Actually the larger turbo may create more heat at low boost, it really depends on the compressor map and what "efficiency islands" you're running into. Smaller turbos tend to have their peak efficiency islands between 10-20psi, while some larger turbos start at 20psi and extend past 40psi. The reason Hondas tend to make lots of power at low boost with large turbos is mostly because of the large turbine. Even though the compressor is working slightly less efficiently, the turbine lets the engine work much more efficiently.
Large sidemount upgrades work for a few types of cars - Audi, Porsche, and 3000GT's to name a few. The WRX topmount works the same as a sidemount since the scoop is in a relatively low pressure zone of the hood. You'd really have to research those upgrades to get a good idea. They'll heatsoak faster and cool down slower, so they won't be great ideas for long races. They'd be fine for intermittent pulls on the street. The fat ebay cores have much more mass and in most cases have around the same or less pressure drop, so they'll usually work better than stock. Many OEM intercoolers even have plastic end tanks.
A2W intercoolers still work for the street, you just can't oversize the pump. Nearly all the energy of the pump gets put into the water, so it's a good idea to have a pressure switch disable it at cruising speeds. A2W systems are also relatively easy to make. They use a very compact core, a heat exchanger that's usually smaller than the smallest FMIC any sensible person would run, a pump, fairly small hoses, and a small reservoir. It's much more dicking around, but in some cases it's the only way.
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Topic: limits of side mount intercoolers (Read 2701 times)