[sheldonross]

cp-e? MZR 2.3 DISI Top Mount Intercooler | Custom Performance Engineering

Been reading about aftermarket TMICs, and it seems like a no-brainer. More cooling, less pressure drop = less stress on the turbo, faster spool up, etc.

Are there any downsides other than price? Just fishing for opinions/experience! :blink 1:

The soapbox is yours, take it!

 

[cpeckvt]

i have the ETS TMIC, no downsides that i know of. Here it is.

 

[sheldonross]

Reading through the other posts people have mentioned that a HPFP may be necessary? As I understand it the pressure sensor is after the TMIC so the boost will be the same as the stock unit, just with less pre-TMIC turbo boost?

It seems to me that it shouldn't have any effect on the ECU/Fuel pressure etc - as I mentioned win win win??



Oh and that blue look sweet IMO.

 

[ZPrice]

ran my ETS for months with no issues, but it is for sale as I am putting on a FMIC next week.

Z

 

[Jeremy M]

ran my ETS for months with no issues, but it is for sale as I am putting on a FMIC next week.

Z

price :yes:

 

[warlord]

I'm curious. At what point is a FMIC better than a TMIC? There's a pretty big difference in price between the two.

 

[cpeckvt]

FMIC VS TMIC:
FMIC will give a lower intake temps, that is where it ends. Drawback: lots of turbo lag.
TMIC: the new hood on the gen2 is designed to take advantage of a TMIC.

Both appliacations are good, depends what you want. TMIC = better turbo response. FMIC = better power range with lower intake temps.

 

[warlord]

Noob question. Why would the FMIC affect how fast the turbo spools up? It's just a cooling system and separate from the exhaust stream which spools the turbo up.? I thought it's sole job it to keep temps down to pack denser air into the cylinder and to avoid pemature detonation by keeping cylinder temps down too..

Nevermind. I think I know the answer. The FMIC creates more back pressure so the turbo spools up slower.

 

[mx3claude]

cause with a fmic there more pipes = more volume to build psi in causing lag or build time.
i have a fmic and i tell ya theres almost no NO lag maybe cfm the turbo spools out is higher then the 15 psi the car max out at .. i think the stock turbo spools way to fast causing a tire roast (looks good but pointless for racing) that realy aparent when up remove the tourqe limiters in 1,2,3 gear mazda has flashed into your eprom. thats y most racers pick a turbo with a more cotroalable trim curve. that or run a boarder line super soft 10000 km semi slick street tire on the street. @ 500 bucks a set (2) just to run light to light.
whats the good of making 265 hp when u cant hook it up :mellow 1:
i say u will not regret a fmic in the long term.
at best i would say it takes 200 rpm delay at the low rpm more to make the same 0 to 15 psi over a top mount and you ic temp are way cooler so when your 5 years down the road making 400 hp its going to matter the the car intake temputers runs 30% colder.:yes:
both kits will make you happy for sure but it realy depends on what your goals are long term it took me a long time to decide tmic or fmic
ps you still get wheel spin eather way lol
my 2 cents
cpeckvt your 100% right thank you
Both appliacations are good, depends what you want. TMIC = better turbo response. FMIC = better power range with lower intake temps.

 

[SuperTurbo]

Just curious, how much turbo lag are we talking about if we switch it to a Front Mount?

I just just not a fan of Top Mount due to maintenance issues, plus usually if you cruise around the town or even highway, and if you try to gun the car, the heat soak seems to be a big issue......

For now, the only reason why I like TMIC is you can drop some ice cubes to cool down the air if you want to gain some performance for a short period of time.....

 

[sneakerhead23]

to be honest the turbo in this car is so small you would be hard pressed to find a noticeable lag in the turbo... if you have a stock tune...when you press the gas its going to spool up...


like claude was saying it really depends on what your goal is for the car... in the short run for standard bolt on applications the TMIC is fine and for the price they generate a nice return for your car. If you are concerned with heat soak, you run your car at the track, or possibly looking for a higher hp application then maybe the FMIC is more of a set up for you...(thats not to say that TMIC can not be used for high horsepower applications because ppl use them with meth kits all the time)

all a matter of preference... you can read articles for days about the drawback and pluses of both

 

[CptMorgan]

I also have the ETS TMIC - with the MS3's hood scoop i think as long as your moving >10mph it stays pretty cool, but the minute you stop moving its starts picking up heat from the engine

i chose the top mount because its cheaper and easier to install

one other thing to consider, if your in a hot climate you might want to consider a front mount instead, the whole heat soak things gets worse the hotter it is outside

my BATs (boost air temps) - with the ETS TMIC seem to average out about 30-40F above ambient air temps when under full boost (@50+mph)