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  1. Cooler Than Winterfell - Intercooler R&D, Part 1: Stock System Review

    Cooler Than Winterfell - Intercooler R&D, Part 1: Stock System Review

    George R.R. Martin isn't the only author who can write some gripping stuff about the cold. That's right, brace yourselves, winter is coming; and we are jumping into the frigid waters which we know well - improved intercooler performance. The patient going underneath our scalpel for R&D is the 2013+ Ford Focus ST, but per our usual process, let's first take a brief second to examine the stock system.

    Our Ford Focus ST intercooler on our surgical table
    Our Ford Focus ST intercooler getting inspected

    Ford decided to use tube-and-fin construction for this intercooler instead of bar and plate. The difference between the two is pretty simple. Tube-and-fin intercoolers are more commonplace amongst stock applications. They are lighter and promote greater

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  2. Say No to Plastic - Coolant Expansion Tank, Post 2: Final Prototype

    Say No to Plastic - Coolant Expansion Tank, Post 2: Final Prototype

    It has been a while since we took a look at what is going on in the world of the Fiesta expansion tank. In our last post we test fitted our 3D-printed prototype on the Fiesta ST. After fitment was confirmed, we played the waiting game for our final prototype's arrival at our development facility. Our best efforts at being patient paid off when we had two packages arrive this morning!

    Fiesta ST expansion tank Fiesta ST expansion tank

    Fiesta ST expansion tank Fiesta ST expansion tank

    Each expansion tank comes with an overflow hose and

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  3. Focus on Cooling! Mishimoto's Ford Focus ST Radiator R&D, Part 2: A Look at Our First Prototype

    Focus on Cooling! Mishimoto's Ford Focus ST Radiator R&D, Part 2: A Look at Our First Prototype

    Quick Recap

    It has been around two months since our last update on this project. We've had great feedback on the forums, and we appreciate everyone's comments and patience as we work toward completion. Our goal is to provide a performance radiator that allows users to track drive their STs without fear of overheating and entering limp mode.

    The primary reason for the delay was the construction of our first prototype. This radiator design is quite complex, as we showed with our 3D models in the first segment.

    Mishimoto Ford Focus ST radiator 3D model
    Mishimoto Ford Focus ST radiator 3D model

    The stock Focus radiator features several complicated components, each of which needed to be replicated in our design. Our

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  4. Keeping The Party Cool! Mishimoto's Ford Fiesta ST Radiator R&D, Part 5: Initial Testing Results

    Keeping The Party Cool! Mishimoto's Ford Fiesta ST Radiator R&D, Part 5: Initial Testing Results

    Interested in picking up our Fiesta ST aluminum radiator? Check out our the product page below.

    Mishimoto 2014+ Ford Fiesta ST Aluminum Radiator

    After quite an extensive developmental process, we're finally ready for some Ford Fiesta ST (FIST) radiator testing. This portion of our R&D process is crucial, as it will determine if our design is perfect or requires minor tweaks, or if the slate needs to be wiped clean for a fresh start. This particular radiator is unlike most that we develop. FIST owners are getting in trouble on the track, and no good solution to rising coolant temperatures has yet been found. We've attributed this to inefficiencies in both airflow and the inadequate stock FIST radiator. In order to fit a larger, more efficient radiator, we've had to modify the stock fan shroud. In doing so, we've created the space needed for the thicker radiator core,

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  5. Keeping The Party Cool! Mishimoto's Ford Fiesta ST Radiator R&D, Part 4: Shroud Completion

    Keeping The Party Cool! Mishimoto's Ford Fiesta ST Radiator R&D, Part 4: Shroud Completion

    Interested in picking up our Fiesta ST aluminum radiator? Check out our discounted pre-sale linked below.

    Mishimoto 2014+ Ford Fiesta ST Aluminum Radiator Pre-Sale!

    Now that we have a solid direction for our design plans, this project is moving right along. Last time we started the fabrication process for our fan shroud design. This unique setup would utilize the stock fan motor and blade, but we would relocate it in a space that would allow our thicker Ford Fiesta radiator to fit properly.

    Fabrication Continued

    With our shroud completed to its basic shape, our final portion of the design required mounting the fan to the shroud, creating a fan-blade cage, and creating appropriate mounts for the stock fan controller.

    We started with the cage, as this piece would determine the location and design of the other components on the list.

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  6. Keeping The Party Cool! Mishimoto's Ford Fiesta ST Radiator R&D, Part 3: Initial Fan Shroud Fabrication

    Keeping The Party Cool! Mishimoto's Ford Fiesta ST Radiator R&D, Part 3: Initial Fan Shroud Fabrication

    Interested in picking up our Fiesta ST aluminum radiator? Check out our discounted pre-sale linked below.

    Mishimoto 2014+ Ford Fiesta ST Aluminum Radiator Pre-Sale!

    It's been a few months since our last major update, and for good reason. Our team has been quite busy. As a quick recap, last time we test fitted our first Ford Fiesta ST (FIST) radiator prototype, only to find that the core thickness was larger than the vehicle would allow. Once the radiator was bolted to the fan shroud, the shroud made contact with numerous components on the engine, prompting us to pull out our markers and take a second look at the drawing board.

    Now, keep in mind the FIST has some serious cooling issues. Any pleasures on the track are normally negated after a lap or two causes coolant temperatures to reach the stratosphere, prompting a quick dart to the paddock. To improve the chances

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  7. Improve Airflow - Silicone Induction Hose R&D, Part 1: Stock Evaluation

    Improve Airflow - Silicone Induction Hose R&D, Part 1: Stock Evaluation

    You may have seen our R&D post on the full Fiesta ST intake, but this one is a little different. We are developing a silicone induction hose as solution for drivers of mainly stock Fiestas who don't want to replace their entire intake system. The stock rubber hose can be restrictive due to its shape and size. We believe that by creating a more free-flowing alternative we could see some substantial benefits without heavy modification to the Fiesta.

    Stock Fiesta ST parts in the engine bay
    Stock Fiesta ST parts in the engine bay

    First we examined the features of the stock hose. Aside from a barb fitting, the hose has a fairly straightforward design. The stock hose has quite a few ridges and flex sections throughout, not to mention a small inner

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  8. Downpipe for What - Downpipe R&D, Part 2: Creating the Prototypes

    Downpipe for What - Downpipe R&D, Part 2: Creating the Prototypes

    In our last post we took a look at the stock Fiesta ST downpipe as well as our slotted flange design based on the stock flange. We are still planning to create both a catted downpipe and a non-catted downpipe for race applications, so let's take a look at the progress!

    Downpipe Design

    After fitting the flange to the turbo, we began to piece together the rest of the downpipe coming off the flange and meeting with the exhaust. Both our designs feature a slotted flange that bolts to the turbo, in addition to a flex pipe near where they meet with the exhaust. This is important because the entire exhaust system will move a bit, and we need a flex point to allow for this. Not allowing room for flex in the downpipe would most certainly harm your exhaust system and possibly the turbo itself.
    We began by laying out the components of our prototype next to the stock Fiesta ST downpipe for comparison. Check out some shots below!

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  9. Focus On Cooling! Mishimoto's Focus ST Radiator R&D, Part 1: Problem and Solution Analysis

    Focus On Cooling! Mishimoto's Focus ST Radiator R&D, Part 1: Problem and Solution Analysis

    Our engineering team often tackles complex problems to provide ideal solutions for customers. This is true for all our product lines, across a broad range of vehicle makes and models. We are not strangers to Ford's lineup of EcoBoost models, and our team is quite familiar with the issues that exist for each. In general, we've found that the stock liquid cooling systems are not handling the abuse from heavy-footed ST (Fiesta, Focus) and Mustang owners. Each model shows deficiencies in coolant heat transfer, rising oil temperatures, and power-crippling heat-soak.

    In our effort to solve each problem, we've started a ton of awesome projects, performed unique testing, and we've had a blast working with the EcoBoost community. Now, we turn our attention to the Focus ST radiator. This component has become the elephant in the room, if the room were the paddock at the track. All around the world, Focus owners are hitting the track expecting a fun day of battles against physics, rev-match downshifts,

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  10. Turn Up the Volume - Cat-Back Exhaust R&D, Part 2: Sound Testing

    Turn Up the Volume - Cat-Back Exhaust R&D, Part 2: Sound Testing

    In our last post we took a good look at the stock Fiesta ST exhaust and the initial design of our cat-back exhaust. The exhaust was fabricated and installed on the car and then it was time to test the stock system.

    exhaust post 5

    To Resonate or Not to Resonate

    Getting the sound just right was quite a process. Our initial prototype featured 2.5" piping with a single rear muffler. This design did not feature a resonated mid-pipe unlike the stock unit. The initial design was sound tested on the dyno and also test driven by several members of the team. While we loved the low growl of the exhaust as it was, we wanted to test a resonated version before settling on a final design. As with all exhaust development projects, we are aiming for a final product that sounds great on throttle while still being

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