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Anyone have experience with ARM FMIC?

odessa.filez

Autocross Newbie
Location
Roswell, GA
Car(s)
2016 GSW 1.8tsi auto
Last edited:

mrmatto

Autocross Champion
Location
Jacksonville, FL
Car(s)
2024 GTI DSG

odessa.filez

Autocross Newbie
Location
Roswell, GA
Car(s)
2016 GSW 1.8tsi auto

Chogokin

Autocross Champion
Location
So Cal
Car(s)
GTI Sport | Audi A3
I hope this doesn't sound like a silly question...but do these cars need this much intercooler? Do they need to be big as possible...or is it internet myth...like needing to change your spark plugs every 3k miles?

I remember looking at aftermarket intercoolers for STI's and MK5 Supras and they are smaller than the ones for Mk7's. There are 400hp rated IC's for Civics that are smaller than the Neuspeed ones.

This isn't directed at anyone in particular...but it seems like a lot of people (especially in Facebook groups) are hung up on singular arbitrary numbers.
 

Acadia18

Autocross Champion
Location
The Greater Boston Metropolitan Area
Car(s)
2019 Golf R
I hope this doesn't sound like a silly question...but do these cars need this much intercooler? Do they need to be big as possible...or is it internet myth...like needing to change your spark plugs every 3k miles?

I remember looking at aftermarket intercoolers for STI's and MK5 Supras and they are smaller than the ones for Mk7's. There are 400hp rated IC's for Civics that are smaller than the Neuspeed ones.

This isn't directed at anyone in particular...but it seems like a lot of people (especially in Facebook groups) are hung up on singular arbitrary numbers.

If your intercooler isn't rated for 1,200hp, is it even worth having?!?!
 

mrmatto

Autocross Champion
Location
Jacksonville, FL
Car(s)
2024 GTI DSG
A bigger intercooler generally will be a bigger heatsink and resist heat soak for longer over multiple pulls and/or track time, all other things being equal. But there’s a limit to what will fit in our cars obviously.

Also, bicooler configurations usually benefit from better flow and thus less pressure loss.
 

El_bigote_AJ

Autocross Champion
Location
Las Vegas
Car(s)
2019 GTI bunny
HP ratings on ICs are something you really can’t gauge much with as they are getting that rating based on “flow” typically… when in reality xyz core could be rated to say 600 hp and work efficiently on say a 5.9 engine with a turbo that’s only pushing 8psi through a larger full frame turbo but makes 550 hp. Then take that same core with the same 600 rating and use it on a 2.0 that’s pushing 35psi on a compact hybrid and making 510 hp and it’s efficiency (cooling ability) will be greatly reduced compared to first scenario. As not only does being at a higher psi create a higher heats situation but the efficiencies of the turbo itself will cause a huge variable in the starting temperature the core is having to reduce that coming out of the turbo.

And that’s still only one factor when it comes to core sizing on these cars.
 

phoffman183

New member
Location
Chattanooga, TN
Car(s)
16 GTI SE
I've had the ARM FMIC and piping on my car for almost 2 years and my only complaint so far is that the piping doesn't have any mounting points like the OEM and some other aftermarket piping. It took a while to "adjust" everything and keep it from rattling against other components while driving. I had to get creative in some areas, but you get what you pay for. I am impressed with its efficiency!
 

odessa.filez

Autocross Newbie
Location
Roswell, GA
Car(s)
2016 GSW 1.8tsi auto
I hope this doesn't sound like a silly question...but do these cars need this much intercooler? Do they need to be big as possible...or is it internet myth...like needing to change your spark plugs every 3k miles?

I remember looking at aftermarket intercoolers for STI's and MK5 Supras and they are smaller than the ones for Mk7's. There are 400hp rated IC's for Civics that are smaller than the Neuspeed ones.

This isn't directed at anyone in particular...but it seems like a lot of people (especially in Facebook groups) are hung up on singular arbitrary numbers.
I can only speak for my own experience. In the summer, daily driving the stock intercooler gets heat soak under normal driving conditions, Car begins to feel sluggish. Much less so with this FMIC. This is with is12 and jb4, not much power.

At autocross, where car is wot multiple times on a 40 second run, stock intercooler really starts to feel it by run 4. With FMIC, closer to run 7.
 
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