08 WRX FMIC

[MrManny]

So guys i bought this FMIC
GODSPEED 08-11 wrx sti ej25 ej20 front mount turbo intercooler kit (BOLT-ON) | eBay

And ive never done intercoolers before so i have some questions

1. About how long would it take me to install this?
2. Is it necessary to recalibrate my MAF after installation?

Let me know ur thoughts

[Anub1s]

1) Hours and hours. A lot of cutting, trimming and other BS goes into installing even a QUALITY FMIC, what you bought there is not what most would call a quality kit (not even acceptable in my book), and therefore will probably have a LOT of surprises in store for you.
2) You'll have to do a lot of things to properly use that kit, I hope you have time and money to spare.
3) I'm pretty sure you made a mistake in buying this thing. Do you know why you even wanted an FMIC in the first place?

[MainFrame]

I would see if you can return it for a refund and buy a decent quality intercooler. I haven't dealt with one of those, but judging by the quality (or lack there of) of practically all of Godspeed's other products, I would expect that kit to have some fitment problems, not to mention poor performance.

[MrManny]

Yea man...for more pwr cause i hear alot that the TMIC's get hot under the hood and theyre only real good purpose is rally racing

[SD_GR]

Yea man...for more pwr cause i hear alot that the TMIC's get hot under the hood and theyre only real good purpose is rally racing

I understand the individual words but I've not seen them in this combination before.

I suggest you follow the link in my signature, it has information about all aspects of the car. It's a nice car and it'd be a shame not to enjoy it fully and/or spend money needlessly. I think you'll find the links fun.

[Mikie13]

Yea man...for more pwr cause i hear alot that the TMIC's get hot under the hood and theyre only real good purpose is rally racing

False.

Many FMICs are poorly utilized unless you're running a much larger turbo. The heat soak is negated by the fact you will in most instances increase spool time with an FMIC as you have more volume to pressurize.

A quality and larger TMIC is better as it obviously will pressurize quicker, as well has have a lot less distance for the pressurized air to travel before reaching the intake manifold. The heatsoak also really isn't much of a big deal either as when you're running at any speed, more than enough air is flowing through it. If it was really that much of a problem, it wouldn't have been designed that way.

What turbo are you running anyway? Also what are your tuning plans? You won't effectively see results from the FMIC without optimizing it with tuning anyway...

Finally...Godspeed sucks ass. If you are going to do it, don't cheap out.

[MainFrame]

Yea man...for more pwr cause i hear alot that the TMIC's get hot under the hood and theyre only real good purpose is rally racing

Whoever you're hearing that from doesn't know what they're talking about.

[MrManny]

I hear this from my teachers and they say the hardcore subaru guys get FMIC's...and most race car subaru's ive seen actually do have FMIC...also i heard godspeed is one of those good but cheap brands

[SD_GR]

I hear this from my teachers and they say the hardcore subaru guys get FMIC's...and most race car subaru's ive seen actually do have FMIC...also i heard godspeed is one of those good but cheap brands

I recommend reading more, hearing less. It will save you time and money in the long run. Please follow the link in my signature.

[MainFrame]

I hear this from my teachers and they say the hardcore subaru guys get FMIC's...and most race car subaru's ive seen actually do have FMIC...also i heard godspeed is one of those good but cheap brands

Subaru people mainly buy FMICs for one of two reasons. The first would be looks. If you're not running a 49lb/min turbo or larger then the disadvantages of running a FMIC outweigh the advantages. Most Subaru race cars have 35r or larger turbos.. also, they don't have to be driven on the street.

The other main reason to run a FMIC is for a drag car where heatsoak while staging will cause the ECU to pull timing.


I guess if you are installing a built engine and are going to be running a large turbo then it might be worth it to install a FMIC. I have one on my car, but I have also spent well over $10k on the engine alone. If I were going to build a stage two car, or even up to a 30r I would still strongly consider a TMIC over a FMIC.



As far as Godspeed, they are one of those brands known widely throughout the community to produce junk parts. The words "Godspeed" and "good" should never be used in the same sentence. If you are going to be running a largish turbo and still want a relatively inexpensive high quality FMIC then you should look into ETS. ETS 2008-2012 Subaru WRX and STI Front Mount Intercooler Kit

[Anub1s]

The "hardcore" Subaru guys know better than to stick an FMIC on an otherwise stock car. Your teachers are idiots. Most drag Subaru's have tens of thousands of dollars sunk into them, engines built to high heaven, and enormous turbochargers that are rotated and won't allow for a TMIC setup. Until you go ridiculous, an FMIC is nothing but a flashy, and frankly boring, piece of equipment. Not to mention the fact that many FMIC kits require cutting into support structure at the front of the car, making your car that much less safe.

A 10 minute search session on this site would have saved you a lot of headache.

[MrManny]

Well guys i c wat ur saying...ima try 2 refund my FMIC...What do you guys think if i upgraded to a better TMIC?

[Sinister]

I've got a processwest TMIC and I have 430whp (that's around 530 horsepower at the crank). A good top mount can take you a lot farther than people used to think.

[TankerTruck]

Having just gone through this with my 2013 wrx, I can only suggest one thing to keep in mind:
Dont cheap out.

The FMIC can be a good intercooler, if you have, or plan to have, an upgraded turbo/motor. Otherwise they aren't really needed.

I've now gotten a PW TMIC, and I love it. It's gorgeous, high quality, and with a good turbo blanket & heat shield, the heat soak can be limited to acceptable levels.

[MrManny]

Ok thx everyone