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  1. PROTECTED SPECIES - 2007-2013 INFINITI G37 / 2009+ NISSAN 370Z DIRECT FIT CATCH CAN, PART 2 - Blow-By Verified

    PROTECTED SPECIES - 2007-2013 INFINITI G37 / 2009+ NISSAN 370Z DIRECT FIT CATCH CAN, PART 2 - Blow-By Verified

    It's often an overlooked fact in the automotive world that every engine out there is affected by the by-product of its own combustion process, but it's true. It doesn't matter the size or the type of induction. Combustion gasses will still sneak past the piston rings, and those contaminated gasses will infiltrate the intake tract. The naturally aspirated V6 is an endangered species these days, and given the age of some of these VQ37 engines, the future for these power plants is starting to look bleak.

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    If you revisit the early stages of our project, however, you'll see that we've already been hard at work to save the VQs from themselves. Pushing that high of a compression for so long can put a

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  2. Protected Species - 2007-2015 Infiniti G37 / 2009+ Nissan 370Z Direct Fit Catch Can, Part 1 - Stock Review and Design Plans

    Protected Species - 2007-2015 Infiniti G37 / 2009+ Nissan 370Z Direct Fit Catch Can, Part 1 - Stock Review and Design Plans

    In this day and age, if you're an enthusiast in search of a naturally aspirated, performance-oriented 6-cylinder, you're almost out of luck. The last 8 years have been the age of forced induction with the 4-cylinder turbo layout edging the V6 closer toward extinction. Unless you have the money to spend on a Porsche, there just aren't many options out there anymore for the fun 6-cylinder.

    There is one manufacturer, though, who can deliver the "Fizz" (as James May would put it) without the fuss of a turbo or supercharger. That would be Nissan. I'm sure that most people would have visions of the dime-a-dozen Rogue or Sentra that dominates the roads these days. Anyone who knows anything about their Nissan and Infiniti is quite aware of the company's heritage. From the long-nosed Datsun coupes to the drifter's dream that was the 240SX"and let's not forget the 10+ generations of the Skyline/GT-R"Nissan has proved it's been around the block a few times.

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  3. Cooling is Coming- Nissan Titan XD Intercooler, Part 2: Final Prototype

    Cooling is Coming- Nissan Titan XD Intercooler, Part 2: Final Prototype

    Preparation is an elusive concept. No matter how much time you spend getting ready, you find yourself at the event remembering everything you did not bring. Perhaps this applies more to me, the least prepared individual of all. I constantly find myself in situations where if I had prepared, I could have been ahead of the eight-ball rather than feeling like it was tumbling down a hill after me. For instance, I once showed up to a track day without a tire pressure gauge, rookie mistake. Since then, I have learned the merits of taking some extra time to be prepared.

    The Titan XD is no different. The truck is relatively new, so many won't choose to modify it just yet, but we have a feeling that the XD has big things in its future. That is why we decided to be prepared with our intercooler.

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  4. Conquering the Catch Can - Part 3: Final Prototype Testing

    Conquering the Catch Can - Part 3: Final Prototype Testing

    If you remember from our last post about the Titan XD catch can, we ran into some challenges with the first and second prototypes. Since then we have perfected our design, so without further delay, let's look at our final prototype for testing.

    Final Prototype

    With the check engine light vanquished, our last update left us with a slightly different hurdle to climb. A buildup of condensation in the system had us a tad worried about possible freezing in the winter. Little did we know that the solution was right in the Titan's engine bay. One of the benefits of working on a larger truck is that there is more room under the hood to work with. We used this to our advantage and decided to relocate the can to another spot in the engine bay - one that would see more heat. The idea is that extra heat introduced to the catch can will burn off a good deal of the moisture and prevent freezing of the can. A fine theory, but let's see it in practice.

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  5. Conquering the Catch Can - Part 2: Prototype Update

    Conquering the Catch Can - Part 2: Prototype Update

    If you remember from our last post about the Titan XD catch can, we ran into some challenges with the first prototype. Since our existing catch can design did not agree with the Titan, it was back to the drawing board for our lead engineer, Dan.

    Updated Design

    Our standard catch can when installed on the Titan was generating a code causing the truck to go into limp mode. The cause of the code stemmed from our standard catch can being too restrictive for the Titan's beefy Cummins engine. This is not surprising, given the 50 micron filter and smaller design of the can, which was originally designed for gasoline-powered cars. This catch can design functions beautifully on smaller turbo engines such as the Focus and Fiesta, as well as larger American V8s in the new-generation Camaro SS and Mustang GT. It just might not be suitable for the turbo diesel V8 in our

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  6. 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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  7. 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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  8. Cooling the Cummins- Radiator R&D, Part 1: Stock Evaluation

    Cooling the Cummins- Radiator R&D, Part 1: Stock Evaluation

    Since Mishimoto's inception, we have grown to become more than just a radiator manufacturer; have expanded to offer many other performance parts for a variety of applications. For the Titan alone we already offer a several products, including an intercooler pipe and boot kit, exhaust, and coolant filtration kit. We have not, however, forgotten our roots. That being said, we have begun developing a radiator for our Nissan Titan XD.

    What improvements will we make?

    The stock radiator is sizeable compared to other stock units we have seen, but we still found some areas where we can improve on the factory design.

    Stock Titan XD radiator
    Stock Titan XD radiator

    We plan to increase the core thickness and create a fully

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  9. 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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  10. 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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