Front vs Top mount

[GazTi-R]

Seems like quite a few of you guys have moved yr IC's to the front. While this is no doubt beneficial when running increased boost, is there a bhp gain with standard boost?

 

[Anonymous]

I cant say i have tested this in the R but my mate has a workshop and a dyno (RR). He installed a front mount intercooler kit for a customer's R33. He dynoed it before and after, and there was a gain of 20 HP at the wheels on the same boost level.

Im pretty sure it had more to do with the size and efficiency of the new cooler (bigger) which lead to the power gains. But if you think about it, a front mounted cooler will have more air flow minus heat soak. We all know cooler air is denser, and more air into the engine = more power.


Gino

 

[turblio]

Hmmm yeah right :roll: not that air temp has got any thing to do with it
here we go again

 

[Davey]

My car was definatley quicker after installing my frount mount, felt like it had more torque as well(clutch now slips)

 

[kyepan]

what do you mean frank?

 

[jasegould]

You cannot get adequate airflow for a top mount to work efficiently on a rolling road so before fitting a top mount and after RR results arent 100% accurate IMO

 

[turblio]

Well said jase, I think appearance may also be a deciding factor to some and as for extra bhp your turbo is in the equation too ie
it needs to fill a bigger space with air if you run a big mother F/M especially if the boost was upped before the fitting of it
but horses for courses eh?!
Frank

 

[Fast Guy]

is there a bhp gain with standard boost?

I wouldn't expect to see one. The standard top mount was designed to work in those conditions. Turn the boost up however and I would expect the front mount to make more power.

 

[Stoned]

For the standard 1bar boost mod is a front mounted IC recommended?

Also wouldnt have a large intercooler in front of the radiator restrict airflow to the radiator, and therefore reduce it's ability to cool the water?

 

[Shaun]

I've recently fitted a RADTEC frontmount and race spec rad and retained the air con so the air has to travell through the aircon rad and intercooler before hitting the water rad and the temp is the same as with the standard rad on :!: So i say Ya pays ya money and takes ya chances :!:

 

[jasegould]

Also wouldnt have a large intercooler in front of the radiator restrict airflow to the radiator, and therefore reduce it's ability to cool the water?

The rad on thr R is more than adequate, even with a front mount

I think appearance may also be a deciding factor to some

So is price...ive got better things to spend £800 on

 

[memski]

No point going fmic unless you're running more than 1.2bar IMHO.

 

[Shaun]

Hi Memski,no disrespect mate but i can't see how you can justify that statement :!: I aint no expert,but speak as i find and as in earlier posts i have said i now have a front mount intercooler running on standard boost(at the moment)and i have noticed a BIG :!: difference in performance, especially in 3rd gear which i have allways found lacking until now :!: And also i found with the standard intercooler especially when hot there was some lag no matter how small,it was there, where as now i dont notice any :!:

 

[AJ4]

I have to agree with Memski, when I fitted my front mount, I lost 0.1 bar of boost and gained a bit more lag, purely because of the extra volume and distance. I've also measured the air temps in the intake manifold on both the front mount and top mount, and the only difference was the heatsoak. After a few mins at speed, the top mount produced the same temp as the front mount.

The only advantage I can see from having my front mount ( and the reason I got it ) is so I can run much higher boost because it has a better flow rate.

I understand its easy to spend £800 on a front mount and then swear blind it shows a big performance gain, but in reality I didn't find that

 

[memski]

I can justify it because I've had both. I wouldn't have bothered changing if it wasn't for my circumstances at the time, but I make the most of it and run slightly higher boost (which justifies it in my eyes ). The standard core is damn good at what it does, providing you're on the move.....

For lightly tuned cars there's no need to go fmic IMHO (again).

 

[Davey]

i think it depends on what front mount you get, i got 0% more lag, and 0% less boost(as measured on my avcr) when i fitted my frount mount, and the car pulls a lot harder. Mikey, after fitting his frount mount got massivelly different charge temperatures, especially after sitting in traffic. 8)
I always said that i wouldnt get a frount mount, because of the extra lag etc, but after seeing mikeys, i got 1 about a week later! , and havent looked back, and it wasnt 800 quid either, cos i aint a sheep, and did mine a bit differently
I can see the attraction of a top mount, but imho frount mount is defo the way to go

 

[Stoned]

Just out of interest how the heck can it cost £800 for a intercooler and pipes :!:

That is daylight robbery whoever is charging those prices.

 

[turblio]

well I run an ARC top mount which has bigger fins and core sections than standard so I can use much higher boost without a prob so no need for a frount mount for me
Frank

 

[antilag]

at the end of the days theres good and bad for both but if you want to run decent power then there is no option in my opionion front mount wins hands down but like i said really if your farting around under 300hp its probably not the best mod,like frank said it seems to b more of a style mod these days (i think thats y davey got his lol)and isnt one of the main reasons there mounted on the top because it was designed for rallying and was designed up there to avoid stone damage?????????

 

[turblio]

One of the reasons they had probs on the rallies was sand and dirt blocking the small fins hence the ARC came along
Frank