cvt

Interested in purchasing our WRX catch can kit? Check out more details on our product page linked below!

Subaru WRX Baffled Oil Catch Can System

The final kit is ready for installation! After months of development and test fitting, we finally had our completed prototype components ready for fitment verification prior to mass production. Check out all of the components below!

First, the passenger side catch can bracket for the PCV system.

Final PCV catch can bracket

Next up is the finished version of our dual port catch can!

Final catch can

A cool shot of the internal components of the catch can.

Final catch can internal components

And finally we have the catch cans and both brackets included in this kit. The black finish is subtle and works well with the WRX engine bay.

Kit catch cans and brackets

We then attached the brackets to the cans in preparation for the full kit installation.

Catch cans with brackets installed

Now that we had all of the components ready to go, we performed one final

Interested in purchasing our 2015 WRX aluminum radiator? Check out our product page for more information!

Mishimoto Subaru WRX Performance Aluminum Radiator

Now that we had a finalized prototype, it was time to test this component to ensure that our improvements over the stock unit resulted in real-world advantages for our customers. An aluminum radiator provides the instantaneous benefit of increased reliability over the stock plastic unit. Despite this, cooling performance is always our primary goal with a heat exchanger.

Prior to actual road testing, our engineering team put together a few charts illustrating the improvements over the stock radiator.

Comparison of coolant surface area in Mishimoto and stock radiators

Coolant surface area refers to the space occupied by the tubes in the radiator. The amount of coolant surface area affects both fluid capacity and overall heat transfer contact points. A larger coolant surface area results in greater heat transfer and lower temperature.

Interested in purchasing our WRX catch can kit? Check out more details on our product page linked below!

Subaru WRX Baffled Oil Catch Can System

Time to start designing brackets! After a quick recap of the project goals, our creative engineering team began brainstorming. First, they selected a location for the catch can on the PCV valve side. It would need body mounting points for the can bracket, and preferably a short route for the hose so as not to complicate the engine bay. Our goal is a clean installation that appears stock-like, not a medusa of hoses routed about the engine bay.

The PCV valve on the 2015 WRX is located under the intercooler toward the rear of the engine block. You can see it in the image below, taken during a later stage of development of this kit.

2015 Subaru WRX PCV valve

We also needed to consider the differences between the RHD and LHD vehicles. In our US spec LHD model, both the brake booster and master cylinder are located on the left side of the engine bay.

Interested in purchasing our 2015 WRX aluminum radiator? Check out our product page for more information!

Mishimoto Subaru WRX Performance Aluminum Radiator

No need for an introduction, let's check out our second prototype!

Mishimoto prototype 2 radiator

Mishimoto prototype 2 radiator

Mishimoto prototype 2 radiator

So what can we tell from these images? The unit as a whole is very precise, and the TIG-welding is straight and accurate. All mounting points and adjustments to the previous version should make this a drop-in fit. One major difference you will notice from the GR radiator is the lack of an overflow port on the passenger top tank. On the previous generation, this line would run to the expansion tank located on the intake manifold. The FA20 does not utilize such a reservoir, so this port is removed.

Let's take a closer look at the core of this prototype!

Mishimoto prototype 2 radiator core evaluation

Mishimoto prototype 2 radiator core evaluation

The fin height is a touch shorter

Interested in purchasing our WRX catch can kit? Check out more details on our product page linked below!

Subaru WRX Baffled Oil Catch Can System

If you follow our engineering blog or are involved with any of our social media outlets, you should be well aware of the new baffled oil catch can we recently released. This new product features a much smaller footprint compared to our existing catch can, allowing for fitment in tighter engine bays.

While developing this catch can, we wondered about using it in direct-fit kits for popular vehicles. For most drivers, a catch can is a DIY project requiring only the routing of hoses and fabrication of brackets for mounting the can. Installing a DIY setup that appears like it was made for the vehicle can be quite a challenge. This is where we come in, to take the guesswork out of a catch can installation. We are planning to provide mounting brackets, hardware, silicone lines, and a detailed installation guide for these kits.

Our shop vehicle would

Interested in purchasing our 2015 WRX aluminum radiator? Check out our product page for more information!

Mishimoto Subaru WRX Performance Aluminum Radiator

Now that we had our first prototype unit in, it was time to evaluate fitment and determine if any changes were necessary when compared to the stock unit. First, we swapped the shrouds to see if any fitment issues existed because of the added size of the Mishimoto unit.

Mishimoto prototype 1 (right) fan shroud fitment

Mishimoto prototype 1 (top) fan shroud fitment

Both the stock and Mishimoto plug-n-play aluminum fan shrouds fit perfectly with the mounting points on our prototype radiator. After verifying this fitment, we installed the prototype in the vehicle to ensure that all other fitment points were spec'd correctly.

Mishimoto prototype 1 installed

Mishimoto prototype 1 installed

Mishimoto prototype 1 installed

Mishimoto prototype 1 installed

The prototype unit fit quite nicely! We had some minor adjustments to make with a few end-tank

Interested in purchasing our WRX transmission cooler? Check out our product page for more information!

Mishimoto Subaru WRX CVT Transmission Cooler

For our third prototype unit for the CVT cooler, we decided to take a more traditional approach. We would place the cooler in a location that would guarantee airflow. The main concern was fitting our large 19-row cooler in a position that would not leave any space for other aftermarket components. First, we mocked-up the cooler and developed some basic brackets that would place the cooler in an angled position behind the upper grille area. Check out a few shots of the mounted cooler!

Prototype 3 cooler mounted

Prototype 3 cooler mounted

Prototype 3 cooler mounted

As you can see above,the cooler is mounted at a slight angle, with two brackets supporting the cooler from the upper mounting points. We added an additional bracket to one of the lower mounting points, which you will see in the renderings later in this blog.

During this product design

Interested in purchasing our 2015 WRX aluminum radiator? Check out our product page for more information!

Mishimoto Subaru WRX Performance Aluminum Radiator

The new 2015 WRX is a great toy for both daily use and as a weekend track warrior. The introduction of the FA20DIT into the WRX chassis has been well received, and from the reviews thus far, Subaru has done a great job with the new model. Although some might disagree with the styling, overall the car handles and performs very well. As for value, the 2015 model is a pretty decent bang for your buck. For those looking to track their brand new vehicle, a few bolt-on modifications will raise power levels significantly. A simple intake and tune will raise power to 275+ whp, which is a huge increase over the 210 whp we saw from a completely stock vehicle. Reaching 300 whp is potentially obtainable with a few additional exhaust modifications. We are currently in the process of testing our prototype J-pipe to confirm this!

With improved power

Interested in purchasing our WRX transmission cooler? Check out our product page for more information!

Mishimoto Subaru WRX CVT Transmission Cooler

After we witnessed reasonable performance gains with our first prototype, we decided to evaluate what we liked and didn't like with the design.

Pros

• Short line lengths
• Efficient cooling
• Compact design and packaging

Cons

• Did not achieve the temperature decreases we wanted to see
• Requires wiring of the electric fan
• Airflow was not as sufficient as it could be

This first design was efficient but not ideal for what we wanted out of the project. To obtain the desired cooling benefits, the addition of an electric fan was necessary. However, the fan would add complexity and wiring to the product, which we would like to avoid. So we hit the drawing board to work on a second design. We would attempt to keep the cooler in the same location; however, we would work to improve airflow through the cooler. Dan set about to fabricate a new scoop that would

Interested in purchasing our WRX transmission cooler? Check out our product page for more information!

Mishimoto Subaru WRX CVT Transmission Cooler

Welcome back! The quest for low transmission fluid temperatures continues. Once we developed our goals and plan of action for this project, our engineering team went to work, grinding, welding, bending, and cutting. Our first prototype design was quite unique. We mounted one of our 19-row, stacked-plate fluid coolers next to the liquid-to-liquid transfer unit. This is the same location as the turbocharger on the previous generation of EJ engines. Check out the beginning of the mock-up below!

Prototype 1 mock-up

The primary concern with this location is airflow. This cooler utilizes external fins to promote the exchange of heat with the liquid running through the cooler. Without airflow, the effectiveness of this cooler is significantly diminished. The primary benefit of this location is packaging. Our lines will be short, which will alleviate