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I been slowly upgrading any budget part on my car to high end parts and intercooler is next on my list..
buuuuut would the extra 500$ be justifble in this case ? Could one ic really be that much better than the other ?
the one I'm looking at is the grs motorsport version and it claims it has a superior special internal cooling setup and is sapose to flow awesome. If there 4-5hp to be gained I want it , I'm at that point I'm chasing ANY hp I can get now..
my current setup is a ebay oversized intercooler that I had the feet welded on upside-down to hold intercooler sprayers and I also have a fully sealing air diverter under the hood.
I'd make the same kinda setup for the grs ic also but do you think it's reeeeeeeaaaaaaaly that much better than my current ic ?? I will pop off my ic and check how it's setup internally airflow wise but i belive it looks just like the grs one inside.
Ecs sells my same ic I have linked for almost 200$ just painted black too. Makes me wonder the markup on this grs ic then also but ille shop around more.
but anyone have any input on this or anything ?
Comparing just the intercoolers themselves, I don't think there's a significant performance advantage of the GRS over the ebay one.
Where the GRS does better is all the baffles and seals to increase airflow.
If you're looking for a better intercooler set-up over what you have now, GRS has an water cooled kit that claims 16hp over the stock set-up.
The other thing I like about these is they decrease the volume of air between the SC and intake ports which means boost increases faster and gives better throttle response. https://www.ecstuning.com/b-grs-moto...ue/grs4lb~grs/
Comparing just the intercoolers themselves, I don't think there's a significant performance advantage of the GRS over the ebay one.
Where the GRS does better is all the baffles and seals to increase airflow.
If you're looking for a better intercooler set-up over what you have now, GRS has an water cooled kit that claims 16hp over the stock set-up.
The other thing I like about these is they decrease the volume of air between the SC and intake ports which means boost increases faster and gives better throttle response. https://www.ecstuning.com/b-grs-moto...ue/grs4lb~grs/
agreed that is probably one OF THE BEST ic setups its abit too expensive for me , id have to sell off a handful of my parts i have listed.. I wanna stay air to air . I was already considering buying another meth kit since I'd sold my other one to afford my Sprintex. I wanna get the snow stage 2x setup.. plus I really REALLY should do my brakeup grade 1st but my semi upgraded brakes are enough yet. I wouldn't expect them to handle ny cars power on a track , no how no way ate they gonna hold up to my cars power buuuuut for the street. They're still ok enough , so long as I went ripping from stop light to stop light , which I don't so that's why I've been putting them off.lol
I think you made a gpod point about not much of an upgrade , it basically looks like it's an ebay larger ic buuuuuut with just some weld inside to help smoothen the air flow.. yea, Idk if it would be worth it to swap nine out for the grs motorsport version buuuuuuut dang that water to air ic . Geez I bet that'd help..
lol cmon guys , buy my parts ! Lolol
the front mount ???? Because now that my ac compressor failed , instead of putting on my replacement I think it's time to go more race car.. I already removed my rear seats and seatbelts n stuff so in all honesty, being without ac isnt that big of a deal to me exp in a car thats NOT being dailydriven ...
I'm one of the few I've seen that's plunked down the money for the pro alloy ic. I liked the idea of the built in horn and you have the option of a meth port. That bit in horn is a pain though. Bypass valve, throttle body, passengers side horn and supercharger all have to line up simultaneously. It's a bear. I've already questioned whether I'm happy with it. It has to come off for plug changes, compression tests etc. Not fun. Just my .02.
i don't know much about minis, as i've only had one (r53) and i've only had it a few months. however, i had a mazdaspeed3 for several years that i modified a fair bit.
that was a factory turbo charged 4 banger with a TMIC. the common upgrades for intercoolers were either an oversized top mount or a FMIC. the pros/cons there would surely be comparable to a supercharged mini.
based on my experiences with the mazda, you aren't going to get a top mount that out cools a front mount. if you're sticking to the top mount, then i don't see how one oversized option is going to out perform any other oversized option in a noticeable difference. from what i can tell my looking at upgraded TMICs, the real differentiation is fitment. yes, you can make a TMIC that out performs another. and i bet the forge will out perform the ebay option. however, i can't imagine it will out perform enough to justify the expense since you already have the upgraded TMIC.
i don't know much about minis, as i've only had one (r53) and i've only had it a few months. however, i had a mazdaspeed3 for several years that i modified a fair bit.
that was a factory turbo charged 4 banger with a TMIC. the common upgrades for intercoolers were either an oversized top mount or a FMIC. the pros/cons there would surely be comparable to a supercharged mini.
based on my experiences with the mazda, you aren't going to get a top mount that out cools a front mount. if you're sticking to the top mount, then i don't see how one oversized option is going to out perform any other oversized option in a noticeable difference. from what i can tell my looking at upgraded TMICs, the real differentiation is fitment. yes, you can make a TMIC that out performs another. and i bet the forge will out perform the ebay option. however, i can't imagine it will out perform enough to justify the expense since you already have the upgraded TMIC.
thx for your input...I LOVE those mazda's...I actually alllllllllllmost traded this car for one 2x years ago...
Do you think the extra plumbing with the front mount is overcome by its better cooling abilities???
I'm one of the few I've seen that's plunked down the money for the pro alloy ic. I liked the idea of the built in horn and you have the option of a meth port. That bit in horn is a pain though. Bypass valve, throttle body, passengers side horn and supercharger all have to line up simultaneously. It's a bear. I've already questioned whether I'm happy with it. It has to come off for plug changes, compression tests etc. Not fun. Just my .02.
the fitment thing is why I'm going to avoid it.mi work on and am constantly doing changes to my car and inspecting pkugs n stuff so i WOULDN'T wanna fight that oc fitment every time.. another plus for the front mount too as i might have access to my plugs n stuff without having to always remove the ic..
thx for your input...I LOVE those mazda's...I actually alllllllllllmost traded this car for one 2x years ago...
Do you think the extra plumbing with the front mount is overcome by its better cooling abilities???
Well, heat soak was a concern for the top mount, even with the upgraded ones. So most people who really wanted to most benefit would go front mount. The factory turbo was pretty small, and they'd get pushed to the point of the BATs being pretty hot. Probably not too dissimilar to a stock SC with a reduced pulley.
But, there's probably a reason most people don't. I just don't know what that reason is
I just find it very VERY hard to see though how the front mount is going to outperform my topmount still.. the valve cover underneath the ic has far less heat than does my coolant radiator which the front mount literally sits up against. So it's going to CONSTANTLY have a huge piece of aluminum behind it that's a constant 180ish degree so thats going to heat soak that front mount ic.. so I think I'm skipping the front mount . Just far far too expensive and personally, I think I'd be loosing not just power but efficiency too... my setup I NEVER see iat's anywhere near 180'F but I guarantee if my ic sat in front of my radiator its just not going to run as efficiently as my current setup...
but dang , i WAS going to make the scoop funnel onto my intake but no longer have to bother designing and making that..
I guess the NEW question is do i get the aem v2 or Snow stage2 meth kit ????
I just find it very VERY hard to see though how the front mount is going to outperform my topmount still.. the valve cover underneath the ic has far less heat than does my coolant radiator which the front mount literally sits up against. So it's going to CONSTANTLY have a huge piece of aluminum behind it that's a constant 180ish degree so thats going to heat soak that front mount ic.. so I think I'm skipping the front mount . Just far far too expensive and personally, I think I'd be loosing not just power but efficiency too... my setup I NEVER see iat's anywhere near 180'F but I guarantee if my ic sat in front of my radiator its just not going to run as efficiently as my current setup...
but dang , i WAS going to make the scoop funnel onto my intake but no longer have to bother designing and making that..
I guess the NEW question is do i get the aem v2 or Snow stage2 meth kit ????
i'm sure there's some actual data from testing out there comparing a TMIC vs FMIC.
to go back to your original question, though, i'll maintain that there won't be an appreciable difference between a budget TMIC upgrade and a mid-level (~$600) TMIC upgrade.
Sooooo I'm just sticking with my setup.. after alot of driving just to monitor my iats. It was 75'F today and in city traffic with stop lights and stop signs and speeds between 25-45mph it maintained it's between 90-110 and usually was sitting at 99'F freeway it was about the same actually between 55mph and 70mph... I then went and did some pulls out on country roads or looooooong on ramps and when my iat would be at 100'F and I do a wot pull from 0 all way upto 130mph I only seen a MAX iat of 145 AND AS SOON as I let off the gas and let it slow down coasting , by the time it came back down to 70-80mph or so my iats were ALREADY dropped down to only about 120 and then within a minute went back to the 100'F typical temp.. EVEN IF I did multiple pulls I could only get my iat to sit at around 120s the hardest I push it. Yea it can spike upto 150-160 inbetwwwn hard long pulls but all this testing I NEVER EVEN USED MY IC SPRAYERS !!!!!!! so if I give them a few squirts rite befor I let off during hard pulls it recovers 2x as fast , literally NO B.S 2X AS FAST. So I think I'd be hurting my cars setup and performance moving to a front mount .. EVEN IF it were able to provide cooler iat's I cannot imagine they'd be justifble by the price tag AND the pressure drop by adding all those extra ends and piping..
just last week I saw on engine engines they were syno testing just intake tube and sizes ect , and adding just 1x 90' bend robbed a decent amount of hp from the motor.. so adding 2x 90s and more piping and sticking it in front of a 180'F radiator that will sometimes see 200ish degrees.. yeaaa , I think ille pass... o well..
thx for bringing alot of these points to my attention guys.. this is why i need you !
sooo I guess Im gonna be going the meth route though THOUGH I'm VERY VERRRRRRRY tempted to throw on a zex safeshot kit with a 50hp only wetshot..but I like the fact the meth can just be left in its container fir next time I drive. I've had nitrous once and as AWESOME as it is , it's kinda of a pita if you wanna just go jump in your car and go for a cruise ( and have ALL your potential cars power at yours fotts disposal)...
I'm gonna have to look into these 2x meth kits now and see what advantages one has over the other or ease of install and setup vs the other...
Because now I gotta put in my replacement ac compressor and finish my rear seat delete storage panel.
and you guys are absolutely rite , that forge topmount ic is basically just my ic with a few plates welded in it to supposedly help direct airflow , which im sure they do but the price tag again just is outrageous. If it was like 350$ id probably do it then but for 600+ NOOOOOOOO
