vent cut out in that fender area where the cai filter is (and ya with hydroshield for that water), but would like to do something similar for the SMIC

and for the injectors do I have to drill into my hardpipes more? might be easier to put in, but just looking for something with very little/ or zero maintenance like just moving the path of some air with a simple bottom scoop kinda, If I were to get meth I think I would just go with the FMIC and sell my kit, but there is always the option

This was what threw me off at first.

oh ya, I had just meant that I already got everything besides some of the bigger things which I am going to hold off till they break, like the exhaust mani, clutch/flywheel/welded LSD, and eventually built engine,

 

[Velocifero]

ya I was thinking about that, and honestly I am not too sure how those work, do they spray all the time when your in boost (meth right?) or just at higher boost app. and how long do they last about as far as how much do I have to fill it up, the main reason why I am trying to get this to work is just because 1. I think it will be fun, hopefully, and 2. because the fact that the stock SMIC sits right behind the bumper and is almost completely blocked isn't the best design that mazda could have done, so again w/o going to a FMIC I would like to try to see if I could get more air flow to that area, I already have a CAI with a vent cut out in that fender area where the cai filter is (and ya with hydroshield for that water), but would like to do something similar for the SMIC

and for the injectors do I have to drill into my hardpipes more? might be easier to put in, but just looking for something with very little/ or zero maintenance like just moving the path of some air with a simple bottom scoop kinda, If I were to get meth I think I would just go with the FMIC and sell my kit, but there is always the option


oh ya, I had just meant that I already got everything besides some of the bigger things which I am going to hold off till they break, like the exhaust mani, clutch/flywheel/welded LSD, and eventually built engine,

No, I was NOT referring to meth/water injection. Although I have a Labonte Mototsports kit but I have not installed it yet. I was talking about an IC sprayer. You can fab one up for near nothing. I built one years ago using a windshield washer pump from a wrecked 626 (any car's would be suffice) and a nalgene bottle I nabbed from work. The only thing I actually had to purchase was the tubing, wiring, nozzles, and switch. But even then the easiest way to do it is to just reroute your windshield washer line to go infront of the IC and use the nozzles from Home Depot to spray it down. That way you already have a switch to spray when you want in the windshield washer activator. If you wanted to go the extra mile you could get a boost soleniod switch and have it automatically come on in boost but I think you'd be fine choosing to spray when you want. I believe there is a how to on it. just a minute.

 

[Velocifero]

Here you go mate; DIY IC Sprayer

If I can find mine I'll snap a picture of it, it isn't on the car.

 

[Velocifero]

Overall I'd have to imagine it'd do about the same amount of cooling as additional airflow but would be easier to put together, possibly cheaper depending on how you you go about it. If I find mine do you think you'd have an interest in it?