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Monthly Archives: September 2020

  1. Mishi Goes Myth Busting: Performance Air Intakes - Part 2

    Mishi Goes Myth Busting: Performance Air Intakes - Part 2

    Look under the hood of any modified vehicle, and there's a high chance you'll find an aftermarket intake. But despite how prevalent aftermarket intakes are, there's still a ton of misinformation about them floating around the internet. In this post, we'll look at a few more intake myths and provide some more facts to combat the hearsay on the internet. If you haven't already read through our first intake myth-busting post, be sure to check that out here.


    Myth #5: Aftermarket Intakes Don't Make Power

    For some vehicles or intakes, this is true, but many engines and intakes can produce noticeable power gains. An engine is an air pump, and how much power it makes is directly related to how much air it can pull in and exhaust.

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  2. Tailored Fit - Performance Radiator R&D, Part 2 - Design Plans

    Tailored Fit - Performance Radiator R&D, Part 2 - Design Plans

    In the age of reality TV, it's almost impossible not to have watched at least one of those makeover shows. Whether it's housing, fashion, tattoos, or even cars, the formula is the same. Old and ugly comes in, and the fixers jump right into the action. Right away, there's a plan to fix it, followed by some shots of the experts looking intently at the problem, making sketches, and diving into the project before cutting to commercial. If our MK7 Volkswagen Golf TSI/GTI/R radiator project was one of those shows, this is precisely where we would be. Our star engineer has evaluated the weak points, and now there's a plan. So, before we hear from our sponsors, let's take a look at the planning phase of our MK7 radiator makeover.

    One of the primary challenges with our new design is the

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  3. Protect the Lifeblood - Performance Oil Cooler R&D, Part 1: Stock Review

    Protect the Lifeblood - Performance Oil Cooler R&D, Part 1: Stock Review

    Oil is the lifeblood of any engine; without it, the engine would self-destruct in a matter of seconds. But just having oil in the engine isn't enough. It needs to stay just the right temperature too. Modern synthetic oils can withstand temperatures up to about 350°F, but as engine temperature climbs, oil begins to thin and lose some of its protective properties. There's a sweet spot where oil is most effective: thin enough that it can flow into the tiny crevices of the engine, but thick enough to cushion the blows of combustion.

    For a heavy-duty diesel engine like the 2011-2019 Ford 6.7L Powerstroke, ensuring the oil stays in that sweet spot is essential. Heavy towing or power-adding modifications can quickly drive oil temperatures over the useful range, sucking the life from the 6.7L's internal components. To help combat high oil temperatures, Ford equipped the 6.7L Powerstroke with a liquid-to-liquid oil cooler from the factory.

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  4. Clamp Down - Quick Release Clamp Assembly R&D

    Clamp Down - Quick Release Clamp Assembly R&D

    Clamps don't get the recognition that they deserve. It might seem like a mundane subject, but in reality, it's quite a diverse world of clamping out there. An adequately tightened worm-gear could be the line between a solid day at the track or leaking boost pressure or coolant. We here at Mishimoto wanted to put our mark on the clamp world, which led us to create our Quick Release Clamp Assembly.

    Why would you need this new fangled clamp? Why would you weld in a clamping system rather than source some couplers and standard clamps? I'm glad you asked! For starters, the all-aluminum construction lends itself to a significantly more secure connection, making these clamps perfect for high-horsepower vehicles pushing tons of boost through the system. Utilizing this clamp will allow for a solid metal intercooler pipe system while still allowing for easy removal of the intercooler as needed. Through our testing, we found that these clamps are capable of withstanding up to 400°F and can easily

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  5. Practically Cool - Performance Intercooler R&D, Part 1 - Stock Review

    Practically Cool - Performance Intercooler R&D, Part 1 - Stock Review

    Practicality comes in many forms in the automotive world. From the towering full-size SUVs to the micro hatchbacks, there's a version of practicality that suits everyone. For most, the mid-sized sedan fits that vision, which is where the 2018+ Honda Accord shines. Not only does it deliver four doors, cavernous trunk space, and plenty of legroom, but also two potent turbocharged engines and the option to row through the gears manually. The 2018+ Accord provides practicality tailored to the enthusiast.

    There is, however, one aspect that stifles the potential of both the 1.5T and 2.0T variants of the Accord: the intercooler. When it comes to squeezing every drop of power out of your L15B7 or K20C4, keeping intake air temperatures down while promoting flow is vital. But, the stock heat exchanger isn't quite up to the task, especially once the boost increases. We here at Mishimoto are already hard at work on our new intercooler design, but first, let's dive into the stock unit and why it's

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  6. Go Your Own Way - Performance Intercooler R&D, Part 2: Design

    Go Your Own Way - Performance Intercooler R&D, Part 2: Design

    When we last talked about the 2019+ Ford Ranger 2.3L EcoBoost, we looked at the stock intercooler. To recap, the stock Ranger intercooler is similar to almost every other stock intercooler we've seen. It utilizes a tube-and-fin core with plastic crimped on end tanks, nothing too out of the ordinary. The only unique feature of the stock Ranger intercooler is the turbocharger boost pressure sensor that lives on the driver's side end tank. This sensor seals in the intercooler by way of an o-ring, so the bore in our end tank will need to be precise to prevent leaks. So, with the stock intercooler examined, we began designing our performance replacement.

    We began our design with the core of the intercooler. The stock Ranger intercooler uses a tube-and-fin core that isn't very durable

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  7. Mishi Goes Myth Busting: Performance Air Intakes - Part 1

    Mishi Goes Myth Busting: Performance Air Intakes - Part 1

    Since the dawn of the internet, misinformation has been abundant. Somebody posts something their buddy's third cousin told them, it gets shared over and over, and eventually, it becomes a "fact." In the early days, it was easy to spot fishy information by the sixteen "FWD:" tags in the subject line of an email. Now, it's hard to tell what's authentic and what's just been passed down for so long that nobody can tell the difference.

    One would think automotive culture would be less susceptible to these fabricated truths - vehicles are mechanical; they all have similar parts and work on the same principals of physics. Internal combustion engines all inject fuel into a closed cylinder, light it on fire, and use the expanding gasses to move a piston. But, even with all of these undeniable truths, there's just enough gray area for misinformation to thrive, especially regarding aftermarket modifications. Between ads, forums, and social media, automotive enthusiasts are constantly bombarded

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  8. Motor Cameo - Baffled Oil Catch Can R&D, Part 1 - Stock Review and Design Plans

    Motor Cameo - Baffled Oil Catch Can R&D, Part 1 - Stock Review and Design Plans

    It's happened to all of us at least once. You're rewatching one of your favorite cinematic adventures from years ago when you spot an actor that is now a mega-star, but in a much younger state, performing in one of their break out roles, or even just making a cameo. While this performance might not match this actor's current performance level, or could even be cringy at times, it's what gave them their shot at making it big. The same could be said about the Nissan 350Zs sporting the VQ35HR. While its performance never falls under the "cringy" category, the DE's replacement only made a brief cameo in the Z cars before moving on to bigger and better things. Even though the HR is uncommon in the 350, it still requires the same, if not more protection from blow-by as the DE, which is why we here at Mishimoto are already hard at work on a full catch can kit.

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