Page 80 - Engineering

We're getting closer to dyno testing! Our intake piping and turbo inlet hose are now complete. A well-designed airbox is the last portion of our intake design before we begin performance testing. The airbox will provide a shield for the filter to reduce the impact of engine bay heat. It also allows us to create a volume for cold air to enter from the stock duct, routing directly to our filter.

The airbox design was pretty extensive for this project, so this is a long post. Sit back, crack open your favorite beverage, and read on!

Airbox Fabrication

We started this process with cardboard templates. These templates helped us quickly adjust and modify the shape and bends until we had a design that provided for appropriate clearance. The space between the battery and air duct is quite slender, so the design will need to be precise.

Another update on our E46 expansion tank project! Last time we showed off some images of our prototype unit, noting the numerous precise features we built into our design. This time we are installing the tank in our test vehicle to confirm fitment with the stock shroud and all coolant connection points. In addition, we will check out clearance between the tank and the belt-drive system to ensure appropriate fitment.

Removing the Stock BMW E46 Expansion Tank

Stock BMW E46 expansion tank installed

First we need to remove the stock tank from our test vehicle. As you can see in the image above, the stock fan shroud is the first component to come out before we tackle the expansion

We've logged some miles (and smiles) during the testing of our two cat-back exhaust setups. We've decided on a strategy for the muffler selection, one that we feel best suits the tones of the Mustang EcoBoost (EB). Our team determined that the round muffler setup is just a touch too loud, and that the oval mufflers shown in the previous segment provided the exact sound we are seeking. Months of tedious design and testing have resulted in drone-less operation on the highway, improved volume at wide-open-throttle( WOT), and stock-like sounds during light/partial throttle.

I am sure you guys are eager for some final sound clips, but you will have to wait just a bit longer. In the meantime, we've settled on the muffler tip we will be using, and we've fitted it to our final prototype. Check out the process below!

Tip Design

We've gone with an appealing tip design for our EcoBoost Mustang exhaust system. Check out a few shots prior to mating this with the

Interested in purchasing our new Civic Si intake system? Check out more details on our product page linked below!

Mishimoto Honda Civic Si Performance Air Intake

Our last write-up for this Civic Si intake included our dyno testing results as well as some insight into our use of 3D printing for rapid prototyping. Since then, we've tweaked our design to provide flawless fitment and we've constructed a final prototype. The last box to check on our list is a final fitment verification and road testing. Our test vehicle owner will be putting some additional road miles on the car and will offer his opinion of the improved intake sound. Soon we will have a new addition to our line of Honda Civic Si parts!

Final Prototype

Interested in purchasing our awesome intake system? Check out our product page linked below!

Mishimoto Nissan 350Z Performance Air Intake!

With our initial design completed, it is time to strap our Z to the dyno and make a few pulls. We would be evaluating power output and engine sound, both of which are important aspects of our Nissan 350Z intake design.

Dyno Testing

Setting vehicle up for Nissan 350Z intake testing

Once we had the car lined up properly, we were ready to make some pulls!

This is a pretty cool post, something a bit out of the ordinary for our projects. We typically utilize our existing silicone boots in our intercooler kits, intake systems, etc. For this project, we decided to manufacture the first portion of our intake system from a wire-reinforced silicone hose. This would facilitate an easier installation, and it would also provide a smooth airflow transition from the small turbocharger compressor inlet to our intake's large pipe diameter. Since we like to show you what goes into developing our prototypes, check out the process for creating our silicone turbo inlet hose below!

Printing Our Fixture

The hose we have in mind will follow the path of the stock induction hose, which is actually a plastic piece on the stock ST. Before beginning our silicone project, we needed a fixture that would serve as a base for the silicone layers that will be applied. After making a model in Solidworks, we fired up the 3D printer and watched

Interested in purchasing our 6.0L intake elbow?

We're back with another update on our 6.0L Powerstroke intake elbow project! Last time we covered the stock unit and noted the plans we had for our rendition of the intake elbow. After collecting data from the stock piece, we began mapping our prototypes on 3D-modeling software.

Prototype 1

Our first prototype comes by way of the almighty 3D printer. We made a quick design in Solidworks to map out the appearance and dimensional constraints for our design.

Mishimoto 6.0L Powerstroke intake elbow prototype 1

Interested in purchasing our E46 aluminum radiator? Check out our product page linked below!

We are pretty pumped about our new BMW performance parts! Our prototype radiator looks and fits great, so now let's make sure it performs as well as we intended. As we noted previously, we've made a variety of improvements over the stock core to improve heat transfer and efficiency. Let's take a look at the specs!

Core Improvements

BMW E46 radiator coolant surface area comparison

Our first comparison is coolant surface area, which is a measure of the area of the coolant tubes within the core. Greater tube area results in increased heat transfer as well

Now that we had a ton of information and data points for the stock intake system, it was time to begin creating our own design.

Piping Fabrication

We're starting our intake system at the turbocharger and working to the airbox. We intend to place our box in the same location as the stock unit so we can take advantage of the stock cold-air duct.

We switched on the band saw, fired up the welder, and started tackling the route for our prototype pipe. Our first length runs from the turbocharger around to the rear of the valve cover.

Prototype Fiesta ST parts