Monthly Archives: September 2019

Cool Under Pressure - Performance Heat Exchanger R&D, Part 3 - Production Sample

Posted: September 27, 2019

Categories: Infiniti Q50/Q60 3.0T Performance Heat Exchanger, 2016+

You have to walk before you can run. I'm sure just about everyone's heard that colloquialism before. While it's cliché, it does ring true when it comes to our Infiniti Q50 heat exchanger. Before we see just how strong that new link in the chain is, we want to examine that link by itself.

When you last saw our heat exchanger design, it was just the outer framework of what our engineer had planned, but now those plans have come to fruition. The obvious characteristic that carried over from our last post is the sheer size of our heat exchanger. When compared to the stock unit, we might not have gained much in the way of thickness, but the growth spurt still allowed for a whopping 196% increase in core volume and a 97% bump in external fin surface area.

Dirty Work - Oil Catch Can Kit R&D, Part 3: Testing

Posted: September 27, 2019

Categories: Ford 6.7L Powerstroke Catch Can Kit 2011+

The last steps of any project are the hardest to get through. The excitement of enjoying the results of your hard work can often get in the way of doing the job right. But hard work without patience often leads to more work.

For us, the last steps of our 2011-2016 and 2017+ catch cans were also the most technically demanding. In our last post, we took measurements of both trucks' filter boxes and engines with our 3D scanner, then designed and 3D printed adapters to fit between the engine and the filter box. These adapters will give us a way to divert blow-by from the valve cover into our catch can, then back through the filter box and into the engine.

Dirty Work - Oil Catch Can Kit R&D, Part 2: Design

Posted: September 20, 2019

Categories: Ford 6.7L Powerstroke Catch Can Kit 2011+

Connecting our catch can to the factory 6.7L CCV system is not be a simple task. In order for our catch can to protect the engine, we need to intercept the blow-by between the CCV filter box and the valve cover. To make matters more difficult, the CCV filter boxes in both the 2011-2016 and 2017+ bolt directly to the engine's valve cover with only a few centimeters between them and the firewall. That means clearance for lines or adapters is extremely tight. Fitting lines within this area in a way that retains the filter box and still flows enough to let the massive 6.7L crankcase breathe requires a clever design and precise measurements.

When our measurements need to be accurate down to the millimeter, we break out our 3D laser scanner. The Faro Design ScanArm measures surfaces at 560,000

Rad, White, and Blue - Performance Aluminum Radiator R&D, Part 4 - Dyno Testing Results

Posted: September 20, 2019

Categories: Chevrolet C7 Corvette Performance Aluminum Radiator, 2014+

It's been 5 years since we first saw the current generation Corvette, and I'm sure for most, there is still the lingering question of how to keep this hometown legend from losing its cool. Unless you live under a rock, you might remember the C7's tumultuous early run, in that these Corvettes struggled to stay within safe engine temperatures, but they've come a long way since then. We wanted to see how much further we could go.

So far you've seen the physical manifestation of our 3D models and the new design, but before we dive into how we tested our radiator, lets take a look at how it stacks up with the stock units. In terms of fin surface area, our design provided a 135% increase over the Stingray unit and a contentious 7.87% increase over the Z06 core. When it comes to volume, our core jumped 119% over the Stingray and 38% over the

Free to Roam - Catch Can R&D, Part 1: Introduction

Posted: September 17, 2019

Categories: Ford Ranger Catch Can Kit 2019+

The 2019+ Ford Ranger was built to roam free. To go anywhere, anytime. It was built to roam the wilderness and the city streets; the mountain trails and the grocery store parking lots. No matter where you're going, the Ranger was built to take you there. And, thanks to its powerful, direct-injected and turbocharged engine, it's built to take you there quickly and efficiently.

Since its inception in the early 1970s, the Ranger has always been a fuel-conscious, do-it-all truck. That mentality hasn't changed with its return to North America for the 2019 model year. Despite being smaller than its F-150 brother, the 2019 Ranger still boasts an impressive 7,500 lb. tow capacity and over 1,800 lbs. of payload capacity that help you roam with whatever you could need close behind. While the suspension

Lasting Impression - Direct-Fit Catch Can R&D, Part 2 - Production Sample and Test Results

Posted: September 13, 2019

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

First impressions can be fleeting, especially in the automotive world. Once the buzz around the Stinger finally dies down and they start patrolling the commuter routes, owners might find themselves wondering what to do so their cushy Korean cruiser maintains the status quo it launched with not too long ago. Well, there's an easy answer. In our last post, we gave you a look at our plan for making the Stinger GT's first impression last, but we're back to show you just how well it works.

First, let's take a look at how it will look under the hood. Since our last check-in on the project, not much has changed. Our kit is still nestled on the passenger-side strut tower for the best access to the Lambda's PCV system. The big difference here is our bracket received a fresh new coat of powder for a durable, yet OEM-style finish.

Rival Nature's Power - Intercooler Pipe R&D, Part 3: Prototype

Posted: September 11, 2019

Categories: Jeep Wrangler JL 2.0T Intercooler Pipe 2018+

Our last 2018+ Jeep Wrangler JL 2.0T intercooler pipe post ended with our engineer, Jason, 3D scanning the stock JL intercooler pipe and engine bay. Over the next several weeks, those 3D scans would evolve into a digital drawing of our high-flow intercooler pipe, then make their way into the physical world in the form of a 3D printed prototype.

The prototyping phase is one of the most important steps in creating a new part. It gives us a true-to-life look at how our parts will fit and it's our first chance to recognize potential issues. It's also one of the most exciting parts of the process as it's where we get to watch our hard work come to life. With each pass of the 3D printer our ideas become increasingly real.