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Monthly Archives: March 2016

  1. Design and Fabrication - Catch Can R&D, Part 1

    Design and Fabrication - Catch Can R&D, Part 1

    We have been searching long and hard to get our hands on the new Honda Civic, and the search is now over! A brand new 2016+ Honda Civic equipped with the 1.5L Turbo engine has finally reached our R&D facility, thanks to a very generous owner. One of our first targeted projects is an oil catch can. There are many benefits to equipping a vehicle with a catch can. Modern fuel injection is accomplished by either port or direct injection, the latter used by this Civic. Let's briefly talk about the differences between the two.

    Port vs. Direct Injection

    With port injection, the fuel injectors are situated right inside the intake manifold, producing a fuel stream to mix with the air. That air/fuel mixture is shot straight into the combustion chamber through a valve. As the fuel passes through the valve area, much of the debris gets cleaned off - because as we all know, gasoline is an excellent solvent.

    Direct injection, however, is the more common

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  2. One Rad GT - Radiator R&D, Part 1: Stock Evaluation

    One Rad GT - Radiator R&D, Part 1: Stock Evaluation

    As many of you are aware, we have explored nearly every inch of our GT in a quest to bring you some seriously awesome Mustang parts. While catch cans and oil coolers are exciting, we have a hunch that the most anticipated product is the Mustang radiator. Aluminum radiators are the staple component among our various product lines, so we were excited to show you our progress on this project.

    The stock radiator is your run-of-the-mill OEM unit equipped with plastic end tanks. While there is nothing wrong with this setup for the average GT, we still see some room for improvement. First, Ford was on the right track when it equipped it's performance-pack version of the GT with a larger radiator. The performance-pack boasts a 36mm core, compared to the standard GT radiator that comes in at 25mm. We plan to offer our own version, which will have more capacity than either the standard or performance-pack options.

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  3. Beat The Heat! Mishimoto Fiesta ST Intercooler R&D, Part 6: Prototype Testing Round 2

    Beat The Heat! Mishimoto Fiesta ST Intercooler R&D, Part 6: Prototype Testing Round 2

    We are narrowing down our selection of core designs through both extensive research and some pretty neat testing processes. After seeing some impressive heat transfer numbers on our first round of Ford Fiesta ST intercooler testing, we decided to focus on producing a better balance between pressure drop and reduction of intake temperatures.

    New prototypes were constructed, and we were ready to make some dyno runs.

    Testing Fiesta ST performance parts
    Testing Fiesta ST performance parts

    Testing Fiesta ST performance parts
    Testing Fiesta
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  4. Flex-Free Cornering. Fiesta ST Trunk Brace R&D, Part 4: Testing Data

    Flex-Free Cornering. Fiesta ST Trunk Brace R&D, Part 4: Testing Data

    The testing of our Fiesta ST rear strut brace involved three different driving conditions.

    Cornering: 30-40 mph, slalom

    Braking: 50-0 mph, stop with ABS engaged

    Acceleration: 0-60 mph, full-throttle run

    Each setup (with and without brace) was tested on the same day on an identical surface and with the same driver. The tests are repeatable and will provide an accurate comparison of rigidity in the rear body portion of our Fiesta.

    Results

    Check out the plot below to see our testing results.

    Fiesta ST performance results
    Fiesta ST performance results

    These data points confirm our theory that the addition of bracing in this area of the ST does indeed have an impact on flex. Although flex in these conditions

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  5. Nissan Titan XD Review Series Part 1: Initial Impressions

    Nissan Titan XD Review Series Part 1: Initial Impressions

    We are diving into our brand-new Nissan Titan XD! This video provides our initial impressions of the Titan and some of the features we plan to take a closer look at.

    Check it out below!

    Feel free to let us know what you would like to see us cover during this series.

    Thanks for watching!

    -Sara

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  6. A Cooler Cummins. 2013+ Ram Intercooler R&D, Part 1: Factory Intercooler

    A Cooler Cummins. 2013+ Ram Intercooler R&D, Part 1: Factory Intercooler

    Our product line for the Dodge Cummins continues to grow each year with the addition of interesting components that help you take your truck to the next level. These include efficient aluminum radiators, durable silicone hose kits, as well as top-notch intercoolers and intercooler piping kits. Our intercooler coverage ranges from 1994 through 2012, but in 2013, Dodge changed the Cummins intercooler design substantially. So once again, we are ready to take a shot at improving the factory system.

    Factory Cummins Intercooler

    Test vehicle for 6.7L Cummins intercooler development
    Test vehicle for 6.7L Cummins intercooler development

    Like previous generations, the 2013+ models feature an air-to-air intercooler. The primary change in

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  7. Testing Results - The FXT Intake, Part 3

    Testing Results - The FXT Intake, Part 3

    Last time we posted about this Forester XT intake project, we left you off with prototype fitment. Testing is now complete and we have some information to share.

    IMG_0157r Subaru Forester XT performance parts up for testing

    Our initial goal for this project was to design a performance intake system that would deliver dyno proven power gains and while being safe to run on the stock tune. We designed a very similar system for the 2015+ WRX and achieved terrific results.

    The Forester XT has changes in the ECU, head design and cams, so the testing has yet to give us the results we want to see. We've tested numerous different designs over the past few months and we haven't seen results that we're happy with yet. We've designed prototypes that make power on

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  8. The Testing Phase - Mini Cooper Intake Development, Part 3

    The Testing Phase - Mini Cooper Intake Development, Part 3

    We have another update ready to share with the Mini world! In the last post, we went through the process of how this shield was constructed using the waterjet. Now that all the components have been completely assembled, it's time to test and evaluate our system. Check out some sound clips below!

    Our intake dramatically improves the induction sound. The turbo spool is much more pronounced over stock and the intake tone is more aggressive. We know that this is as important for Mini drivers as performance, so we devoted time to making sure that this intake sounds awesome.

    The way this intake is designed fully maxes out airflow potential that the engine sees. It is less restrictive than the stock unit while still making

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  9. Cool Air for the EcoBoost. F-150 Intercooler R&D, Part 3: Continued Intercooler Design

    Cool Air for the EcoBoost. F-150 Intercooler R&D, Part 3: Continued Intercooler Design

    When we last had our test vehicle in the shop, the team fully evaluated the stock intercooler and piping system. In addition, we started to determine our projected core size and mocked up a foam prototype. In this segment, we will be expanding upon that by creating a mock-up prototype to test fitment.

    3D-Printing Prototype

    Using our mock-up foam core dimensions and data from the factory intercooler, our team began to construct the end tanks using 3D-modeling software. To confirm fitment, each section was 3D printed to create a prototype that could be placed in the vehicle.

    This process required some trial and error to ensure that the 3D model was as accurate as possible. The inlet/outlet portions were the most challenging, so these were printed and tested first.

    3D-printed</body> " width="640" height="426">
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  10. Let Your Ponies Be Heard - Exhaust Component R&D, Part 3: The X-Pipe

    Let Your Ponies Be Heard - Exhaust Component R&D, Part 3: The X-Pipe

    Last time we took a look at what went into creating the jig for our Mustang H-pipe. This same process will be applied to create a jig for our Mustang X-pipe designs. We have plans laid out to create three different X-pipe designs to test on the Mustang GT.

    It is interesting that the same jig will be used for each of the three X-pipe designs. This is possible because the section that is changing between each X-pipe is the actual X in the center of the pipe. The jig's job is to ensure that the piping coming both into and out of the X itself will fit with the rest of the Mustang GT exhaust system. The center design is unrestricted by the jig, and therefore we have some room to play with the design.

    We plan to create different degree bends for the X part of the pipe: a 60° X-pipe, a 45° X-pipe, and a 20° X-pipe. We will test these three designs to see if there is any benefit to using these various X designs on our GT.

    But first fabrication! After the piping was laid

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