Intercoolers — How They Help Power

Front mount intercoolers or FMIC’s are exactly what they sound like, an aftermarket intercooler that is fastened to the front of the vehicle (typically right behind the bumper or air guide) and routed with piping to the turbo outlet and to the throttle body inlet on the intake manifold.

How Intercoolers Work

Front mount intercoolers or FMIC’s are exactly what they sound like, an aftermarket intercooler that is fastened to the front of the vehicle (typically right behind the bumper or air guide) and routed with piping to the turbo outlet and to the throttle body inlet on the intake manifold. As you might guess this mounting configuration has benefit since the intercooler is not obscured by any other heat exchangers (radiator or condenser) however it does increase the total amount of plumbing length which in turn tends to increase turbo lag a bit. Additionally FMIC’s tend to be wide and thick but typically shorter in height. This added thickness (upto and in some cases more than 3”) can reduce efficiency at low speeds since higher airflow is required to permeate the intercooler and provide its maximum gain.

intercooler air charge flow
intercooler installed in Volvo C70 T5

Intercoolers Explained

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Last Updated on December 28, 2020

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