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Interested in picking up this aluminum E36 expansion tank? Check out our product page linked below!

BMW E36 Aluminum Coolant Expansion Tank!

Historically, BMW vehicles have been plagued with rather frequent cooling system failures. A majority of these failures are a result of the use of plastic components in a high-temperature application. Although failure isn't immediate, over time the frequent heat cycling of these plastic components results in increased fragility, fatigue, and eventual failure.

A few components we see failing on E36 models include the radiator end tanks, radiator expansion tank, and the mechanical fan. We already offer two aluminum radiator options, and we have an electric-fan conversion kit in the works. An expansion tank is our last stop for product development on the E36 (for now). We have had numerous requests for this component on both the 36 and 46 chassis, because folks are not pleased about having to replace this unit over and over again. They would prefer an

Interested in picking up our E36 fan shroud? Check out the full details on this kit on our product page!

Mishimoto BMW E36 Performance Fan Shroud Kit!

E36 M3 test vehicle

Cooling systems on older BMW models have been recognized as a frequent failure point requiring regular replacement to avoid catastrophic failure. This includes anything made of plastic within the system. So far we have a few remedies - an aluminum radiator and a silicone coolant hose kit. The mechanical fan is next on our list to be addressed.

The stock fan setup is certainly efficient in keeping your straight six cool. That said, a fan failure can get quite ugly with shrapnel tossed around the engine bay, often damaging other components. To reduce vehicle downtime and expense, it would be wise to replace this component before failure occurs.

Swapping your antiquated mechanical setup for an efficient electric system is a great way to improve reliability, and even free up some power on your vehicle. Check out the process

Interested in purchasing our Subaru WRX or STi intercooler kit? Check out more details on our product pages linked below!

Mishimoto Subaru WRX/STi Front-Mount Intercooler, 2001-2007

Mishimoto Subaru WRX Front-Mount Intercooler, 2008-2014

Mishimoto Subaru STi Front-Mount Intercooler, 2008-2014

Time to review our data so we can finally put a close on this project. The product development process for this front-mount intercooler has taken months and has also helped refine several of our processes. Before we move into the testing data, our first portion of this post will cover the physical benefits of our intercooler. By providing a more efficient heat exchanger, we can ensure that higher-powered vehicles are not being hindered by debilitating heat-soak and/or inefficiencies with the use of a top-mount intercooler setup.

Our first comparison point is internal flow area. This graph shows the volume of the actual air passages through the intercooler.

Comparison of internal flow area

Internal

Interested in purchasing this BMW E30/E36 aluminum radiator? Check out the product page for more information!

Mishimoto BMW E30/E36 X-Line Performance Aluminum Radiator

The testing results are in! First, a quick comparison of the fluid capacity improvements the Mishimoto X-line radiator provides.

Stock Radiator Capacity: 0.6 gal (2.27L)

Mishimoto X-Line Radiator Capacity: 1.15 gal (4.35L)

This is an increase in capacity of 91%! This additional fluid, combined with our highly efficient core design, should easily produce great gains in cooling efficiency. Let's evaluate our charts obtained from the testing data. First up, our raw temperature data from both rounds of testing.

Stock radiator testing data

The stock radiator is reasonably efficient, being more than adequate for normal street use and occasional track use. Extended track use, however, could present some issues. Our stock testing showed average inlet temperatures around 212°F (100˚C) and average outlet temperatures around 160°F

Interested in purchasing our Subaru WRX or STi intercooler kit? Check out more details on our product pages linked below!

Mishimoto Subaru WRX/STi Front-Mount Intercooler, 2001-2007

Mishimoto Subaru WRX Front-Mount Intercooler, 2008-2014

Mishimoto Subaru STi Front-Mount Intercooler, 2008-2014

We are nearing the end of this build. As mentioned in the last post, we wanted to put our core to the test and provide some cooling efficiency data that our customers could use. We decided to modify our 2010 STi to add some heat and power to the CAC system for testing. Information regarding our vehicle is listed below.

2010 Subaru WRX STI

• 6-Speed Manual
• Mishimoto Intake
• Mishimoto Front-Mount Intercooler
• Fuel Line Modification
• 3" Downpipe
• Tune

Check out a few shots of the car on the dyno!

Mishimoto GR STI on the dyno

Mishimoto GR STI on the dyno

As you can see, we have sensors installed on the piping, both the cold- and hot-side of the intercooler. We have pressure and temperature sensors hooked up

Interested in purchasing our Subaru WRX or STi intercooler kit? Check out more details on our product pages linked below!

Mishimoto Subaru WRX/STi Front-Mount Intercooler, 2001-2007

Mishimoto Subaru WRX Front-Mount Intercooler, 2008-2014

Mishimoto Subaru STi Front-Mount Intercooler, 2008-2014

As promised, we have a couple cool images showing these kits fully installed on our test vehicles. Check them out below!

First, our full kit installed on our shop 2003 WRX Bugeye wagon!

Bugeye wagon with Mishimoto kit fully installed

This intercooler fills out the bumper completely and looks fantastic. Next up, a look at this kit fully installed on the Hawkeye.

Hawkeye with Mishimoto kit fully installed

And a couple shots of our finalized GR STi kit!

GR STi with Mishimoto kit fully installed

GR STi with Mishimoto kit fully installed

Now that we had all of our kits developed, the project is complete, right? Wrong! We haven't tested this intercooler out yet! Now, we have conducted a ton of CFD and core

Interested in purchasing this BMW E30/E36 aluminum radiator? Check out the product page for more information!

Mishimoto BMW E30/E36 X-Line Performance Aluminum Radiator

Being pleased with our design in comparison to the stock unit, it was time to put this radiator to the test and see how the improvements would impact cooling efficiency. The first true test for this radiator would be fitment. Although this product was designed based off of dimensions from the stock radiator and the engine bay of an E36 M, we still had yet to drop this unit into a vehicle to ensure that all components bolted into position properly. We snagged the keys to our test vehicle from our videographer and easily dropped our prototype into place. Check out a few shots of this radiator installed!

Mishimoto X-line radiator installed

Mishimoto X-line radiator installed

As you can see, everything fit perfectly with this radiator. This vehicle is still utilizing the stock mechanical fan and everything clears as it should