Smic

[ak_stylez]

Hey ppl,

Lookin at upgrading my cooler so I can increase the boost a little. I drive a 33 gtst, at the moment its fairly stock (just a catback) but I plan to finish off the exhaust then safc + ebc + cooler + pod/panel filter.

I'm reluctant to get a fmic cos i really dont wanna cut the bar/reo/anything. So... considering an ARC (or other?) side mount replacement. How would one of these compare to a fmic (say blitz for example)? I have the stock turbo and dont have any plans to replace til it blows, so I'll be running up to 14 psi. will i have problems with the cooler heat soaking?

also, how should i expect lag, boost etc to change after just upgrading the cooler?

i read in other forums that the 34 smic is a good upgrade, im assuming the ARC would be even better?

Thanks for your input.

[adam-__-]

An ARC smic I can hold up to 200rwkw if i remember correctly. I would assume the lag wouldn't be much different from stock. The piping isn't longer than stock is it? At 14psi, I would say that a smic is enough, but what happens when you want bigger power?

In my opinion, I would get a good fmic to start off. No point wasting money on things and buying again later on.

[LatinR33]

if you wanna run good power and keep it looking stock the a ARC R34 side mount is great its a direct fit for the R33 also and is bigger than the stock R34 cooler so is a massive increase for a R33. Its hard trying to source one.

[ak_stylez]

i believe it's a direct bolt on replacement using the stock piping... but wouldn't there be any improvement from a more free flowing core? i would have thought the 33 core acted as more of a bottleneck than the piping.

I can see where you're coming from, and i would rather get a nice fmic... but i really dread the thought of massacring the front bar :S REALLY want to avoid that lol.

[LatinR33]

r33 smic is crap even at stock boost. if u want to go a front mount the u have to look at cutting into the chassis then cutting fan blades unless u bring out the big bucks and buy a front mount which runs off the standard piping but even then u have to chop away at the front bar to fit it.

[ak_stylez]

if you wanna run good power and keep it looking stock the a ARC R34 side mount is great its a direct fit for the R33 also and is bigger than the stock R34 cooler so is a massive increase for a R33. Its hard trying to source one.

Nengun sell the m105 core for the r34 for $1500 delivered, and the m075 for the r33 for $1100 delivered. pretty pricy lol but i guess there'd be no installation costs so I'd save there.

[jake33]

I have the stock turbo and dont have any plans to replace til it blows, so I'll be running up to 14 psi.

shouldnt be too far off replacing it if your going to run 14 psi.

i dont run mine past 11 and most people will reccommend you dont run it past 12. but i guess its no biggie for you if you dont mind replacing it, then go for ya life

Edited June 11, 2007 by jake33

[ak_stylez]

i know several people who run it at 16 pounds and are having no dramas at all.

I think most people on these forums tend to be a bit conservative regarding max boost on the 33 turbo. 14 should be safe

[siddr20]

14 will be safe, if your has the supporting mods.

AS for stock turbo untuned, you will get more response and power by running less boost.

Just because you run 14psi doesnt mean your car will going any faster.

Run 0.8 bar max.

That is 10psi.

I can gurantee you the responce will be much better with lower amount of boost.

Once your car is tuned to run a little higher boost then go for it.

Get a 34 side mount, which can handle up to 200-210kw.

ARC are to pricey. 34 cooler will do the job fine.

[Rekin]

The R34 SMIC is a direct bolt on for a R33.

Benefits are;

Less throttle lag

No cutting chassis holes

Still run around with a Pod as they cant see changed smic

They can handle up to 230kw~ but do get a bit of heatsoak, best to ask a r34 owner

ARC much more expensive than the R34 SMIC and not quite sure if you'll get a noticeably large difference between the two.

More info;

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/in...howtopic=158811

[gt-t_r34]

blitz fmic's are great and theres no need to worry about cutting thru the body, just trim the front bar a little its nothing to dramatic, your reo still fits with no cutting...

DO IT!!

[ak_stylez]

Once your car is tuned to run a little higher boost then go for it.

I mentioned i was putting in a SAFCII, and obviously I'm going to get it tuned with that also not just installing it. this adequate tuning to support 14 pounds of boost?

Also, when you mention supporting mods, does what I've listed pretty much cover everything. Anything else I should consider?

Thanks for the link Rekin, I did read your thread before posting. I'm curious to see how much better the ARC smic is than the r34, if indeed it warrants the extra cost which is substantial.

Regarding trimming the front bar to fit a cooler, with a series 2 front bar, is any trimming visible from outside? for example the 3 little vertical bits of plastic that span over the opening under the licence plate mount... would that still be there or does it need to go to make room for the cooler?

Thanks for everyone's input so far. Much appreciated.

[wolverine]

i know several people who run it at 16 pounds and are having no dramas at all.

I think most people on these forums tend to be a bit conservative regarding max boost on the 33 turbo. 14 should be safe

people on this forum speak from experience.

load it up at 16psi and you get the following two things.

1. little extra power over running around 12psi

2. a handgrenade when you lean on it often enough

ps. the R34 SMIC will do all you want. if you choose to upgrade the turbo then you can sell the SMIC and buy the FMIC.

[ak_stylez]

hmmm ok i'm a tad confused. I was under the impression that the limitation of the 33 turbo was it's ceramic wheel. Although it spools up quickly, it will break at high pressures. So what does leaning have to do with the pressure in the turbo? either way the turbo still boosts the same amount doesn't it?

[Swink33]

hmmm ok i'm a tad confused. I was under the impression that the limitation of the 33 turbo was it's ceramic wheel. Although it spools up quickly, it will break at high pressures. So what does leaning have to do with the pressure in the turbo? either way the turbo still boosts the same amount doesn't it?

When Wolverine talks about 'leaning on it' he is talking about continually driving the car hard on boost. He is not talking about running the engine lean fueling wise. I would not run a stock R33 turbo beyond 12 PSI or .85 BAR as running anymore boost doesn't result in increased power but rather increased heat whch eventually will kill the turbo.

[wolverine]

i'll re-phrase, "leaning on it" or driving aggressively on the throttle.

heat causes the eventual failure of the ceramic wheel, the harder you push the turbo the more likely you shorten the life. there are countless threads on this failure and the reasons behind it if you are still not sure (or convinced).

[fEkuaR]

arc side mount supported 210rwkw on my car. Was a great little intercooler.

[bluey33]

How much did you pay for it?

[xRHETTx]

Remember there are 2 different ARC sidemounts - the 75mm thick and the 105mm thick ones.

There is over 25% increase in volume between the two, so you could imagine there is a signicant difference in power capacity too.

[arep3]

my best mate has a series 1 r33 with a fmic. we fitted it ourselves in an afternoon. the only thing that needed modifying was the bar itself and that was a little bit of cutting on the bottom lip and we had to disable and cut sections out of his driving lights. (just to clear the piping) it looks fairly clean as we took our time as cut carefully. if you want more power and wanna go the fmic but dont wanna cut your bar, get a series 2 bar. no cutting required