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Monthly Archives: October 2016

  1. The Mighty Horse: What Is Horsepower?

    The Mighty Horse: What Is Horsepower?

    Audiation - the ability to listen to or play music in your head without physically hearing any of it.

    Just by reading notes on a page of sheet music, talented musicians can hear the music in their minds. Truly gifted musicians can hear a relatively complex piece of music played once and then repeat it, perfectly, note for note, on their preferred instrument. That's talent. It's hard to teach that to just anyone. This is the concept of audiation.

    I bring up this musical analogy to illustrate a point. These skills are engrained and conceptualized deep within their psyche and motor functions just as deep as breathing or walking. We, gearheads, have our own concepts that are as commonly used and seemingly simply as notes on a page. But how often do we think about what they really mean?

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  2. BMW N55 Direct-Fit Catch Can R&D, Part 2: Protect What Matters Most

    BMW N55 Direct-Fit Catch Can R&D, Part 2: Protect What Matters Most

    You spend hours washing, waxing, and polishing. Not a single drop of water or speck of dirt is left on the paint's surface when you're done. The interior is the same story; the carpet, seats, and dash look better than on the day you picked up your new BMW from the dealer. You spend precious time and effort protecting your investment from the outside, but what about the places you can't see? I don't mean that spot under the seat where you have to break every bone in your hand to retrieve your phone. I mean the heart of the car: the engine. Using high-quality fuel is a start to keeping your engine healthy, but there are more threats that you may never see coming until they've already gotten the best of your engine.

    Looking Back

    In the last post, we looked at the N55's stock PCV system; we examined its advantages and disadvantages, and how blow-by can harm your engine. We also took

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  3. Treating the Titan- Exhaust R&D, Part 2: Exhaust Fabrication

    Treating the Titan- Exhaust R&D, Part 2: Exhaust Fabrication

    We are back with a much needed update on the Titan XD exhaust. Since our last post covering the stock Titan XD exhaust, we've come up with a design of our own.

    The first step in bringing our prototype from design to reality was to create a jig to use for fabrication. We started by taking measurements from the Titan, then fired up the waterjet, and sliced our largest jig to date. It had to be sizeable enough to accommodate the four-inch piping designated for the Titan.

    Jig for Titan XD exhaust prototype
    Jig for Titan XD exhaust prototype

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  4. Overflowing with Style - Overflow Tank, Part 2: Pre-Sale

    Overflowing with Style - Overflow Tank, Part 2: Pre-Sale

    Hello everyone, and welcome to the long-awaited second chapter in the saga of the Mishimoto BRZ expansion tank! I know it's been a little while since our first update, and you all have waited patiently, so I am excited to share some good news about these BRZ parts (or FR-S parts).

    Mishimoto's 2013+ BRZ Expansion Tank Pre-sale

    You might remember from my last update that the stock, ghostly-looking overflow tank that haunts the engine bay of your BRZ, GT86, or FR-S really spooked us. So much so, in fact, that we felt obligated to provide you with an alternative - a way to absolve the BRZ of negative energy and transform your engine bay into something inspiring, rather than terrifying.

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  5. Cool Operator - Oil Cooler R&D, Part 3: Track Testing

    Cool Operator - Oil Cooler R&D, Part 3: Track Testing

    Update: Check out this awesome video of our track testing for this oil cooler!

    What more could a company filled with automotive enthusiasts want than a track day as a workday?! If it were up to me, I would start building our offices adjacent to my favorite tracks and have every meeting in the infield, because I can't think of a more excellent way to spend the day.

    I have to begin by thanking you all for collectively pushing for track data. While the type of testing we normally conduct is sufficient for learning how well our products perform under most conditions, nothing instills confidence at the track like pushing your creation to the ragged edge. Because, after all is said and done, that is where it counts. I am no stranger to racing of all sorts, and I can't think of anything more frustrating than working all week, or month

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  6. Getting into the Thick of It - Intercooler R&D, Part 1: Stock Review

    Getting into the Thick of It - Intercooler R&D, Part 1: Stock Review

    As a writer, the relationship between words and ideas has always interested me. Often, the same idea, expressed the same way, can have wildly different implications in different contexts.

    An idea may be exceptionally positive in one instance, while equally negative in another. For example, let's take the word "quick." I think anyone who ended up on this blog post can agree that a quick Camaro is a good thing, right? But what about a quick job interview? "They must have really loved me!" Maybe"

    job

    Let's look at another word, "thin." We love thin phones and tablets; with every Apple keynote, we're once step closer to replacing the phrase "paper cut" with "smartphone cut." But when it comes to intercoolers, thin is generally

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  7. The First State's First Drift Event

    The First State's First Drift Event

    To those of us who call drifting a passion, we know that there is something familiar about the hours before a drift event. It's a feeling that we know all too well. The last-minute push to get your car ready and load everything. Floor jack, tire pressure gauge, tires; everything. Most importantly, making sure your car is actually in the right condition to pass the track's technical inspection (tighten your lug nuts!). Once you're over the feeling of rushing to get yourself and the car ready, excitement overcomes you from then on. All that's left is to get to the track.

    If you know the track that you're about to shred, you know exactly what you're in for. The layout, the paddock area, the people, the rules; all are familiar ground for you. You feel a sense of ease wash over you as you arrive. All of the long hours of preparation and traveling. The lack of sleep and the dwindling number that is your bank account. It all leads up to this. Every moment that has brought you here to this

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  8. The Mustang GT Intake R&D, Part 3: Data Crunch

    The Mustang GT Intake R&D, Part 3: Data Crunch

    It may seem that we have been dormant on this project, but trust me, the activity around this 2015 Mustang GT intake could not be more alive! In this update, I'll outline the results of the extensive R&D we put this prototype through. Our Mustang's V8 Coyote motor has spent a lot of time running with this our prototype intake, and we wanted to document the many steps along the way of this research. Our engineers believe they have tweaked this product to its full potential. So let's dive right in!

    The GT looks ready
    The GT looks ready!

    We wanted to look at several things in this car. We know a few intake kits out there require tunes to run with this S550. One of our priorities was to ensure that this this intake would safely run on a stock tune

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  9. Cooler Than Winterfell - Intercooler R&D, Part 1: Stock System Review

    Cooler Than Winterfell - Intercooler R&D, Part 1: Stock System Review

    George R.R. Martin isn't the only author who can write some gripping stuff about the cold. That's right, brace yourselves, winter is coming; and we are jumping into the frigid waters which we know well - improved intercooler performance. The patient going underneath our scalpel for R&D is the 2013+ Ford Focus ST, but per our usual process, let's first take a brief second to examine the stock system.

    Our Ford Focus ST intercooler on our surgical table
    Our Ford Focus ST intercooler getting inspected

    Ford decided to use tube-and-fin construction for this intercooler instead of bar and plate. The difference between the two is pretty simple. Tube-and-fin intercoolers are more commonplace amongst stock applications. They are lighter and promote greater

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  10. Don't Worry Baby - Catch Can R&D, Part 3: Drilling In and Striking Oil

    Don't Worry Baby - Catch Can R&D, Part 3: Drilling In and Striking Oil

    Good afternoon, Camaro 2.0T and Cadillac ATS owners, and welcome to the latest R&D post for our 2013+ Cadillac ATS and 2016+ Camaro 2.0T catch can kit. For a recap on why you might want to remove blow-by from your engine, check out our technical article ALL about the nasty stuff. We've got some pretty awesome developments to share, but first let me begin by"

    Setting the Scene

    Imagine, for a moment, the warm hue of soft, August light, gently bathing the wooded pastures of northwestern Pennsylvania in a quilt of contrasting gold. The sun lingers low in the late-afternoon sky and casts heat over the valleys, but the breeze brings with it a subtle bite; a subdued, but confident nod to autumn's imminent arrival.

    For most, this weather typically imparts an assured sense of calm as the summer comes to a close,

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