Intercooler design in MSP

[YuYuRena]

After a thorough search through the forum on the intercooler, I don't understand what's people's issue with the intercooler is. I saw the intercooler on a 2003.5 MSP and it's right next to the radiator and it's to the right of it if you look at the car from the front facing to the spoiler. It's not exactly large or anything but it's not stuck behind the radiator or above the engine.

I don't understand what people's fuss with a FMIC. The intercooler is already front mounted, maybe it's not like a big one taking up the whole front grille like an Evo, but it's definitely front mounted. I don't wanna start a flame war, but I'm just curious as to what's a "true" FMIC if ours isn't. And oh yea I don't know if there's a difference in the placement of intercooler location betweeen 03 and 03.5. I'm basing all the info on the 2003.5 MSP. Let me know.

Finally not bashing at the MSP, cuz I love it, in fact I just bought one last nite, hehe. 2003.5 Titanium Gray MSP baby, the one i fell in love with since Detroit Auto Show. Can't stop staring at it

 

[03Speed]

A "true FMIC" is the one your familar with, the one that you see on some car (I.E. the you can see through the bumper). We dont have a FMIC, we have a side mount intercooler.

And its the same set-up on the 2003 & 2003.5

 

[PaulMP3]

welcome to the site. I think you might be the first titanium member.

The fuss about the front mount is for looks, and to give it more hp potential.

 

[Option]

Finally not bashing at the MSP, cuz I love it, in fact I just bought one last nite, hehe. 2003.5 Titanium Gray MSP baby, the one i fell in love with since Detroit Auto Show. Can't stop staring at it

Any chance you can post pics. I've been waiting 6 months for my titanium msp and I would love to see one under regular lighting. Thanks

 

[YuYuRena]

Already took pics of it, but as u can probably know now that i'm poor and own no digi so gotta wait a couple of days to get the pics.

As for the first, I think there was another guy on this forum that has a titanium too. He has some pics of it. I think his name was shawn.

 

[I-Am-Chris]

After a thorough search through the forum on the intercooler, I don't understand what's people's issue with the intercooler is. I saw the intercooler on a 2003.5 MSP and it's right next to the radiator and it's to the right of it if you look at the car from the front facing to the spoiler. It's not exactly large or anything but it's not stuck behind the radiator or above the engine.

I don't understand what people's fuss with a FMIC. The intercooler is already front mounted, maybe it's not like a big one taking up the whole front grille like an Evo, but it's definitely front mounted. I don't wanna start a flame war, but I'm just curious as to what's a "true" FMIC if ours isn't. And oh yea I don't know if there's a difference in the placement of intercooler location betweeen 03 and 03.5. I'm basing all the info on the 2003.5 MSP. Let me know.

Finally not bashing at the MSP, cuz I love it, in fact I just bought one last nite, hehe. 2003.5 Titanium Gray MSP baby, the one i fell in love with since Detroit Auto Show. Can't stop staring at it

wow did u notice that about 1/3 of it is exposed anyway and also a FMIC gets alot of air flow raising the eff.

Welcome to the site BTW

 

[nmaino]

The MSP intercooler is a front mount intercooler. It is infront of the engine with the cooling surface facing the front of the bumper, thus it is front mount.

A Toyota MR2 has a side mount intercooler, a WRX has a top mount intercooler like the Mini Cooper S or a supercharged MR2.

I think that ours are fine, there is no reason to run a huge intercooler with only 6.9psi, so the larger front mount intercoolers are just for the looks (unless you turn up the boost).

My two cents.

 

[alldat1111]

The FMIC is not needed inless u turn up the boost, but it looks a hell of alot better and will keep your cooler

 

[OrangeMSP]

if its out of the car its really funny looking its honestley about 12x6x2 and it will fit in your pocket

 

[boostisgood]

Tell ya what, get a boost gauge, run the car for a half hour, and see how much boost you lose. You wont be running 6.9 psi, it will be more like 5 psi.

That Intercooler, and the plastic piping, create a large ammount of boost loss due to the inefficiency. When the plastic pipes get hat, they expand with the boost, thus creating a boost loss.

The intercooler is small, and half hidden behind the a/c hoses, giving lss cooling area. The fan behind the IC does not help, but hurts the efficiency also. It does not let the aire flow freely past the IC.

That is wy many of us "speed freaks" want the FMIC with hardpipes, regardless if we crank the boost or not, it will just improve the perfromance in general.

 

[I EAT Z3]

Boostisgood, you're a little off on your understanding of the wastegate. If you look closely at the routing of the vacuum line to the wategate you will see that it is based on intake manifold pressure, NOT on Turbo outlet pressure. What that means is that it will alow you to continue to make boost until the manifold sees the correct presure in the intake, wether you lose 1psi or 10 psi through the intercooler. We get our refference AFTER the intercooler. The real issue is that the wategate springs tend to soften a bit when hot, which does help to bring us down to the 5-6 psi range. This can be fixed by adding a Dawes device which will alow you to delay the wategate opening and increase your boost to where you want it (9-10 psi.)

You would see the same boost on a bosst gauge with our little intercooler or a huge front mount from a Peterbilt unless you make the changes to the wategate. It may make more power at the same boost due to intercooler efficiancy and less pressure drop through the intercooler, but no change on the gauge.

 

[YuYuRena]

Well after a more thorough look at the shape of the endcap, the endcap doesn't look like it's shape to allow a laminar flow out of the intercooler. And granted the plastic piping isn't good cuz it will allow heat to come in and reheat up the air that was intercooled by the intercooler, but I don't think we're running high boost to worry about this. But now I know how this system is design, I think the best mod right now would probably to take away the heat from the system first. That way the engine is prevented from knocking. I think the car would benefit alot from getting a colder charge then upping the boost first by turning up the boost without removing the heat first. that's my 2 cent

 

[ForceFed]

YO YuYuRena,Welcome!
And also,What did you just say?(uhm)

 

[Fakhelek]

Hey, I read somewhere (I can't find it again) about installing a water sprayer, possibly from a windshield washer setup, to spray water onto the intercooler. Anybody know what's up with that? Will it actually cool the air more and will that increase the density of air going into the engine?

I don't want to replace any parts and possibly void my warranty. Also, I wonder if just putting on a bigger FMIC will help or if the added cooling would be canceled by more air flow obstruction from the bigger intercooler. Anybody know anything about this?

 

[03SpeedLSD]

I've got a front mount, and have no probs with mine. Keeps car pretty cool. You can tell a power difference from when the stock cooler was on it...Later,

 

[enry]

cool, but how about the warranty?

 

[YuYuRena]

Well my personal opinion on intercooler is not to get too big, cuz a ic that's too big is wasteful. It's wasteful, cuz you would lose the boost you gain through the compressor, cuz the ic isn't properly matched to your flow requirement. The boost lag would also increase, since there's a bigger volume to fill between the compressor and the cyliners by increasing cooler size. I think our ic is fine maybe a better location and change the endcap design would do wonder. If I have the money and I time, I would get a new radiator that's slimer with a more efficient fan. That way more room is free up and we can put the IC horizontally across. And change the 2 endcap design, I want it at the top and bottom of the new ic. That's what I feel like it should be.

Oh yea, I just got my pics developed today. I'll put them up on the site asap

 

[YuYuRena]

Ok the pics are posted. I put them on the photo/video section of the forum, but here's a linke

My MSP

 

[JDM Sam]

just take the stock intercooler and relocate it in traditional front mount design. also apexi and spearco has custom end caps to custom fit a new one. not a cheap mod though... other way get a vented hood to let the hot air escape.

 

[perfworks]

Well my personal opinion on intercooler is not to get too big, cuz a ic that's too big is wasteful. It's wasteful, cuz you would lose the boost you gain through the compressor, cuz the ic isn't properly matched to your flow requirement. The boost lag would also increase, since there's a bigger volume to fill between the compressor and the cyliners by increasing cooler size. I think our ic is fine maybe a better location and change the endcap design would do wonder. If I have the money and I time, I would get a new radiator that's slimer with a more efficient fan. That way more room is free up and we can put the IC horizontally across. And change the 2 endcap design, I want it at the top and bottom of the new ic. That's what I feel like it should be.

Oh yea, I just got my pics developed today. I'll put them up on the site asap

so do you mean to tell me that when your not boostin' (and you have a larger volume intercooler) that your boost threshold will go up???
not to flame you here but you need to clarify

to add my 2 cents here.
I eat Z3 pinpointed the problem right on the dot. some people may not have read his post closely enough.
to add to it, i have to say that if you plan on running at stock boost pressures that intercooler will be fine. i would though get some hardpiping made that is about all the diameter first and foremost. same routing is fine.
if you plan on some mods over 10 psi then a NEW intercooler will be needed. whether it is mounted in the FRONT OF THE RADIATOR SUPPORT (ie. FMIC) or horizontally mounted under the vehicle with inducing fan.