Page 3 - FiST

You may have seen our R&D post on the full Fiesta ST intake, but this one is a little different. We are developing a silicone induction hose as solution for drivers of mainly stock Fiestas who don't want to replace their entire intake system. The stock rubber hose can be restrictive due to its shape and size. We believe that by creating a more free-flowing alternative we could see some substantial benefits without heavy modification to the Fiesta.

Stock Fiesta ST parts in the engine bay

First we examined the features of the stock hose. Aside from a barb fitting, the hose has a fairly straightforward design. The stock hose has quite a few ridges and flex sections throughout, not to mention a small inner diameter.

Time for another update on our intercooler project! Last time we left off with a foam intercooler core and some cool 3D-printed end tanks. This update is a bit more exciting!

Mock Up Prototype

With both the tanks printed and our core cut to shape, we could mate these pieces to check fitment of our existing design.

Prototype Ford Fiesta ST intercooler assembled

The tanks feature the mounting pegs and brackets to attach the cooler to the radiator and support.

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In our last post we took a look at the stock Fiesta ST downpipe as well as our slotted flange design based on the stock flange. We are still planning to create both a catted downpipe and a non-catted downpipe for race applications, so let's take a look at the progress!

Downpipe Design

After fitting the flange to the turbo, we began to piece together the rest of the downpipe coming off the flange and meeting with the exhaust. Both our designs feature a slotted flange that bolts to the turbo, in addition to a flex pipe near where they meet with the exhaust. This is important because the entire exhaust system will move a bit, and we need a flex point to allow for this. Not allowing room for flex in the downpipe would most certainly harm your exhaust system and possibly the turbo itself.
We began by laying out the components of our prototype next to the stock Fiesta ST downpipe for comparison. Check out some shots below!

Time to dive into yet another Fiesta ST project! This little Fiesta is getting the royal treatment at Mishimoto; over the last few months it has been fitted for numerous upgrades. If you are in the mood for a recap, you can check out some of the other Fiesta posts here on the Mishimoto blog. For now we'll dive right into our development of Mishimoto's expansion tank for the Fiesta ST.

Stock Expansion Tank

Here at Mishimoto we feel a certain type of way about plastic. It is not that we have a vendetta against plastic, but we see an area where we can improve upon some of the stock Fiesta ST parts. Plastic expansion tanks in general (or any plastic parts) are more prone to failure than an aluminum part would be. Plastic becomes brittle with age, exposure to elements, and the repeated heat cycles in the engine bay. Replacing the plastic tank with an aluminum one not only looks better, but it also would be less prone to bursting or cracking especially as the

We've discussed R&D for many of our typical product segments for the Fiesta ST. These include our in-progress aluminum radiator, our already released catch can kit and oil cooler solution, as well as our nearly complete intake system and exhaust components (both cat-back and downpipe). Our company is also known for its strong line of heat exchangers, so we certainly need to see what can be done about the undersized stock intercooler on the Fiesta.

Heat is a big enemy of the Fiesta, as many have already discovered during track driving. High oil temperatures, high coolant temperatures, and a heat-soaked intercooler all commonly occur after short periods of aggressive driving. We've been actively tackling both the coolant and oil temperature concerns in other development threads, but now it's time to lower the intake temperatures with an upgraded intercooler.

Stock Intercooler Evaluation

You've probably seen the stock Ford Fiesta ST intercooler on

In our last post we took a good look at the stock Fiesta ST exhaust and the initial design of our cat-back exhaust. The exhaust was fabricated and installed on the car and then it was time to test the stock system.

To Resonate or Not to Resonate

Getting the sound just right was quite a process. Our initial prototype featured 2.5" piping with a single rear muffler. This design did not feature a resonated mid-pipe unlike the stock unit. The initial design was sound tested on the dyno and also test driven by several members of the team. While we loved the low growl of the exhaust as it was, we wanted to test a resonated version before settling on a final design. As with all exhaust development projects, we are aiming for a final product that sounds great on throttle while still being

Dyno preparation for Fiesta ST parts testing

Testing day has finally arrived and it's time to see how our new Fiesta ST parts perform! After weeks of prototype design and fabrication, we have our first prototype Ford Fiesta ST intake system ready for dyno testing. Our first round of product testing is being conducted for two reasons:

First, we want to evaluate power output. Our initial post explained that we were skeptical about making power with our intake. The Fiesta is a MAP-based vehicle and only uses its MAF sensor to gather temperature data. Through our years of development, extracting additional power from speed density (MAP-calculated) is a bit of a challenge. The gains we usually see on these vehicles is a result of reduced restriction within the intake tract. With this intake we've certainly improved flow, so let's see what we are able to produce.

Our second goal

Introduction and the Stock Downpipe

Another addition to the Fiesta ST collection! Our Fiesta build is coming along nicely, and I am happy to announce some progress on our downpipe project. As with any R&D undertaking the first step is to take a look at the stock setup and see how it can be improved.

Stock Fiesta ST downpipe

Although Ford has a pretty nice design, we are planning to make it a bit better by increasing the diameter of the downpipe to 3" throughout. As opposed to the stock unit which features 3" pipe only where the downpipe meets the turbo. In order to achieve excellent fitment with the turbo, we will keep the flange as similar to stock as possible. To collect the most accurate measurements

We're getting closer to dyno testing! Our intake piping and turbo inlet hose are now complete. A well-designed airbox is the last portion of our intake design before we begin performance testing. The airbox will provide a shield for the filter to reduce the impact of engine bay heat. It also allows us to create a volume for cold air to enter from the stock duct, routing directly to our filter.

The airbox design was pretty extensive for this project, so this is a long post. Sit back, crack open your favorite beverage, and read on!

Airbox Fabrication

We started this process with cardboard templates. These templates helped us quickly adjust and modify the shape and bends until we had a design that provided for appropriate clearance. The space between the battery and air duct is quite slender, so the design will need to be precise.