Monthly Archives: July 2019

Lasting Impression - Direct Fit Catch Can Kit R&D, Part 1 - Concept and Design

Posted: July 31, 2019

Categories: Kia Stinger GT Direct Fit Catch Can, 2018+

And they're off! In the proverbial footrace that is the luxury sports sedan market, there have always been a select few "mostly of the German variety" obvious front runners. While Kia/Hyundai has previously tried to place in this race, they've always seemed to fall short. They've typically fallen in line with the general commuter car vibe. That all changes with the Stinger GT. This new entry gives the KDMs a much-needed boost of energy to add some contention to the competition and a bit of clout to what others might have once considered a run-of-the-mill brand. Kia may have caught up, but for how many miles can this new image last?

The Lambda II T-GDI 3.3L isn't Kia/Hyundai's first venture into direct fuel injection. In fact, the Korean conglomerate took the plunge into

Rad, White, and Blue - Performance Aluminum Radiator R&D, Part 3 - Production Sample

Posted: July 31, 2019

Categories: Chevrolet C7 Corvette Performance Aluminum Radiator, 2014+

It's safe to assume that everyone has that one band, that one artist that they're dying to see live, biding their time for the right lineup at the right venue before treating themselves for those VIP tickets. It's almost the same when it comes to the C7. The constant overheating is like suffering through tours that never come close to home or cancelled shows. But finally, the show is booked, the lineup is solid and that LT4 is ready to sing.

It's been a long enough wait, so let's get straight to the point. When we last left off, our radiator was just the skeleton of a heat exchanger, but it has arrived at the Mishimoto R&D facility for a first look in the, well, metal.

Breathing Fresh Air - Intake R&D, Part 7: Troubleshooting

Posted: July 31, 2019

Categories: Jeep Wrangler JL 2.0L Turbo Performance Intake 2018+

It's the challenges that make life exciting. Doing the same thing over and over gets tedious, but if you seek out challenges, life begins to get interesting. When we last talked about our 2018+ Jeep Wrangler 2.0L intake, things were starting to get very interesting.

The last post saw our prototypes hitting the dyno to see if our efforts had paid off. Despite a 20% increase in flow over the stock intake, there was no massive improvement in power with either prototype. Both prototypes did let out a little more sound from the turbo, however. While the lack of power increase wasn't surprising (as explained in the last post), looking at the resulting dyno graphs did show an unexpected trend. Though peak power didn't increase or decrease compared to the stock intake, it did move later in the RPM range. Much later.

Float Like a Butterfly, Sting like a Kia - Performance Intercooler Kit R&D, Part 1 - Stock Review

Posted: July 25, 2019

Categories: Kia Stinger GT Performance Intercooler Kit, 2018+

It might be old news by now, but we're all still getting acquainted with the fact that Kia, in tandem with Hyundai (who's also bringing their posh baby cousin Genesis along for the ride), have established a much more respectable position in the automotive community. The launch of the Stinger GT helped Kia break out of its chrysalis state not as a run of the mill butterfly, but more like a mantis that's snatching those fluttering insects out of the sky.

As we went over in the introduction to our Stinger, the secret to this vehicle's success is the silky-smooth Lambda II 3.3T coupled with the intuitive 8-speed automatic transmission. Even given Kia's advancements worthy of contending with those luxurious German counterparts, the Stinger does have some drawbacks that could hinder

Everyday Exploration - Oil Catch Can Kit, Part 4: Final Design

Posted: July 24, 2019

Categories: Jeep Wrangler JL 2.0L Catch Can Kit 2018+

If you've ever started something new or made a momentous change in your life, you've heard some version of the old cliché, "Life isn't about the destination, it's about the journey." While I agree with that sentiment, anybody who's conquered a major challenge can tell you that, sometimes, the destination is the best part. There's nothing quite like the feeling of accomplishment you get from seeing something through to the end, no matter how long the journey is between.

When we last talked about our 2018+ Jeep Wrangler JL 2.0T catch can, we were just beginning our exploration and journey to a successful product. Our proof-of-concept kit had collected a substantial amount of blow-by on the CCV side but triggered a check engine light in the process. A quick look into the engine's computer

Everyday Exploration - Oil Catch Can Kit, Part 3: Test results

Posted: July 15, 2019

Categories: Jeep Wrangler JL 2.0L Catch Can Kit 2018+

What's exploration without a challenge? If you drive the same easy trails or climb the same easy routes over and over again, life becomes boring. The thrill of exploration often hinges on the prospect of the unknown and taking a path without knowing where it will lead you. Without the challenge of the unknown, exploration is just following a map.

When we last saw our 2018+ Jeep Wrangler 2.0L catch can kit, we were still firmly in familiar territory. We installed two catch cans on the Jeep, one for the PCV side of the system and one for the CCV side. These two kits would serve as our proof of concept for each side of the system. At the end of our 1,000-mile test, we'd check the catch cans and see if we needed to build a kit for the CCV side, PCV side, or both. Before we could rack up 1,000 miles, however, an old familiar friend greeted us: the check-engine light (CEL).