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Monthly Archives: January 2022

  1. A Tale of Two Systems - Intercooling System Overview - Air-to-Water vs. Air-to-Air Intercoolers

    A Tale of Two Systems - Intercooling System Overview - Air-to-Water vs. Air-to-Air Intercoolers

    Turbo and supercharging have been crucial in modern automotive performance. These induction add-ons help your small displacement 4-cylinder punch above its weight class or help your monstrous V8 achieve ludicrous speed. In any case, the process of forced induction heats your charged air, which is less than ideal for keeping your performance machine, well, performing. Intercooling systems have long been implemented to mitigate this issue, but as these systems evolve, things can get a little convoluted, which is why we're here! Let's dig in. 

    To start, we need to understand the fundamentals of how a forced induction system works and why that leads to hot intake temps. Your turbo or supercharger is, in essence, an air compressor. The concept behind forced induction is to cram more air into your intake system than the ambient air pressure allows. Naturally aspirated engines are limited to the atmospheric pressure of the current environment, whereas adding a turbo or supercharger to the

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  2. Gourmet Muscle - 2006-2010 BMW E6X M5/M6 Performance Oil Cooler R&D, Part 2 - Prototype and Production Sample

    Gourmet Muscle - 2006-2010 BMW E6X M5/M6 Performance Oil Cooler R&D, Part 2 - Prototype and Production Sample

    Some recipes are classics for a reason. Sometimes, the complexity and skill required to complete the process make it iconic, while sometimes, simplicity is the key. When it comes to the E6X platform M5 and M6, it's a glorious fusion of both concepts combining the simple muscle car formula with a drizzle of notoriously BMW clever engineering and technology. Now though, it's time to add our own zest to this dish, specifically in terms of the oil cooler.

    Creating the fitment prototype also helps speed up our R&D process since we can lock in manufacturing tooling and start producing units much quicker. Otherwise, we would be waiting on fulling manufactured units to confirm our fitment. Instead, thanks to our master fabricator and 3D printers, we're able to generate a fitment prototype
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  3. Back From Pasture - 2021+ Ford Bronco 2.7 Baffled Oil Catch Can R&D, Part 3 - PCV-Side Production Sample and Test Results

    Back From Pasture - 2021+ Ford Bronco 2.7 Baffled Oil Catch Can R&D, Part 3 - PCV-Side Production Sample and Test Results

    Just like the wild stallion that the truck is named for, our donor Bronco stampeded back through our R&D facility after its preliminary 1000-mile test. While it was galavanting, though, our engineering team wrapped up the finishing touches on our kit to get it ready for the streets and trails.

    The makeover started with our bracket. When we last left off, our prototype bracket was sporting a more universal design, with mounting holes encircling the top of the bracket. However, since this is a direct fit application, Ye made sure to utilize only the can mounting holes needed for the 2.7L so the ports will always face in the correct direction.  

    The orientation

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  4. Carbon Speed Dating - 2020+ Chevrolet C8 Corvette Carbon Fiber Catch Can R&D - Concept to Completion

    Carbon Speed Dating - 2020+ Chevrolet C8 Corvette Carbon Fiber Catch Can R&D - Concept to Completion

    The Corvette is a long-standing American automotive tradition, but that is until recently since the C8 is anything but traditional for Chevy. The red, white, and blue engineers finally took that age-old, not-so-secret formula of a crowd-pleasing sports car and quite literally flipped it. The big push-rod V8 remains but now resides behind the driver to fully catch up with the likes of the supercars it tangles with on the track. But, unfortunately, no matter how much this American tradition evolves, it still can't outrun blow-by.

    Let's be honest; there's not much flash to preventative maintenance, especially when it comes to your sleek mid-engined sports car. As un-sexy of a task as it is, keeping your intake valves clean and clear of carbon buildup is essential for the Corvette's peak performance. While we already put our compact catch can on display in the rear engine window, we still couldn't help to take it up a notch.

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  5. True Heart - 2021+ Ford Bronco 2.3L Baffled Oil Catch Can Kit R&D, Part 2 - Testing Results

    True Heart - 2021+ Ford Bronco 2.3L Baffled Oil Catch Can Kit R&D, Part 2 - Testing Results

    The 2.3L EcoBoost is a mainstay in Ford's engine arsenal, which really shouldn't come as much of a surprise either. The heavy-hitting four-cylinder made a huge splash in the hottest of hatchbacks in 2016 that through every other segment of Ford's lineup. So it's no wonder that this powerplant found a new home under the hood of the resurrected off-roader, offering the best of both worlds in terms of performance and efficiency, but the Bronco only reaps these rewards as long as the intake tract stays clean. Luckily, we already have a solution for that.

    When we last left off, our prototype catch can kit was installed on our Bronco as it headed out the door for our preliminary testing. It takes some time to accrue the proper mileage for our test, so, in the meantime, our engineer, Dave, put the finishing touches on our kit's design, starting with the bracket.

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  6. Finding Space - Borne Off-Road Wheel Spacers

    Finding Space - Borne Off-Road Wheel Spacers

    No matter if you use your truck or jeep for commuting, hauling, or venturing through the unknown wilderness, all of these vehicles are a particular blend of form and function. They're built to look tough, aggressive, and utilitarian, and they act the part. The same could be said for our Borne Off-Road wheel spacers, which any of these vehicles would benefit from.

    Wheel spacers might not seem like the obvious place to go for the perfect combo of form and function. Still, the benefits of their addition are a solid investment to any rig, whether you're just starting your build or working on the finishing touches. Wheel spacers have one purpose: to move the wheel further from the vehicle's hub. They're a solid plate that mounts in between the wheel and the vehicle's hub, creating some space.

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  7. Take some Space - Mishimoto Wheel Spacers

    Take some Space - Mishimoto Wheel Spacers

    Being an automotive enthusiast is all about putting your personal touch on your car. Modifying vehicles is a way of life for us car folks, and no matter the end goal, there's an endless list of components available. So much so that one can find themselves lost on their customization mission on where to start. Should the starting point be aesthetics or performance? Why not start with a set of wheel spacers for a combination of both respects.

    Wheel spacers might not seem like the obvious place to start, but the benefits of the perfect set of wheel spacers make for a solid investment whether you're just starting your build or working on the finishing touches. Wheel spacers have one purpose: to move the wheel further from the vehicle's hub. They're a solid plate that mounts between the wheel and the vehicle's hub, creating some space.

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  8. Crowd Pleaser - 2005+ Toyota Tacoma Performance Aluminum Radiator R&D, Part 2 - Prototype and Production Sample

    Crowd Pleaser - 2005+ Toyota Tacoma Performance Aluminum Radiator R&D, Part 2 - Prototype and Production Sample

    Toyota continues to be a rising star in the truck world. It might be hard to top the big three behemoths, but the Tacoma's mid-sized off-road ready attitude continues to make it a crowd favorite around the world. As this middle-weight machine continues its world domination, we've been hard at work on its newest hit single, which comes in the form of an improved radiator.

    There needs to be a relentless rehearsal for any live performance to be perfect. Practice makes perfect, right? That's the same concept that we took with our fitment prototype. While our digital workspace and modeling software is precise, we still wanted to triple-check our work by generating a physical framework form of our latest radiator design. This practice also allows us to consider different tolerances as our engineer, Ye, installs this prototype on our donor truck.

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