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Monthly Archives: March 2018

  1. Dependably Cool - Radiator R&D, Part 1: Design & Test

    Dependably Cool - Radiator R&D, Part 1: Design & Test

    This 1999-2014 Silverado 1500 V8 Performance Radiator is now available! Click here to check it out!

    The early 2000s presented two polar opposites of the auto industry in America. Small, fuel-efficient cars were still growing in popularity following yet another oil scare nine years earlier. Imports looked like the future of transportation. But for many hardworking Americans, nothing could replace their trucks. In 1999 Chevrolet introduced the Silverado and the GMT800 platform. Encompassing 11 truck models, the GMT800 platform quickly became one of the most popular in the country. By 2000, Silverado sales had surpassed those small imports and the truck landed as the second best-selling vehicle in the country.

    Back then, Chevy's slogan was "Like a rock." That phrase exemplified the dependability of their trucks and the people who drive them. And, for 15 years the Silverado has stood up to that reputation. In 2014 Chevy switched over to the K2 platform for their trucks,

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  2. InterCOOLactic Planetary - 2017+ Honda Civic Type R Performance Intercooler Kit R&D Part 4 - Intercooler Production Sample

    InterCOOLactic Planetary - 2017+ Honda Civic Type R Performance Intercooler Kit R&D Part 4 - Intercooler Production Sample

    When it comes to shopping for an upgraded intercooler, the first thing any of us look for is the temperature drop figure. For our new design, that information has still yet to come. For now, we'll focus on the next most interesting specification, which, naturally, is the size of the core. In the case of our new core, that number is 1003mm³. That might just look like a number, but compared to the stock unit, it's a 169% increase in size. One-hundred and sixty nine percent. Crushed it.

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    How does the number compare, though? What does a 169% increase in size look like in relation to the FK8? Well, lucky for you, the difference in size is quite notable, as it should be when we're more than doubling the size of the stock unit. The stock unit appears as if it fills that entire lower

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  3. Ultimate Cooling - 2012-2016 BMW F2X/F3X Intercooler R&D Part 3 - Production Sample

    Ultimate Cooling - 2012-2016 BMW F2X/F3X Intercooler R&D Part 3 - Production Sample

    It's been a long time coming since we last left off with the development of this intercooler. While it might have been trying on your patience, and a little on ours, it's not necessarily a bad thing that it took some time. Simply put, how are we going to make sure that what ends up at your door step is perfect if the first doesn't possess the same qualities? And sometimes doing things a little differently takes some time.

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    If you look back to our last post outlining the design plans, you'll see exactly what I'm on about when it comes to doing things differently. We did end up giving a good amount away then, but since it's been a while, I'll refresh your memory.

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  4. The Achilles' Heel - Aluminum Expansion Tank R&D, Part 2: Design Plans

    The Achilles' Heel - Aluminum Expansion Tank R&D, Part 2: Design Plans

    The Ford F-150 is an exceptional truck; affordable, tough, surprisingly fast and strong enough to effortlessly haul you and your payload over a mountain range. It's so exceptional that as soon as you open the hood, you will probably be disappointed.

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    The problem of crumbling 2011-2014 F-150 expansion tanks has reached such daunting scale that some owners are on their third tank, and others have started buying spares because there's a good chance that the stock tank will break again.

    I imagine this would dull the excitement of owning an F-150; leaving your house in the morning to find that coolant has spilled all over your driveway. Or finding that your driveway is dry, but as soon as you set off, the expansion tank cracks and leaves your coolant strewn out over the next mile, because it knows

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  5. Intercooler Sandwich - 2015+ VW MK7 GTI/Golf R, Audi A/S3 Intercooler R&D Part 3 - Design Plans

    Intercooler Sandwich - 2015+ VW MK7 GTI/Golf R, Audi A/S3 Intercooler R&D Part 3 - Design Plans

    Bigger is better has long since been an unofficial mantra of the automotive world. To go faster or further, you have to go bigger. Either by way of more cylinders, bigger turbos, thicker sway bars, the increase in size helps quench the thirst for speed. The Golf GTI and all its subsequent variants have been showing us since 1974 that sometimes smaller can be just as good, and plenty of speed and practicality can come in a condensed package. The same can be said for our intercooler design for the latest generation of VW's compact chassis. It's not the size that matters, but rather the innovation packed inside.

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  6. Next Generation Cooling - Transmission Cooler R&D, Part 2: Prototype

    Next Generation Cooling - Transmission Cooler R&D, Part 2: Prototype

    This 1994-2002 Dodge Ram 5.9L Cummins Transmission Cooler is now available! Click here to check it out!

    There's nothing more teeth-grindingly irritating than spending hours building and tweaking your truck, only to be let down by the one part you didn't touch. If you're lucky, you can continue your trip, only slightly delayed. If you're not lucky, one-third of the way to your destination you will have to turn back, painfully aware of your throttle input and the pile of smoldering disappointment that used to be your wife in the passenger seat.

    Hopefully this blog (or at least the product that comes after it) will help save you from some of that turmoil.

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    As the weather begins to grow warmer here in Delaware, we're moving closer to summer. That means beach vacations, roads trips,

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