Page 24 - mishimoto

Interested in purchasing our awesome intake system? Check out our product page linked below!

Mishimoto Nissan 350Z Performance Air Intake!

Last time we dyno tested our assembled prototype for sound and performance. Maximum gains were achieved in the midrange of the rpm band to the tune of 10 whp and 13 wtq. These are impressive numbers. We saw gains from the start of the pull through redline, averaging around 5-7 whp/wtq throughout.

The sound produced by the VQ with our intake installed is nothing short of awesome! The large air filter and reduced restriction produces a deeper, amplified induction tone that sounds quite satisfying from behind the wheel.

Our last task is to fully model our design in Solidworks and construct our final prototype for fitment confirmation. As we mentioned last time, minor tweaks were needed to perfect fitment.

Intake 3D

Interested in picking up our 2008-2014 WRX/STi overflow tank? Check out our discounted pre-sale linked below.

2008-2014 Subaru WRX aluminum overflow tank pre-sale!

If you haven't noticed, the folks here at Mishimoto are not fans of plastic use for cooling system components. A large number of our products provide a more durable material, aluminum, to replace the failure-prone plastic parts, and now we are focusing on another line of products, our aluminum coolant expansion tanks. We offer two different options for the WRX/STI and one for the new Mustang EcoBoost. This article is focused around our newest addition, an aluminum overflow tank for the 2008+ WRX and STI.

Product Design

We won't be making any significant changes to the design of this tank compared to the stock unit, except for the construction material. Enlarging the tank's capacity will

Team Mishi likes to look out for our Subaru community. If you have been following our engineering blog, then you'll notice that we have been rolling out a slew of high quality 2015+ parts WRX. One of the biggest products we launched was our bolt-on intake system. Not only did we provide easy power gains, but our system greatly improved sound, and created a large group of very pleased customers. The gains we produced were a result of reduced restrictions compared to the factory system. A great product that supports stock and mildly modified examples. We are now turning our attention to an even less restrictive iteration that will be designed to support vehicles necessitating maximum airflow.

Our race-inspired design for this WRX intake will take the more aggressive route of obtaining the maximum power potential an intake can deliver to this FA series motor. Keep in mind, this secondary "Race" design will require tuning for safe operation.

It is important to understand that this

If you follow our Ford Powerstroke 6.0L product line, you are aware of the high- and low-temperature thermostats we released last year. The high-temperature unit quickly became a customer favorite as a reliable way to improve engine operation, in-cabin heat, and fuel mileage. These benefits are particularly useful in the cold-weather months. Our low-temperature thermostat offers a lower recovery temperature compared to the factory unit, which can help keep coolant temperatures regulated during towing or when transporting heavy loads.

During the release of the thermostats, we had numerous requests for a replacement housing. The factory housing is a casted piece, which isn't aesthetically pleasing, but it is easy to replace.

Product Development

Development began in a pretty simple fashion. We acquired an OEM housing and started capturing measurements so that we could reverse-engineer the piece.

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

Interested in picking up our NB Miata oil cooler kit? Check out our discounted pre-sale linked below.

Mishimoto 1999-2005 Mazda Miata Oil Cooler Kit Pre-Sale!

The Mazda Miata MX-5 is the most-raced production vehicle in the world. It's a great top-down cruiser, features low entry-level pricing, and it's inexpensive to modify and repair. Fuel mileage is fantastic. Saying the Miata is the end-all and be-all vehicle would be a stretch (it has its limitations), but it is one hell of a car and an amazing bang-for-your buck regardless of use. If you do not understand any of this, I urge you to go out and drive one of these cars. If you've already driven one and still don't get it, perhaps you need to try again.

In all seriousness, the Miata is a fantastic car that deserves attention from the aftermarket. We offer a variety of cooling components for the NA/NB models, including several aluminum radiator options, electric

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.

Another update on our E46 expansion tank project! Last time we showed off some images of our prototype unit, noting the numerous precise features we built into our design. This time we are installing the tank in our test vehicle to confirm fitment with the stock shroud and all coolant connection points. In addition, we will check out clearance between the tank and the belt-drive system to ensure appropriate fitment.

Removing the Stock BMW E46 Expansion Tank

Stock BMW E46 expansion tank installed

First we need to remove the stock tank from our test vehicle. As you can see in the image above, the stock fan shroud is the first component to come out before we tackle the expansion

Interested in purchasing our new Civic Si intake system? Check out more details on our product page linked below!

Mishimoto Honda Civic Si Performance Air Intake

Our last write-up for this Civic Si intake included our dyno testing results as well as some insight into our use of 3D printing for rapid prototyping. Since then, we've tweaked our design to provide flawless fitment and we've constructed a final prototype. The last box to check on our list is a final fitment verification and road testing. Our test vehicle owner will be putting some additional road miles on the car and will offer his opinion of the improved intake sound. Soon we will have a new addition to our line of Honda Civic Si parts!

Final Prototype