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  1. Removing the Rubber - Silicone Induction Hose R&D, Part 1: Stock Review and 3D Models

    Removing the Rubber - Silicone Induction Hose R&D, Part 1: Stock Review and 3D Models

    Setting the Scene"

    The early summer sun hangs low and cool against the rolling American meadows, lazily beginning to cast its gaze over another serene, newborn morning. Delicate but unwavering, it brings the landscape to life, painting the valley in amber shades so warm they can practically be felt. The depth and flowing continuity in these endless fields, draped in their clementine pallet, remains mostly unbroken but for a neat, dark ribbon of tarmac, slicing back and forth as if laid down by the hawk gliding soundlessly above.

    Like an incoming storm, an imposing, thunderous tone bellows distantly above the hills, cutting through the picturesque still-life and growing louder as it echoes, following the zig-zagging vein of asphalt, ever-aggressively surging forward and inhaling the scene's serenity only to expel it rearward in an affront to all things understated. Contrasting though it may seem, the proprietor

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  2. The Civic Has Boost! - Intake R&D, Part 4: Prototype Kit Components

    The Civic Has Boost! - Intake R&D, Part 4: Prototype Kit Components

    We finally have all our prototype 2016 Honda Civic parts together for this kit. Let's briefly examine everything we have so far, starting with the airbox.

    Prototype 2016 Honda Civic parts
    Prototype 2016 Honda Civic parts

    Prototype 2016 Honda Civic parts
    Prototype 2016 Honda Civic parts

    As we discussed in the last post, we wanted to utilize the stock air inlet as much as possible, which is why we kept an opening at the top of the airbox. The remainder of the filter enclosure is protected within the physical box, to help keep

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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. Fresh Air For The Fiesta! ST Performance Intake R&D, Part 7: Final Prototype Installation

    Fresh Air For The Fiesta! ST Performance Intake R&D, Part 7: Final Prototype Installation

    With our final prototype in hand, our team went to work bolting everything into place. We've made minor tweaks to the design, so we just want to be sure fitment is spot-on for our final iteration.

    Check out a few shots from the final install.

    Ford Fiesta ST Intake fully installed
    Ford Fiesta ST Intake fully installed

    Ford Fiesta ST Intake fully installed
    Ford Fiesta ST Intake fully installed

    Everything bolted on perfectly, and this setup looks quite nice in the engine bay of the Fiesta. We will be making one small adjustment

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  5. Beat The Heat! Mishimoto Fiesta ST Intercooler R&D, Part 5: Second Prototype Fabrication

    Beat The Heat! Mishimoto Fiesta ST Intercooler R&D, Part 5: Second Prototype Fabrication

    Our quest for the perfect intercooler core continues! So far we've perfected the fitment and size of our intercooler core. Our final task is to adjust internal fin composition to create a perfect blend of pressure retention and temperature benefits.

    Prototype Ford Fiesta ST Intercooler Fabrication

    Timing is a bit of a concern for us at this time. This project has been lengthy, but it will be worth the effort and time when we know our best efforts have been captured in our final product.

    Our final version of this intercooler will likely feature a tube-and-fin core. The benefits of weight and airflow are too important to ignore, not to mention the temperature drops we are seeing with a strategically designed internal core.

    For our team, the creation of a bar-and-plate cooler is a much quicker process. We've found that pressure drop between the two core types is similar if fin style, density, or both are the same. So for this test, we are using two bar-and-plate

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  6. Beat The Heat! Mishimoto Fiesta ST Intercooler R&D, Part 4: Initial Prototype Testing

    Beat The Heat! Mishimoto Fiesta ST Intercooler R&D, Part 4: Initial Prototype Testing

    The most exciting part of product R&D is always the testing phase. This typically includes setting up some neat sensors, running the car on the dyno or on the street, and crunching our data. We are anxious to see how our first prototype coolers perform on the Fiesta. Let's jump right into the plans for this first round of testing.

    Testing Plans

    As mentioned in the previous segment, we will test four different coolers.

    • Stock intercooler
    • Mishimoto bar-and-plate prototype 1 (larger internal bar height)
    • Mishimoto bar-and-plate prototype 2 (smaller internal bar height)
    • Mishimoto tube-and-fin prototype

    For each cooler we will be collecting data for temperature, pressure, and power output. Each cooler will be tested repeatedly until we have three consistent runs producing data as accurate as possible.

    Below is a look at the three different core types that will be tested.

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  7. Fresh Air For The Fiesta! ST Performance Intake R&D, Part 6: Final Prototype

    Fresh Air For The Fiesta! ST Performance Intake R&D, Part 6: Final Prototype

    We are quite excited about the completion of our final prototype intake for the Ford Fiesta ST (FIST)! After months of development, testing, and design work, we are ready to present our final creation. First we will go through each component and cover important details regarding their features.

    Silicone Turbo Inlet Hose

    Starting at the turbocharger compressor inlet, we have our silicone inlet hose. This piece was constructed specifically for this kit and is extremely robust.

    Mishimoto's Ford Fiesta ST intake silicone inlet hose
    Mishimoto's Ford Fiesta ST intake silicone inlet hose

    Five layers of silicone comprise this hose, along with embedded fibers and steel wire for added rigidity. This hose must withstand the suction created

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  8. Beat The Heat! Mishimoto Fiesta ST Intercooler R&D, Part 3: Completed Prototypes

    Beat The Heat! Mishimoto Fiesta ST Intercooler R&D, Part 3: Completed Prototypes

    We're back with another update! Our team has been busy constructing our functional Ford Fiesta ST (FIST) intercooler prototypes, putting a lot of work into the R&D design stages, and now we get to see if it pay off. Enough of the wait, lets jump right into some images of our five prototype coolers.

    Ford Fiesta ST intercooler prototypes
    Ford Fiesta ST intercooler prototypes

    Ford Fiesta ST intercooler prototypes
    Ford Fiesta ST intercooler prototypes

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  9. Beat The Heat. Mishimoto Fiesta ST Intercooler R&D, Part 2: First Prototype 3D Models

    Beat The Heat. Mishimoto Fiesta ST Intercooler R&D, Part 2: First Prototype 3D Models

    Time for another update on our intercooler project! Last time we left off with a foam intercooler core and some cool 3D-printed end tanks. This update is a bit more exciting!

    Mock Up Prototype

    With both the tanks printed and our core cut to shape, we could mate these pieces to check fitment of our existing design.

    Prototype Ford Fiesta ST intercooler assembled
    Prototype Ford Fiesta ST intercooler assembled

    The tanks feature the mounting pegs and brackets to attach the cooler to the radiator and support.

    Prototype</body> " width="200" height="300">
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  10. Beat The Heat! Mishimoto Fiesta ST Intercooler R&D, Part 1: Big Plans for a Little Car

    Beat The Heat! Mishimoto Fiesta ST Intercooler R&D, Part 1: Big Plans for a Little Car

    We've discussed R&D for many of our typical product segments for the Fiesta ST. These include our in-progress aluminum radiator, our already released catch can kit and oil cooler solution, as well as our nearly complete intake system and exhaust components (both cat-back and downpipe). Our company is also known for its strong line of heat exchangers, so we certainly need to see what can be done about the undersized stock intercooler on the Fiesta.

    Heat is a big enemy of the Fiesta, as many have already discovered during track driving. High oil temperatures, high coolant temperatures, and a heat-soaked intercooler all commonly occur after short periods of aggressive driving. We've been actively tackling both the coolant and oil temperature concerns in other development threads, but now it's time to lower the intake temperatures with an upgraded intercooler.

    Stock Intercooler Evaluation

    You've probably seen the stock Ford Fiesta ST intercooler on

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