I was wondering when a FMIC is a good move and when it is not, I see alot of guys talking about there first mod on there WRX or STi or other cars being a FMIC (I feel it is a waste unless your making uber HP or plan on making uber HP) but when it comes to the EVO, is there a guidline to follow meaning what level is a FMIC a good option and what level should you just stick with the stocker.

 

i would say the stock front mount is good up to 300awhp then after that hit up bushur or ams

 

1st step is... How much power you plan on making??

As for the FMIC... there are a lot of members and non members here that ran 11s on stock FMIC... That should be around the +-360whp(DynoJet) range

It is a decent unit but will eventually heatsoak rather quickly after a few passes at a drag strip or bumper to bumper traffic during hot days...

 

I'm hitting the limits of my stocker...just figuring out which one I want to upgrade to. Still works fine though

 

I don't have one yet however I was just curious of what kind of power one should be making before going with an aftermarket FMIC, how much are they usually anyways? $800 or so? what kind of gains could you expect?

 

With my old BR FMIC w/ lower ic pipe I gained 23whp... as for my current AMS FMIC I have not gotten to do any comparative results

FMIC range from 499 to beyond... It just depends what you want and mainly how deep into your pockets you want to dig for some $$$

 

Would it still give around those gains even if you did not have a bunch of other mods or does a FMIC respond better when you have other supporting mods to go with.

 

It really depends on what you want to do with the car. I am a roadracer so I need a FMIC that won't heat soak so quickly. A lot of the guys here are dragracers so heatsoak isn't so bad since they have an 11sec run (if they're lucky) and then cool the car down.

With 30-40 minute sessions at the track heatsoak can get really bad and my car was pulling tons of timing and dumping in buckets of fuel. With the upgraded FMIC I can prevent the heatsoak, keep IATs down, make more power safely, and have more consistant lap times.

All around for a roadracing car it's a win/win situation. The only downfall is if the FMIC is too restrictive and won't flow enough air through it to the radiator.

Also, I wouldn't equate the need of a FMIC to power levels but rather boost levels.. The 16G is a relatively small turbo and running it at 21+ psi for extended periods of time it will become more and more inefficient and start producing more heat and cause the stock FMIC to heatsoak and your IATs will sky rocket. An upgraded FMIC will help keep that heat down and keep your IATs down.

 

I can't put it better. A larger FMIC is highly recommended if you are doing road racing vs 1/4mile. The stock intercooler is very efficient up to 350whp but it will start heat soaking after an extend period of used. I noticed a more consistent power level when I switched to a bigger HKS type R ic but not much of a power gain.

Thanks,
Tom

 

I thought the stock fmic shouldn't have any heat soak issues cause it's tube and fin.......won't a aftermarket bar and plate fmic be more prone to heat soak?

 

Apart from any heat soak that the stock unit might have, an upgraded FMIC will cause less restriction as I believe AMS did some testing showing there to be a drop in pressure at higher than 20 psi boost levels. This restriction will probably be more evident only when you begin to surpass 20-21psi boost levels or flow more air with a larger turbo.

 

I would say a good rule of thumb is when you are ready to upgrade your Turbo and injectors ...

 

In this case you can't really compare the stocker to the upgraded units since by sheer size alone the stock FMIC will be out performed. Under stock conditions (stock boost w/ taper, timing, etc.) the stock FMIC is quite adequate but when you start to demand more from your turbo and engine the FMIC can become the weak link, again depending on your application.

[disclaimer: I am not an engineer by any strech of the imagination]

the upgraded units are bigger hence more material to absorb heat and more surface area to dissipate heat.

I am sure that someone else can get on here and break it down with numbers but that is the very laymen's view.

 

I have a stock IX now and soon, I will install TBE and get an ecutek reflash as far as engine modification goes. If I do a lot of road-racing and high-speed (+120mph) runs, is it a good idea to upgrade FMIC for prolonging the life of engine or turbo, hence adding the reliability to the set-up?? Thanks.

Sammy

 

The Stocker is a Good unt. very well designed. Goooo However. its not designed for an upgraded turbo, or anything too far north for the stock power levels. Everything has a limit.
Dont forget at 350 WHP your putting almost 125 more WHP than stock. not bad for just bolt ons.

Any good after market unit wont thave the heat soak problem that your talking about as far as the FMIC goes on a stock turbo. AIT is very important to watch aswell. Heat and friction are the enemy to power.