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An ARM F30 Intercooler upgrade is one of the best modifications you can make to your N20/N26 or N55 powered BMW.  The F3X’s significant weak-point is its stock intercooler.  This becomes obvious when tuning your F30 to increase boost with a Stage 1 tune and even more so with a Stage 2+ tune.  With a higher boost target the charged air coming out of the turbo is hotter, therefore increasing IAT’s.  To compensate for the higher IAT’s the ECU (DME) reduces boost, timing, and overall power to protect the engine.  The ARM F3X FMIC Kit keeps your IAT’s low allowing you to maximize the power your N20/N26 or N55 is capable of making. 

CONSTRUCTION

The ARM F3X FMIC is the perfect cooling solution for any stock turbo or upgraded turbo N20/N26 or N55 setup.  With an intercooler core size of 20x11x3″ and an overall volume of 660cu in. the ARM F30 FMIC is 235cu.in. or 36% larger than the stock N55 intercooler which comes in at only 425cu in.  In addition, the ARM F30 FMIC utilizes an ultra-dense 14 fins per inch external core, giving it the best cooling performance possible.  

With a 220sq.in. face the ARM F30 335i FMIC has a 120% larger frontal area than the OEM intercooler with only a 100sq.in face, and 120sq.in. larger than OEM and 55sq.in./33% larger than most aftermarket F30 intercoolers.  Having a larger frontal area equates to more effective cooling compared to thicker intercoolers of similar or even larger total volume.  On intercoolers that are thicker from front to back, the ambient air that cools it is less effective because the ambient air temperature increases as it passes through the external fins of the intercooler.   In the short time it takes from the ambient air to pass from the front of the FMIC to the rear of the FMIC, it’s temperature (ambient air) has increased, effectively decreasing the ability to cool the FMIC where the ambient air exists.  The ARM F3X FMIC spreads the total volume of the FMIC core forward and taller to make the total frontal surface area larger, maximizing the cooling efficiency.  This is shown in our IAT testing results below. 

INTAKE AIR TEMPERATURE RESULTS

Our baseline run was performed on a 335i running 16psi of boost with the stock F30 intercooler.   The 3rd gear run started at 93 degrees and ended at 126 degrees, a huge increase of 33 degrees Fahrenheit on 16psi of boost, and certainly restricting the amount of power this N55 could have been making.

After installing the ARM F30 FMIC there was a massive improvement in cooling performance that resulted in only a 2 degrees Fahrenheit increase in IAT. In this 3rd gear run with boost peaking at 18psi, which is 2psi higher than the stock intercooler run, it starting at 95 degrees and ended at only 97 degrees. This is a 94% improvement in cooling over the OEM 335i intercooler!  

INSTALLATION

Installation of the ARM F30 335i FMIC upgrade requires no cutting, trimming or removal of the front bumper or radiator shroud.  It is a direct fit which bolts up into the original stock intercooler location.  The CNC connectors will connect to either the stock F30 intercooler piping or to any upgraded intercooler piping that fits the stock intercooler.  These CNC connectors are secured to the FMIC with our 6-layer reinforced silicone couplers. 

F30 HOSE UPGRADE

If you’re looking to improve the charged airflow and simplify your intercooler piping, the ARM Motorsports F30 FMIC Hose Upgrade is available as an optional upgrade.  This hose upgrade is designed to fit the ARM F30 Charge Pipe upgrade and eliminates the need for the stock F30 intercooler connections altogether.  It reduces the total amount of connections by 50%, from 4 to 2 on the driver side, and 4 to 3 on the passenger side.  The ARM F30 Charge Pipe is required to fit the ARM F30 FMIC Hose Upgrade.  


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