Has anyone fitted a bigger Side Mount Intercooler (SMIC)?

[vwthunder]

The Treadstone name has become synonymous with quality intercoolers over the past few years, and we pride our selves on it! We manufacture our bar and plate cores with strict guidelines, and are specifically designed to maximize cooling using the most surface area possible in any given space. Our cores give the perfect balance between heat exchanging efficiency and flow. Our internal fin structure design is top notch, and is where the most important changes can be made to enhance the cooling rate. Treadstone intercooler cores feature a high heat-dissipating "Inner fin" design. This is ideal for medium to high boost levels on higher horsepower or upgraded turbo engines. The larger internal surface area provides superior cooling efficiency for radiating excessive heat and minimizing heat soak. In general, these design characteristics is what gives Treadstone Intercoolers the leading edge in intercooler technology

[s4mmie]

Has anyone pursued water to air intercoolers here? It would be easy enough to mount a small radiator in the front with the core taking up the original SMIC space. I'm going to make some cardboard cutouts of some cores and trial fit a few different designs.

[Smead]

I have thought about it. There's a SEAT Ibiza here in Canberra with an engine swap to a Polo GTI engine running it. Beauty of water to air is you can mount the cooler anywhere. The kit costs roughly $300

[jasn78]

Snead the other and the major positive for water to air is shorter piping and more consistent temperatures as water is less heat conducive than air

[noone]

Where would you put it on the Polo? Not much space

[kaanage]

Has anyone pursued water to air intercoolers here? It would be easy enough to mount a small radiator in the front with the core taking up the original SMIC space. I'm going to make some cardboard cutouts of some cores and trial fit a few different designs.

Yeah, I did some preliminary investigations as I liked the idea of shorter air piping for less lag plus the temps should be more stable as jasn78 stated (if not as ultimately cool in ideal circumstances).

The main issues were

1. Where does the air/water heat exchanger go (as noone asked)
2. It needs a water pump with the proper flow rate and all the associated switching/wiring
3. There's enough weight over the front end without hanging more water out there

[s4mmie]

From what I can see the only difficult part is sorting out a core that will fit.

1. The heat exchanger will easily fit where a front mount should.
2. Water pump should be easy enough, switched to ignition.
3. With the larger cores and heat exchangers I think this would be a valid concern, but with a smaller setup on our cars I don't think you'd even tell. Maybe, possibly, on the track.

If I can mock up a core that will fit I'll post my findings.

[Sharkie]

Post #9, 2nd pic is of my exact FMIC. Its actually a pic I took, lol.

I have no noticable lag, excellent power retention (48 degree intake air temp on a hot day after 3 dyno runs) and all logs show boost is exactly what is requested, so no losses there either. The piping is maybe 5cm longer than before .....

I'm not selling these (well not atm) either, so no interest there for me, merely stating a good FMIC is worth its weight in gold and without all the headaches (and costs) caused by upgrading the SMIC.

and BTW, I picked up 7kw atw after fitting this FMIC, so its not just keeping power, but being better flowing adding power!

EDIT: My core is also more than 150% bigger than the SMIC.

[noone]

Was that the frozen something brand / make?

[kaanage]

Sharkie's is air/air

Frozenboost is air/water(/air)

From what I can see the only difficult part is sorting out a core that will fit.

What you refer to as the core is what I was thinking as the air/water heat exchanger (and what you were referring to as the heat exchanger, I had tagged in my mind as the intercooling radiator)