FMIC or Lighter Wheels Decision

[sbefar01]

Just looking to get more power to the ground and this is a tough choice . . . Current mods = 12psi, DCI, Yoko S Drive tires, CDV

Choices:

1. FMIC upgrade
2. Lighter CSL Replicas (saves 12lbs+ unsprung weight)


Note: Not a huge fan of Breytons or Superleggra style wheels.

[Eyeman]

Unless you are a track junkie, I'd get wheels first. That's assuming you are able to find wheels that you are sure you will be happy with.

The wheels give you a custom look with improved performance. FMIC could cause warranty issues.

[BlackjackMulligan]

Sorry for the potentially dumb question, but what's the FMIC worth in terms of HP?

[Raflekt]

It worth because you can run more time with the same performance for longer times than the mediocre FMIC , in hp it gave 10 - 20 whp depend on tune

[sbefar01]

Originally Posted by Eyeman

Unless you are a track junkie, I'd get wheels first. That's assuming you are able to find wheels that you are sure you will be happy with.

The wheels give you a custom look with improved performance. FMIC could cause warranty issues.

Very good point, warranty issue if the FMIC were to FAIL. I like the CSL Hyperblack wheels, but also thinking that if I do a FMIC my turbos will thank me since they will run cooler, and I could even turn the boost up without worrying that my turbo's are overheating? I'm also wondering if my suspension warranty would be affected by changing wheels?

[The Cthulhu]

I'd vote for the intercooler... 12 lbs unsprung weight? 3lbs a wheel? It seems like you'd be better off preventing heat soak.

I wouldn't be worried about an intercooler failing. Even if it had to hold back 20 PSI, give me a break! That's not a lot of pressure for metal to withstand. Your wheels probably stand more of a chance of causing BMW to refuse some type of warranty repair by freak bad-luck.

I'd go chip + intake, oil coolers, intercooler, other.

[ar design]

FMIC hands down. Heat soak is a MAJOR issue on these cars.

[sbefar01]

I was originally favoring wheels, now you guys have me favoring the FMIC, more opinions are welcomed guys . . . . . .

[Eyeman]

I'd bet WAY more people on this site have upgraded wheels than have upgraded their FMIC. I'd guess the ratio to be in the 5 to 1 range.

[scorcherjf]

I did wheels first, but that was to get new tires as well. Tires should be one of the first mods. FMIC is great if you track your car since your car won't heat soak as easily and the power will stay with you through the sessions. And you DO notice the difference.

And most of the FMIC's the dealers won't even notice. AA is quite large so they might see it sticking up, or the evolution racewerks (the one I got) has metal piping that goes up towards the engine bay but it's still not that noticeable. It's just a big metal heatsink that has air going through it... not much could fail except for a bracket coming loose.

[sbefar01]

Will my turbos last longer with a better FMIC?

[jmunro]

I dont think turbo life has all that much to do with an FMIC upgrade. Can probably argue this way or that, but unless someone has numbers to prove it, I would be hesitant to believe.

[scorcherjf]

Originally Posted by sbefar01

Will my turbos last longer with a better FMIC?

Well the FMIC should reduce the IAT, so the turbos will only need to give less boost than before to achieve the hp/torque target that the ECU has, so I guess technically it could help since they wouldn't have to work so hard... but I'm not mechanic or engineer

Alternatively you could only drive your car in cold weather and that would help too =)

[sbefar01]

What I'm thinking:
1) -12lbs unsprung x7(gen. rule)= 84lbs est. reduction of curb weight. Not bad for a lighter wheels.

2) FMIC= maybe 10-15rwhp across powerband with 12psi/dci running.

[The Cthulhu]

General rule? Not so sure they equate, although unsprung weight is certainly important.

You will heatsoak like a bitch doing hot laps at 12 PSI, you'll feel it.

Some rough estimates using your approximate figures:

~3500 lbs laden/330 HP = 10.61 W/HP ratio
~3400 lbs laden/330 HP = 10.30 W/HP ratio
~3500 lbs laden/350 HP = 10.00 W/HP ratio.

Yes, unsprung weight and weight reduction improves track times due to handling, also. I think heat soak would bother you more on a track because it involves a change in your performance that you can feel. It's not like your current wheels are getting heavier after a few laps

[sbefar01]

Good call, def going FMIC b/c it can only help my engine's internals, especially with any added boost and longer drives/laps. Even if I only gain a peak of 10 rwhp i'll take it.

[Victory Road]

FMIC will not affect turbo life. FMIC is after the turbo so the turbo is not being kept any cooler. I suppose you could argue that you will gain power, so less throttle will be used, which means less stress on the turbo, but I'm sure that would be minuscule.

I'd say for a track car FMIC might be a viable option over wheels. But than again, better tires is the best way to shed lap time.

Street car, go with wheels. Street is about general performance and style in my opinion. Heat soak should not be a problem on the street either.

[ridin135]

I would go with wheels you live in NJ so its not like you run into hot temps all that much. I am sure you dont abuse your car so heatsoak shouldn't be a problem for you. Wheels make your car unique to other 135i's on the road while also increasing your performance by a little bit.

[sbefar01]

I have a street car that I push very hard, but i was in the line of thinking that the IAT's go down and this cooler air that leaves the engine re enters the turbo cooler than it normally would?

[sbefar01]

. .. anybody?

[scorcherjf]

Yes, it helps keep the IAT down so the car won't get heat soaked as easily which will help you keep performance for longer. It won't increase performance much, but rather give you more stamina. I love it for the track, not really sure it makes much of a difference on the street though.

You can read about the one that I have (Evolution Racewerks FMIC) here: http://www.evolutionracewerks.com/product.php?prodid=48

It does say "the simple answer is on average, you will see a 15 to 25 hp to the wheels gain based on your modifications. On high boost cars, we have seen 25+ hp gains."

So take it for what it's worth... there's some dynos there too.

[sbefar01]

well, if i can get it on a group buy it would be worth the benefit, otherwise $1000 would be better spent on wheels or elsewhere . . . . .