Mishimoto 2015 Subaru WRX CVT Transmission Fluid Cooler, Part 3: Prototype 2 Development and Testing

Mishimoto 2015 Subaru WRX CVT Transmission Fluid Cooler, Part 3: Prototype 2 Development and Testing

Interested in purchasing our WRX transmission cooler? Check out our product page for more information!

Mishimoto Subaru WRX CVT Transmission Cooler

After we witnessed reasonable performance gains with our first prototype, we decided to evaluate what we liked and didn't like with the design.

Pros

  • Short line lengths
  • Efficient cooling
  • Compact design and packaging

Cons

  • Did not achieve the temperature decreases we wanted to see
  • Requires wiring of the electric fan
  • Airflow was not as sufficient as it could be

This first design was efficient but not ideal for what we wanted out of the project. To obtain the desired cooling benefits, the addition of an electric fan was necessary. However, the fan would add complexity and wiring to the product, which we would like to avoid. So we hit the drawing board to work on a second design. We would attempt to keep the cooler in the same location; however, we would work to improve airflow through the cooler. Dan set about to fabricate a new scoop that would pull air from a different location. Check it out!

Prototype 2 air duct
Prototype 2 air duct

Prototype 2 air duct
Prototype 2 air duct

Prototype 2 air duct
Prototype 2 air duct

Yes, we went a bit out of the box on this design prototype. The design placed a scoop that would gather more air due to its location. Unfortunately, this also placed it in a location that made it very susceptible to road damage. Although a reasonable idea for a specific race vehicle, this design was not going to be applicable for road-going vehicles. We decided to regroup for one more shot at the design.

Our primary issue up to this point was airflow. We wanted to keep the cooler away from the front of the vehicle for two reasons. First: line length. The added length of fluid lines would affect fluid pressure, and we were not sure how this would affect the transmission. Second: front bumper real-estate. We are aware that consumers would likely be installing front-mount intercoolers. Although this upgrade might not gain popularity until these vehicles are a few years old, we would still have to consider that possibility.

With these concerns in mind, we set out to design a third prototype in an attempt to gain greater airflow while allowing space for future vehicle modifications.

Check back next time where we fabricate and test our third prototype design!

Thanks for following along!

Interested in purchasing our WRX transmission cooler? Check out our product page for more information!

Mishimoto Subaru WRX CVT Transmission Cooler