How advisable is it to fit a front mount intercooler and how much work is involved.

Thanks in advance

 

Not worth the trouble or expense unles you're going for BIG numbers. Top mounts can be very effective.

 

All depends on what your power figure is or what you are aiming for and what type of TMIC you have at present.

 

As previous threads have said above 360bhp your looking at a FMIC. Most specialists charge approx £200-350 to fit so its not a quick 10min job, depends also on model of Scoob you've got (bumper off and poss some cutting).

Wolfie.

 

I wouldnt say 360bhp is the upper limit by a long shot..... but this does depend on what type of TMIC you have already (i.e. latest newage TMIC).

 

For less than £50 you can obtain and fit a charge temperature guage which will show air temperature at your throttle body.
On an STi 3 with relatively few mods, making 335 bhp it is possible to reach 70 deg.C charge temperature with very little effort. Once the car is fully warmed with a charge temperature of say 25 deg.C. it only takes a couple of sprints to 100 mph to have 70 deg.C charge temperature.
Similar figures for an efficient well designed FMIC would be, cruise at no more than 2 C. over ambient and after a couple of 100 mph sprints it is unlikely that the charge temperature will have risen by 10 C.
Initially I was totally against an FMIC and you do not need big power to get additional safety from an FMIC, properly designed.
I suspect those that say an FMIC is not necessary are repeating what they have heard or read and have not taken the trouble to actually measure charge temperatures.

 

If I have learnt something in the past 18 months, it's not to believe things without testing as you quite rightly point out Harvey.

Regards,
Shaun.