Monthly Archives: February 2014
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Interested in purchasing our WRX/STi top-mount intercooler? Check out our product page for more information!
While examining our existing intercooler, our engineers felt that yet another improvement was necessary. The current core composition was working well for our tests but would likely run out of efficiency with a higher-boost/higher-temperature vehicle. To adjust for this we added more boost tubes, changed our fin type, and increased the density of the fins. Our original cooler featured straight fins; for this test we switched to an offset fin style. The offset fins provide a huge improvement in heat transfer. Check out the images below showing the change.
Fin composition: new (top) vs. old (bottom)
Old core fins
New core fins
As you can see, the new fin design is much denser. Each row of fins is offset to the previous row to allow for maximum contact and heat transfer. We were pretty excited about this adjustment and began
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Interested in purchasing our Evolution intercooler? Check out our product page for more information!
After a successful run of testing with a stock vehicle, we were in the market for a higher-powered Evo to check performance with higher boost pressures and added heat. After scouring the forums and checking with locals we were able to locate this 2010 GSR model with a nice set of modifications!
2010 Evolution GSR high-horsepower test vehicle
Modifications:
- Precision 6262 turbocharger
- Equal-length exhaust manifold
- External wastegate
- Aftermarket 4" thick intercooler
- Professionally tuned
- 3" turboback exhaust
- 2.5" intercooler piping
Engine bay of 2010 Evolution GSR high-horsepower test vehicle
Once again we tested both core compositions as well as the intercooler currently installed on the Evo. We collected some baseline information first with the aftermarket 4" cooler installed. We saw power numbers at 410 hp / 340 tq in the vehicle's
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Interested in purchasing our WRX/STi top-mount intercooler? Check out our product page for more information!
As mentioned last time, our team decided to make an improvement to our intercooler design. Because of the cast end tanks, we were left with a rather thick inlet. The wall diameter was significantly greater than what we would prefer, and opening up this diameter would only increase flow. The inlet was removed from the intercooler and an aluminum pipe was then welded on. This thin-walled pipe would provide significant benefits in overall airflow.
Modifying the Mishimoto prototype
After finishing this modification we were prepared for more testing. Our next subject was a bone stock 2004 WRX. Obviously we would be dealing with less power than on the previous test runs. We were interested to see the effects of reduced power on the efficiency of the Mishimoto intercooler.
2004 WRX on the dyno
Our first test was the OEM WRX
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Interested in purchasing our Evolution intercooler? Check out our product page for more information!
Now that we had a prototype, we would be determining if any initial points of modification could enhance performance. First we looked at the core composition and were very pleased with it. We received a couple different cores with varying fin pitches and bar heights. We would be testing each of these cores to see how the changes affect power output. Check out the images below for a look through the end tank!
Fin density of the Mishimoto race intercooler prototype
Fin density of Mishimoto race intercooler prototype
Our team was immediately concerned with the thickness of the castings for the inlet/outlet. We were focused on creating a heavy-duty product that could withstand anything thrown at it, so these end tanks were cast fairly thick for durability and boost tolerance. Because of this thickness, the inlet and outlet lost
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Interested in purchasing our Evolution intercooler? Check out our product page for more information!
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution continues to live up to its reputation as an ideal vehicle for the street, track, and rally course. Years of rally pedigree, a turbocharged inline 4-cylinder, and an AWD system that provides grip on any surface have all solidified its place as an illustrious and desired vehicle. Mishimoto is a fan of the Evolution as can be seen by our large line of Evo products, from the 4-chassis to the 10-chassis, including intercoolers, radiators, silicone coolant hoses, fan shrouds, and much more. Currently, we offer an intercooler for the Evolution X. Why would Mishimoto be developing another intercooler? The answer to this is simple. Our current product is suitable for stock and moderate bolt-on vehicles. Evo X owners are taking these vehicles to higher and higher power levels, and we needed a cooler that
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Interested in purchasing our WRX/STi top-mount intercooler? Check out our product page for more information!
Finally in the comfort of our own garage, we could begin further testing and data collection with our intercooler design. Below is a first look at the Mishimoto intercooler fully installed!
Mishimoto intercooler in 2003 WRX
Mishimoto intercooler in 2003 WRX
I may be biased but in my honest opinion this cooler really has a robust, beefy appearance and feel. The unique end tanks definitely set this intercooler apart from any other top-mount cooler currently available.
Once we returned to our facility we compiled the data from our initial testing. These initial runs were very positive. The Mishimoto cooler was making great power gains compared to the factory WRX cooler. Check out the dyno plots below!
Stock intercooler testing on 2003 WRX
Mishimoto intercooler testing on 2003 WRX
In the last two runs we cranked the boost
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Interested in purchasing our Mustang oil cooler? Check out our product page for more information!
With one round of successful development and data collection complete, our engineers set out to improve upon the first design. After gathering airflow data for different bumper locations, they decided to move the cooler to the lower bumper opening as opposed to the grille area. Instead of modifying the existing brackets, our team developed a new bracket that would suspend the cooler and attach directly to the bumper support. This new bracket not only brought the cooler to a better location, but it also provided a more rigid, robust mounting system for the large 25-row cooler. This also eliminated the need for four brackets; instead just one cross bar would be needed. Check out a few shots of the prototype!
Oil cooler bracket prototype 2
Oil cooler bracket prototype 2
Once fabricated, the team was very pleased with this new design. The cooler placement
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Interested in purchasing our WRX/STi top-mount intercooler? Check out our product page for more information!
Armed with a 3D printed prototype and a full day of test fitting, we were able to produce some very insightful renderings of how this intercooler was going to look. Initial flow testing and calculations showed that performance would be ideal for our target power range. After spending some time with Solidworks, Kevin produced the fantastic rendering you see below.
Mishimoto intercooler rendering
Mishimoto intercooler rendering
This design features smooth CFD- (computational fluid dynamics) tested cast end tanks for optimal flow. We designed several different core units with differences in fin height, fin pitch, bar size, and thickness. Our plan was to investigate the effects of these changes through testing on a variety of different vehicles running different boost pressures and making different horsepower numbers. Our
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Interested in purchasing our Mustang oil cooler? Check out our product page for more information!
With our test vehicle in the shop, our team set to work planning our attack on this Mustang. Our primary goal was to achieve significant temperature decreases. We got this beast in the air and inspected our challenges with the oil sandwich plate location. Our standard and thermostatic sandwich plates use either a ¾-16 or M20 sandwich plate adapter. This component secures the sandwich plate between the block and the oil filter.
Oil sandwich plate exploded
Oil sandwich plate assembled
The images above show the orientation of the sandwich plate and filter on the engine. Oil passes through the filter, then into the sandwich plate. The two ports on the plate will have lines feeding the cooler. Once through the cooler the oil will return to the sandwich plate via the second port and back into the engine. This is a common practice for adding an oil cooler
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Interested in purchasing our Mustang oil cooler? Check out our product page for more information!
There is so much to say about the Ford Mustang and its legendary history as a high-performance, tire-melting pony car. Ford has been constantly improving the chassis, engine, and body since the 1960s (minus a lapse in the mid-1970s " we forgive you, Ford), and the most recent vehicle is nothing short of fantastic. The Coyote 5.0L engine produces substantial power and is finding its way into a variety of vehicles as a great engine swap candidate. These days, it is refreshing to see something different than the ever-popular LS swap, not that I have anything against that. Ford has also constantly improved the chassis, creating a vehicle that will not only rip down the drag strip, but is also fairly capable through the corners. With the 2015 model on the way featuring an IRS, we can expect even better handling! The fifth-generation Mustang has become a
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