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Monthly Archives: November 2016

  1. We Struck Oil - Catch Can R&D, Part 1: Stock System Review

    We Struck Oil - Catch Can R&D, Part 1: Stock System Review

    Oil catch cans are a hotly debated topic, yet one fact is still irrefutable; oil blow-by will always be a real byproduct of the modern direct-injection engine. Intakes, charge pipes, and turbos all come into contact with the stuff over time. Sometimes, even newer, low mileage vehicles develop blow-by issues. With direct injection, fuel is injected directly into the cylinders, eventually resulting in carbon buildup on the valves. This was not an issue with port injection, since fuel injectors were placed in the intake manifold. The air-fuel mixture is sprayed directly on the valves, essentially cleaning them each time an injector fired.

    Carbon and oil buildup in direct-injection engines can negatively impact vital engine components and can result in an expensive fix later down the road. I can go into long, excruciatingly deep detail about the dangers of blow-by, but I've given you the basics of what you should know. For more information, I strongly suggest that you take a look

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  2. The Mustang GT Intake R&D, Part 4: Seeing is Believing

    The Mustang GT Intake R&D, Part 4: Seeing is Believing

    Click here to get your Mustang GT Intake!

    As 2016 approaches its end, I can't help but reminisce. It's been a wild ride and a lot has changed. We have a new president-elect, the Olympics took place in Brazil, Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint, Ryan Lochte lied about being robbed at gunpoint, and Leo finally got his Oscar. You know what hasn't changed? Our resolve to make awesome parts for our automotive community.

    It was May 3 when we announced that we were going to make an intake for the 2015 Ford Mustang GT. I know it feels like the updates for this project have been trickling in at a slow pace, but quality takes time. In our last update, we went through the rigorous testing our prototype endured, including pressure drop, dyno and road testing, so we could be confident in our results. The production sample has finally arrived at our R&D facility and it looks great. Our lead engineer has installed a finished production kit on our GT,

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  3. Defending the Titan- Coolant Filtration Kit R&D, Part 2: Final Prototype

    Defending the Titan- Coolant Filtration Kit R&D, Part 2: Final Prototype

    Last time, we took an in-depth look at coolant filtration kits and how they can benefit our Titan. We gave you a sneak peek at what the final bracket for the Titan XD coolant filtration kit will look like. If you missed out on that you can check out the whole post on our engineering blog.

    Finalizing the brackets

    These brightly colored brackets were created with the help of 3D printing. This is just one of our rapid prototyping techniques that helps us create accurate prototypes the first time around. This allows us to bring great-looking AND great-fitting products to you in much less time.

    Prototype bracket for the Titan XD coolant filtration kit
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  4. Mopar, Mo' Cooling - Aluminum Radiator R&D, Part 2: Test, Test, Test

    Mopar, Mo' Cooling - Aluminum Radiator R&D, Part 2: Test, Test, Test

    The 5.7L fitment of this radiator is now in pre-sale! Get it now for more than 30% off!

    2006-16 Dodge Charger 5.7L V8 Aluminum Radiator Pre-Sale

    2005-13, 2015 Chrysler 300 5.7L V8 Aluminum Radiator Pre-Sale

    2009-16 Dodge Challenger 5.7L V8 Aluminum Radiator Pre-Sale

    America loves the V8...and so do I

    The American V8 has always held a special place in my heart. My father owned a 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1 with a 351 Cleveland motor (it was green). That car was rear-ended by a bus long before I was born, so I never experienced it for myself, but I got to

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  5. Cooling is Coming- Intercooler R&D, Part 1: Stock Evaluation

    Cooling is Coming- Intercooler R&D, Part 1: Stock Evaluation

    We have been working on the Titan XD for quite some time now. We have gone through a variety of products like the intercooler pipe kit, coolant filtration kit, and exhaust. Now we are down to the bread and butter of our Titan XD parts: the intercooler.

    When we begin projects, we like to start by evaluating the stock component and looking for areas where we can make improvements. The stock intercooler in the Titan is fairly sizeable and features cast aluminum end tanks, which we don't normally see on stock intercoolers. Nissan has started off on the right foot with this intercooler. Still, we are confident that we can take it a few steps further with our intercooler design.

    Stock Nissan Titan XD intercooler
    Stock Nissan Titan XD intercooler
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  6. The Rise to Power - Downpipe R&D, Part 1: Stock Review

    The Rise to Power - Downpipe R&D, Part 1: Stock Review

    I think we can all agree that the past couple weeks have been quite eventful here in the United States.

    Regardless of which political candidate you supported, it's time to move on and unify now that our election has concluded. Whether or not we're happy about the outcome, we - as a society - need to be working together now. But certain Facebook friends can't seem to figure that out. You all know the one(s). Regardless of their political allegiances, they flood our news feeds with statuses high in pressure and often full of hot air. It's utterly exhausting - if only there were some way to get these people to pipe down.

    The Camaro downpipe connects to the back side of the turbo.
    The Camaro
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  7. Filtering the Right Stuff: Dry vs Oiled Air Filters

    Filtering the Right Stuff: Dry vs Oiled Air Filters

    Do you remember your first car? Your first modification? Was it an intake? I bet it was an intake. I bought my first car in high school. Watch out ladies; it was an extremely clean, pearl white, 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS (automatic and with a Bomex body kit". I was 17), and yes, the very first thing I did within a week of owning it was buy a cheap, used intake from some guy on Craigslist. It felt cool to finally own a "modded" car, and I'm sure most of the gearheads reading this can relate.

    Usually, an intake is one of the first ideas that come to mind when someone starts modifying a car. Intakes are a relatively cheap, power-producing part (on most applications) and the results can usually be immediately felt and heard, especially on turbocharged applications. If you have been following this engineering blog, you may have noticed that I have been the guy writing about our performance intake development for the past year. This means that I field a lot of questions from our community

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  8. Little Caddy - Catch Can R&D, Part 4: ATS Hose Routing

    Little Caddy - Catch Can R&D, Part 4: ATS Hose Routing

    Hello to all my wonderful Camaro 2.0T and Cadillac ATS owners! In our last update, we made the big reveal of our patent-pending blow-by tap. We drilled down into the details of how we plan on mining that nasty vein of oil vapor out of your LTG and transporting it to a catch can, instead of into your intake manifold.

    Today, we're going to take it back to basics a little bit and look specifically at that whole "transport" element. To go even further back to basics, check out our technical section to see why blow-by is so bad for your engine over time. You know all about the complex, unique parts of this Camaro catch can project, but what about something as simple and ubiquitous as the hoses?

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  9. A Cooler Cummins - Intercooler R&D, Part 4: Final Prototype

    A Cooler Cummins - Intercooler R&D, Part 4: Final Prototype

    We are back with a much-needed update on our 13+ Dodge Cummins intercooler. For most of our projects, we work with a donor vehicle to conduct fitment and performance testing. Unfortunately, this also means being patient when donor vehicles are not available for us to use. The good news is that we will not have to be patient for much longer, because testing is on our schedule! Once we complete testing in the coming weeks, we will be sure to share the results with you. In the meantime we can take a quick look at our finalized prototypes for testing!

    Prototype Cummins intercooler and shroud
    Prototype Cummins intercooler and shroud

    In our last post about the Cummins

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  10. Removing the Rubber - Induction Hose R&D, Part 2: 3D Print

    Removing the Rubber - Induction Hose R&D, Part 2: 3D Print

    Just the other week, we all went to sleep with an extra hour on our hands, and now we rise each morning only to find that the rest of the world has beaten us to the punch. Early-morning sun shines through blinds where only darkness fell at the same hour, merely a couple weeks ago. It's a bit of a shame that the day's light departs early in the evening, but there's something energizing and uplifting about waking up to sunlight.

    Mornings like these pair well with a nice breakfast to begin the day. For this reason, it's probably a good call to keep the waffles in the kitchen, and rid them from under the hood of your 2016 Camaro SS. We're here to help with that - you've already seen our Camaro induction hose 3D models, so let's take a look at how we brought them to life.

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