2008-2014 Mishimoto Lancer Evolution X Direct-Fit Oil Cooler Kit, Part 1: Project Direction and Prototyping
Interested in purchasing our Evolution oil cooler kit? Check out our product page for more details!
Mishimoto Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X Oil Cooler Kit
If you have not kept up with Mishimoto's new line of direct-fit oil coolers, you will be surprised to see that we are working on developing a kit for any vehicle we find that has a general need for reduced temperatures. A majority of our selections are enthusiast vehicles, which we know are being driven on the track and pushed hard on a regular basis. Oil temperature regulation will help reduce engine wear and is key to ensuring that your bearings are properly lubricated. I am sure you already know that! As oil heats up it begins to lose its viscosity, and at a certain point it becomes essentially useless for both temperature reduction and lubrication.
Stock Evolutions are having some issues with temperature, but we have seen even more problems with increased temperatures on modified vehicles. With the ease of pulling power out of the 4B11, we will find that a majority of Evo owners are making more power than their vehicle had when it left the factory. Below are the general goals for this project.
Goals:
- Must work with all factory equipment
- Must include all necessary components for installation
- Must provide improved cooling over the factory unit
The goals for this project were rather loose; we were hoping to trigger some of the creativity that our talented engineering crew has to offer. Now, as you are probably aware, the stock Evolution X comes equipped with an oil cooler setup. The stock vehicle runs lines straight from the oil filter housing to a plate-and-fin cooler located in the passenger side of the front bumper. This is a fantastic setup and performs very well for the vehicle it was designed for. Unfortunately, Mitsubishi did not design this for 325+ whp road-course vehicles. Our engineers immediately saw some opportunities for a few improvements. First, we would be able to utilize a stacked-plate heat exchanger that would provide improved heat transfer. A second improvement would be size. The stock cooler is reasonably sized, but we decided to increase the cooling footprint to increase capacity and efficiency.
At the time of product development we had a 10-row and a 19-row stacked plate oil cooler. We selected the 19-row cooler and decided to include not one, but two coolers, which introduced a new issue - space! I'm referring to the physical space behind the bumper of this Evolution. With only so much room, we would need to get creative with mounting to be sure everything fit behind the bumper and fog lamps. Check out a few images below from the initial prototyping.
Initial product prototype
Initial product prototype
After we developed the basic brackets, the engineers decided to get a general idea of how airflow would be passing through the cores. Airflow has a direct influence on heat transfer, so this was a pivotal measurement. Airflow was first analyzed with the brackets on the 19-row cores you see above. A second test was performed using an air diverter; this small component is designed to channel air into the cores of the coolers. Testing revealed that airflow moving through the cores was actually doubled by using a diverter! We also developed stainless steel oil lines that would allow oil flow from the filter housing to the cores. Once the initial design was complete, it was time to put this into a 3D model. Check back for the completion of this project in our next installment!
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