after market side mount intercoolers

CR41G

CR41G

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Ive been looking at intercoolers and having desided that im not that bothered about fitting a front cooler.

my attention has move to a larger side mount that fits in the origional position and uses the origional pipe work..

ive only found one so far from turbo revs that do a direct replacement smic.

any thoughts or recomendations would be much appreciated

cheers
 
Personally I wouldn't bother with side mounts. Why don't you want to put a front mount intercooler in?
 
I am assuming its an A3 with a single SMIC?...

As above... SMIC's are okish at std power levels but not efficient... FMIC will be money better spent..

There are kits available that route all the pipe work the same side so you can pick up on the std pipework rather than having to mess about too much

http://thsperformance.co.uk/intercooler-flip.php

<tuffty/>
 
Cheers for the replys much appreciated.

been reading alot into fmics and people having to cut and trim bumpers ... lose bumper grills and fog lights just to fit ... I dont want that .. I want to keep it looking standard im not a" look at me " type of person and I dont advertise my mods I very much would like to have this as a street sleeper ... hence why im looking at uprated side coolers.

tuffty yes is a 1.8t sport aum lump with single side cooler.

im not planning to build a fire breathing monster ... id be happy with 220 - 250 bhp just not sure how to get there .

so far ive done s2000 air filter mod .. forge 007 dv and a boost gauge .

not sure what to do next or which way to go to bw honest I need guidence
 
You can fit a fmic and keep it quite subtle, mine is pretty well hidden, you can see the hoses coming out of the side of the core which is the main give away but with black hoses they are not too in your face.
1958375_10153014856345792_7508032390919133745_n.jpg
 
5ec33718ef12df3e67e563b8b2c4fc28.jpg


My car the blue one has a fmic not that you would know
 
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Cheers for the images you have deffinatly swayed me back to fmic land!!

Vag-slag that core is massive but you would never know with bumper fitted .. really nice!!

Anyone have any links to cores and pipe work kits ??

I had a look at the link tufty posted but there doesnt seem to be any prices on the page link.

ive seen kits on ebay for 150 - 200 quid but im not sure what size core or pipe work Id need.??

Thanks again
 
CR41G said:
Cheers for the images you have deffinatly swayed me back to fmic land!!

Vag-slag that core is massive but you would never know with bumper fitted .. really nice!!

Anyone have any links to cores and pipe work kits ??

I had a look at the link tufty posted but there doesnt seem to be any prices on the page link.

ive seen kits on ebay for 150 - 200 quid but im not sure what size core or pipe work Id need.??

Thanks again
Click to expand...

Thanks.... I have to be honest though, I did remove the air-con condenser in order to sit the cooler back a bit and I still needed to trim some bits, but nothing visible from the outside.

I got mine from toyosports (as did many others), i would show you a link but that particular size doesn't appear to be on their website any more. All my pipework was from AutoSiliconeHoses.com or their equivalent ebay store
 
Mine is the same size as craigs but i left my air con in (which is why i had to lose the grills around my fog lights) had to trim a fair bit of plastic off the inside of the bumper but you can't see any of it from the outside. Don't bother buying any kits, read a few people's build threads and have a look at what pipes you need then get them from ebay
 
I brought a type s kit from toyo sport search type s intercooler on ebay don't buy a proper kit the fit is awful I brought universal
 
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audi upgrades
Guys I Ihave a serious question, not being a smartarse or anything. Mine debate wast FMIC setting

in front of radiator, so despite the wind direction when driving, it is setting next to heat soak radiator. Where as stock s3 had twin SIDE intercooler that is away from heat source.
Today, after driving back from work had few trashes, when I got home parked the car and physically checked the intercooler see if its warm. Its still cold mate. So Can some one here justify the benifits of FMIC vs original Audi design. Dnt you think better off to get a better twin side intercooler as suggested by CR41G??? I was thinking the same... Thanks
 
Thanks again for the replys

the only cores I seem to find on ebay look tiny in comparison to vag-slags ... I dont want to buy one and it end up no better than the side mount because its too small.

ive also seen different pipe set ups ..some seem to run as standard but others have the pipe from the turbo going over the engine and down behind the front bumper... would this be because the cooler used with standard pipework has 2 ports on the one side and the one with the pipe over the engine has a cooler with 1 port on each side??

I dont know which one would be best ??

I dont have deep pockets and im going to be buying bit by bit and fitting myself which is the reason im asking for links as to what you guys have used .

Your knowledge of these cars and how to get the best out of them is far superior to mine as this is my first audi and first turbo car so im learning by reading your replys.

your info is very much appreciated
 
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CR41G said:
Thanks again for the replys

the only cores I seem to find on ebay look tiny in comparison to vag-slags ... I dont want to buy one and it end up no better than the side mount because its too small.

ive also seen different pipe set ups ..some seem to run as standard but others have the pipe from the turbo going over the engine and down behind the front bumper... would this be because the cooler used with standard pipework has 2 ports on the one side and the one with the pipe over the engine has a cooler with 1 port on each side??

I dont know which one would be best ??

I dont have deep pockets and im going to be buying bit by bit and fitting myself which is the reason im asking for links as to what you guys have used .

Your knowledge of these cars and how to get the best out of them is far superior to mine as this is my first audi and first turbo car so im learning by reading your replys.

your info is very much appreciated
Click to expand...
Just saw this https://www.google.com.au/search?q=audi+s3+8l+fmic&rlz=1C1GGGE___AU569AU570&es_sm=93&tbm=isch&imgil=z595xFnbf4SRBM%3A%3BTrs6m3JiibCO8M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.ebay.com%252Fitm%252FAIRTEC-Audi-S3-1-8T-Quattro-Front-Mount-Intercooler-Conversion-Kit-%252F111448597546&source=iu&pf=m&fir=z595xFnbf4SRBM%3A%2CTrs6m3JiibCO8M%2C_&biw=1920&bih=951&usg=__I_8MzCI4C3Pc4-WnQ-s2FjvHYU0=&ved=0CCcQyjdqFQoTCOWvwNSRmccCFaLnpgodD18JBw&ei=L8fFVaXcDKLPmwWPvqU4#imgrc=p5JDDKvVRmkIIM:&usg=__I_8MzCI4C3Pc4-WnQ-s2FjvHYU0= give us some inspirations, he added a SAMLL FMIC inbetween the twin S3 OEM cooler. What you guys reckon?? more pressure drop or even better ultimate design????
 
Hi mate I've done a few mods and I had the uprated smic decat centre box , k n filter gad a remap and it suffered bad with heat soak on hot days and long driving. So this week fitted an eBay kit fmic with pipe work and fitted it all ok eventually and know it's max power all the time , fmic all the way ,
 
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No it's not so tall on eBay for £200. Or best offer got mine for 185 and all pipework was there , not sure how to do linky thing . If u can see my pic should be easy to spot on eBay ,
 
Have you seen the FMIC thread in the stickies??? This is what you need.

You can have an effective setup for less than £200. There are a lot of configurations, but hopefully some of the A3 people can help you out. But read that thread first.

It may seem like a difficult and daunting job, but it's really quite easy, overall not a lot of parts needed, and with a lot of setups nowadays not a lot of modification needed either.
 
ok getting 2.5inch in and out instead of 3 inch.
 
Been looking at kits for a while and came across one on ebay that includes the core , all joints and pipes .. pipes having the port for sensor and n75 pipe port etc with all clamps .

Claims it's good for 450bhp which for me is massive as I'm only really aiming for around 230bhp.

Here's the link

this HTML class. Value is http://m.ebay.co.uk/

Would this be any good for me before I make the leap and buy it??

Cheers fellas
 
Can't get the link to post so its eBay item number is

181122984325

Please let me know what you think

Thanks
 
CR41G said:
Been looking at kits for a while and came across one on ebay that includes the core , all joints and pipes .. pipes having the port for sensor and n75 pipe port etc with all clamps .

Claims it's good for 450bhp which for me is massive as I'm only really aiming for around 230bhp.

Here's the link

this HTML class. Value is http://m.ebay.co.uk/

Would this be any good for me before I make the leap and buy it??

Cheers fellas
Click to expand...

These kits are good for the money. Core is a decent size for a k03, all the pipe work is beaded and generally everything is of decent enough quality.

The fitment of the pipe-work can be a bit iffy though - Don't expect to keep your fogs, and don't expect it to look too pretty at the font. You might be able to wangle it though with a bit of fiddling and adjustment
 
Cheers for your thoughts .. as always it's much appreciated .

I'm not bothered if it looks pritty to be honest as I'm not interested in engine dressing as long as it looks stock from outside and works without leaks I'm happy.

I do want to keep the fogs though so if I have to modify to keep them then so be it il do what needs to be done. If bumper needs a shed load of plastic cutting from it to keep the fogs or made a sounder fit then I'm game ha ha.
 
CR41G said:
Cheers for your thoughts .. as always it's much appreciated .

I'm not bothered if it looks pritty to be honest as I'm not interested in engine dressing as long as it looks stock from outside and works without leaks I'm happy.

I do want to keep the fogs though so if I have to modify to keep them then so be it il do what needs to be done. If bumper needs a shed load of plastic cutting from it to keep the fogs or made a sounder fit then I'm game ha ha.
Click to expand...

This is my point, it won't look stock from the outside... As Lee says, pipe work is likely to be hanging out at the front and you'll be lucky to retain the grills at all, let alone the fogs
 
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Right so it's a no go for me then..

So my option is to buy a core of that size in the link I posted above with 2.5 inch outlets and build a kit separately?

What would have to be done with map sensor and n75 pipe ? Or is there pipes available to buy separately to incorporated the fitment of these items??
 
Would a 550x225x64 intercooler be a better core to fit??

Found a few on the bay that are very reasonably priced for that size and have the 2.5 inch inlet and outlets??

What would be my best option with buying the pipes and silicone joints and elbows ??

A lot of questions I no but this is now going to be my next mod and want to get it right .. I've basically got a weekend to do it as the cars my only source of transport.

Thanks again
 
I've spent 4 hours reading through 22 pages on the intercooler stickies page and still none the wiser .. mostly all that is about the s3 not the a3 so still unsure what I need to do or buy.

I have the aum engine so I have the map sensor and n75 pipe to deal with
The kit I found on ebay includes the fittings for these in there pipe work but I don't want to lose the fogs or bumper grills.

So..
I found a toyosports core 550x225x64 with 2 and a half inch jnlets and outlet on ebay and I've found the forge 2 and half inch map sensor tube on ebay but can some one give me a definitive list of silicone joints and alloy pipes I'm going to need??

I'm going to replace all original pipes so starting from the turbo to intercooler and from intercooler to throttle body .

Is the silicone 90 degree bend going off the turbo 2.5 inch Id or is the turbo bigger and I need a reducing 90 degree silicone pipe down to 2.5 inch??

Any help much appreciated I'm totally confused .. that fmic sticky thread would really only make sense if I had an s3
 
CR41G said:
I've spent 4 hours reading through 22 pages on the intercooler stickies page and still none the wiser .. mostly all that is about the s3 not the a3 so still unsure what I need to do or buy.

I have the aum engine so I have the map sensor and n75 pipe to deal with
The kit I found on ebay includes the fittings for these in there pipe work but I don't want to lose the fogs or bumper grills.

So..
I found a toyosports core 550x225x64 with 2 and a half inch jnlets and outlet on ebay and I've found the forge 2 and half inch map sensor tube on ebay but can some one give me a definitive list of silicone joints and alloy pipes I'm going to need??

I'm going to replace all original pipes so starting from the turbo to intercooler and from intercooler to throttle body .

Is the silicone 90 degree bend going off the turbo 2.5 inch Id or is the turbo bigger and I need a reducing 90 degree silicone pipe down to 2.5 inch??

Any help much appreciated I'm totally confused .. that fmic sticky thread would really only make sense if I had an s3
Click to expand...

There's 2 things I have about intercooler questions - 1, people saying "read the stickies" because A) there's way too much information there to realistically take in B) not much of it is relevant to the A3 and C) unfortunate people like your self will end up reading the whole lot without learning a thing of relevance, and 2, I end up reeling off a parts list AGAIN

So, here were go... This is what i used:


here are the parts listed in order of how I used them starting at the turbo:

Silicone reducer (think it's 64-52mm, perhaps someone can confirm??
Alloy coupler
Silicone 90 degree bend
Alloy t-piece
Silicone 45 degree (over cam cover)
Alloy 45 degree (over starter motor)
Silicone 90 degree
Alloy 90 degree
Silicone 90 degree (into intercooler)
INTERCOOLER!
Silicone 90 degree
Alloy couple
Silicone 90 degree
Alloy 90 degree

So far that's:
5 x Silicone 90 degree
2 x alloy 90 degree
1 x alloy 45 degree
1 x reducer
1 x Silicone 45 degree
2 x alloy coupler
1 x alloy t-piece
1 x intercooler

For the N75 take I tapped a 1/8 BSP fitting with 5/16 barb (3mm). For the MAP sensor I used a forge piece like the one you talk of, and butchered an aftermarket throttle body pipe:


There are of course other variations of this but this is probably the best routing, or at least it's tried and tested! To be honest it'd probably be neater to use a silicone t-piece as I ended up having to weld the threaded spout to the t-piece:


Obviously it is completely up to your discretion what you do with the DV, just remember you will need somewhere to tap into for the N75!

As for where to order I got everything through autosiliconehoses.com bearing in mind they also own most the ebay shops selling these bits (mr silicone, AP parts store), if your not sure on anything then over order and return the rest. They're pretty good with returns!

Think thats about everything, hope that helps.... PERHAPS THIS LIST CAN BE ADDED TO THE STICKIES TO PREVENT ME TYPING IT UP AGAIN!? (hint hint!)
 
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Vag-slag ..hats off to you pal , thank you for taking the time and posting all of that I am truly greatful. ..I agree with you about the stickies ..everything I post I get the same answer .. it's in the stickies ..but 9 times out of 10 there's little to no relevance to my engine I find it slightly frustrating that I'm being directed there but it doesn't answer my queries.

Only other question is ..are all the silicone and alloy pipe work needed 2.5 inch (64mm) other than the silicone reducer which is 64mm down to 52mm for the turbo connection??

The core I'm buying is 550x225x64 with 2.5 inch inlet and outlet and I'm going to be using 2.5 inch od alloy pipe and 2.5 inch id silicone pipes .. does that all sound OK? ?


Thanks again very very much appreciated
 
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IIRC he's from Plymouth (i may be getting confused with someone else) If so then give me a PM, pop over mine tomorrow evening or Friday daytime and have a look at my fmic install, i'll try and dig out the shopping list i used as well (was from someone's build thread but can't remember his username)
 
I'm from the black Country in the west midlands if your referring to me a3-lee?

Much happier now than I was yesterday ...vag-slags setup and parts listing is everything I was asking for so thanks again

And thanks to everyone who's contributed to this thread I am very appreciative
 
Spoke to creations motorsport and they say there's 2 turbo outlet piped depending on weather the turbo is silenced ... unsilenced k03 and some ko3s turbos are 48mm and the silenced ko3s turbos are 45mm ... really need to have a look and c if my turbo is silenced before I go any further
 
Had a look and took mesurements and my engine is fitted with the unsilenced ko3s turbo and out side diameter is 48mm.

Throttle body is 65mm

Dump valve hose is 25mm

And I think the n75 pipe is 5mm??

Just getting my head around what is needed and what I've got to do
 
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