russ72

iTrader: (1)

I was wondering what ppl thought of UR FMIC, I haven't seen many reviews or people talk about them. I know ETS and AMS are the big dogs of IC, but was wondering ppl's opinion on UR. I already have UR UICP for now, fitment was decent and it does make engine bay look nicer, I guess I'm not a big fan of mix and matching parts, but I'm not opposed to springing for a new Evo X IC if need be.
I'm just piecing stuff together when I can afford it, right now winter is coming and will most likely need winter tires instead of my summer(got lucky last year).

Strangways

Wow, that's a huge intercooler for a Ralliart. Even bigger than the AMS, larger than the stock Evo X IC, and WAAAY bigger than the the stock RA IC.

Bear in mind that a larger intercooler means a larger internal air volume and therefore greater pressure loss, so bigger intercoolers mean delayed throttle response and turbo spool. A larger intercooler will also usually be heavier, so you're adding weight, and you're adding it to the very nose of your car.

Opinions may vary, but with a stock RA turbo, I'd rather have a smaller stock Evo X IC than a gigantic AMS or UR one. I can't find the figures right now, but I think offhand that the Evo X has roughly double the internal air volume of the RA stock IC, and the AMS one has roughly triple the internal air volume of the RA stock IC. The UR is at least 50% greater air volume than the AMS.

If you have a bigger turbo, by all means match it with a bigger intercooler. Or if you are somehow producing a lot more horsepower or boost pressure with the stock turbo, say 50% more, then you will want a bigger intercooler.

Intercooler sizing is a much-argued topic, and rating intercoolers by horsepower is vastly oversimplifying things, but in my opinion, a good rule of thumb is that the RA IC is perfect for 175 HP, so it's already undersized on the stock car. The Evo X IC is perfect for 350 HP, so more than enough for a stock Evo or a tuned RA. The AMS intercooler is ideal for 550 HP, but at the same time overkill for a stock Evo, or a tuned RA with the stock turbo. (That is all based on calculations that assume 20 psi of boost.)

Some would argue you could run the RA IC up to 275 HP, the Evo up to 550 HP, and the AMS up to 800 HP, and they wouldn't be wrong.

EDIT: the GReddy Type 31 is a bit smaller than the Evo X IC. I'd say it's ideal for 300 HP, and GReddy recommends it for "street use up to 300 HP," so it's something to consider. It also means that GReddy's math matches nicely with mine, which comes from Corky Bell's book Maximum Boost: Designing, Testing and Installing Turbocharger Systems.

drivejumpfly

I would be less concerned with mixing and matching parts and more focused on what your short term and long term goals are. As Strangways pointed out, if you are in the process of upgrading your turbo relatively quickly there is no need to half step on the intercooler size. If it is going to be quite awhile before you upgrade your turbo you probably want to go with a smaller intercooler. Your turbo, engine, and the dyno do not see brand names so unless you have a show car, I wouldn't worry about brands names.

russ72

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the input, I didn't realize that the UR IC was much bigger than even the AMS one, and I really don't plan on swapping turbo's, so maybe the stock Evo X IC is my best option.