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  1. Diff's Hot, Take it Easy - Rear Differential Cooler R&D, Part 3: Track Prep

    Diff's Hot, Take it Easy - Rear Differential Cooler R&D, Part 3: Track Prep

    When you're hurtling towards a concrete-walled turn at over 90 MPH, you'd better know that every nut and bolt in your car is torqued to spec.


    Photo: Nick Thomas

    We've all had to prepare for something before"a date, an interview, a test. It's always a stressful experience. Now imagine you were about to go on a date with somebody you were pretty sure is trying to kill you. Or, imagine that your desk would be pushed off a 100ft cliff if you failed that test. Preparing for a track day is a lot like that.

    _MG_4004

    About a week before our Focus RS was

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  2. Diff's Hot, Take it Easy - Part 1: The Rear Differential

    Diff's Hot, Take it Easy - Part 1: The Rear Differential

    At Mishimoto we are big fans of our little blue car. Over the past few months you could say we have formed a bond that only burnouts and track days can build. In testing various Focus RS parts (and maybe doing a few donuts, for science) we noticed that it is very easy to make the rear differential in the RS angry, and you won't like it when its angry. The rear diff makes the rules. Overheat it, and you're likely to end up parked for the day. When the rear diff heats up, the ECU in the RS pulls power in an attempt to cool it down. Therein lies the problem: We have a car that begs to be driven to the absolute limits and rear diff that is programmed to shut down when it reaches a certain temperature. Don't get us wrong, the problem doesn't seem to be with the diff itself, but rather with its inability to dissipate heat fast enough to keep up with this blue bat out of hell.

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  3. Cool Operator - Oil Cooler R&D, Part 3: Track Testing

    Cool Operator - Oil Cooler R&D, Part 3: Track Testing

    Update: Check out this awesome video of our track testing for this oil cooler!

    What more could a company filled with automotive enthusiasts want than a track day as a workday?! If it were up to me, I would start building our offices adjacent to my favorite tracks and have every meeting in the infield, because I can't think of a more excellent way to spend the day.

    I have to begin by thanking you all for collectively pushing for track data. While the type of testing we normally conduct is sufficient for learning how well our products perform under most conditions, nothing instills confidence at the track like pushing your creation to the ragged edge. Because, after all is said and done, that is where it counts. I am no stranger to racing of all sorts, and I can't think of anything more frustrating than working all week, or month

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  4. Keep your Cool- Transmission Cooler R&D, Part 2: Prototype Fitment

    Keep your Cool- Transmission Cooler R&D, Part 2: Prototype Fitment

    In our last post, we took a look at the stock Mustang automatic transmission cooler and our plans to make it even better. We designed the cooler in Solidworks, based off the measurements obtained from both the GT and the stock cooler. We will be doing our R&D with this bold yellow GT, but based on our research, this cooler will fit all models of S550 Mustang including the EcoBoost and V6. But enough about fitments, the prototype is complete! It is time to see how well our digital design translated into a real-life prototype.

    Mishimoto Mustang trans cooler
    Mishimoto Mustang trans cooler

    So far the trans cooler is looking good. It is much larger than the stock cooler, 50% larger to be exact. The stock cooler comes in at 10 rows, where the Mishimoto

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  5. Keep your Cool - Transmission Cooler R&D, Part 1: Prototype Design

    Keep your Cool - Transmission Cooler R&D, Part 1: Prototype Design

    Over the past year we have been getting acquainted with our Mustang GT, and in the process we've developed an entire line of cooling products for it. In the spirit of staying cool, we are on to our next project, the Mustang GT Automatic Transmission Cooler.

    Donor vehicle for Mustang GT trans cooler testing
    Donor vehicle for Mustang GT trans cooler testing

    Heat is generally the enemy of an automatic transmission. In fact, the Ford factory service manual notes that when the GT's computer senses the transmission overheating, it will limit RPMs until the temperature returns to a normal range. There is nothing worse than a track day ending early due to high temps of any kind, including in the transmission. Whether you are taking your GT to the track or

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  6. The Heel-Toe Hero - Focus RS Pedal Spacer R&D

    The Heel-Toe Hero - Focus RS Pedal Spacer R&D

    From its conception, the RS was designed to be an enthusiast's dream. The car is beyond agile and begs to be driven within inches of its limits, and assuming its driver is alive and breathing, they are more than happy to oblige. If you have driven a Focus RS, you know that it is happiest heading into a corner, hunkered down, with the RPMs up. With the aggressive driving style that the RS demands, comes the dark art that is heel-toe. Only the best can tame the RS with properly executed downshifts, and in return it will reward you with the exhilarating feeling of powering through a corner.

    Mishimoto's Focus RS
    Mishimoto's Focus RS

    At Mishimoto, we love driving our RS, and in the process of testing various parts on our engineering vehicle, the idea for

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  7. Cool Operator - Oil Cooler R&D, Part 2: Prototype Testing

    Cool Operator - Oil Cooler R&D, Part 2: Prototype Testing

    High oil temperatures can shut down a track day faster than you can scream your favorite four-letter word. Unfortunately, high oil temps are already sidelining RS owners at the track. Not to worry, Team Mishi is on it!  In our last post, we took a look at the stock cooler and our plans to create a larger one. Now it's time to construct and test our prototype.

    Prototype Focus RS oil cooler bracket
    Prototype Focus RS oil cooler bracket

    Prototype Focus RS oil cooler bracket
    Prototype Focus RS oil cooler bracket

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  8. Mishimoto+Hoonigan: Together at Last - The Story of the World's Greatest Oil Cap

    Mishimoto+Hoonigan: Together at Last - The Story of the World's Greatest Oil Cap

    Order your Hoonigan Oil Cap today! 

    When two independent entities combine their shared strengths with their individual specialties to produce something new, the result is often a product that embodies greatness of a magnitude even grander than that of the parties whence it came - just ask my parents (kidding, Mom and Dad!). Joking aside, we call this effect synergy, and here are a few renowned examples:

    • Peanut Butter and Jelly
    • Snoop and Dr. Dre
    • Disney and Pixar
    • Jobs and Wozniak
    • LS Motors and any chassis ever

    You get the idea. Anyway, you might be wondering where I'm going with this (unless you were enterprising enough to read the title), but I am excited to share with you the newest addition to the above list of greats: Mishimoto is partnering up with Hoonigan to produce some products that are sure to

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  9. One Rad GT - Radiator R&D, Part 2: Final Prototype

    One Rad GT - Radiator R&D, Part 2: Final Prototype

    In our last post we took a look at our plans for the Mustang radiator and how we were designing it in Solidworks. Thanks to the speedy design, our first functional prototype is complete and ready for some test fitment!

    Straight out of the box, it is quite a hefty unit and should provide some much needed cooling for this GT. Check out some installed photos of our functional prototype.

    Mustang radiator installed
    Mustang radiator installed

    Mustang radiator installed
    Mustang radiator installed

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  10. One Rad GT - Radiator R&D, Part 1: Stock Evaluation

    One Rad GT - Radiator R&D, Part 1: Stock Evaluation

    As many of you are aware, we have explored nearly every inch of our GT in a quest to bring you some seriously awesome Mustang parts. While catch cans and oil coolers are exciting, we have a hunch that the most anticipated product is the Mustang radiator. Aluminum radiators are the staple component among our various product lines, so we were excited to show you our progress on this project.

    The stock radiator is your run-of-the-mill OEM unit equipped with plastic end tanks. While there is nothing wrong with this setup for the average GT, we still see some room for improvement. First, Ford was on the right track when it equipped it's performance-pack version of the GT with a larger radiator. The performance-pack boasts a 36mm core, compared to the standard GT radiator that comes in at 25mm. We plan to offer our own version, which will have more capacity than either the standard or performance-pack options.

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