Subaru WRX CVT Transmission Cooler 2015+
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Interested in purchasing our WRX transmission cooler? Check out our product page for more information!
For our third prototype unit for the CVT cooler, we decided to take a more traditional approach. We would place the cooler in a location that would guarantee airflow. The main concern was fitting our large 19-row cooler in a position that would not leave any space for other aftermarket components. First, we mocked-up the cooler and developed some basic brackets that would place the cooler in an angled position behind the upper grille area. Check out a few shots of the mounted cooler!
Prototype 3 cooler mounted
Prototype 3 cooler mounted
Prototype 3 cooler mounted
As you can see above,the cooler is mounted at a slight angle, with two brackets supporting the cooler from the upper mounting points. We added an additional bracket to one of the lower mounting points, which you will see in the renderings later in this blog.
During this product design
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Interested in purchasing our WRX transmission cooler? Check out our product page for more information!
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
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Interested in purchasing our WRX transmission cooler? Check out our product page for more information!
Welcome back! The quest for low transmission fluid temperatures continues. Once we developed our goals and plan of action for this project, our engineering team went to work, grinding, welding, bending, and cutting. Our first prototype design was quite unique. We mounted one of our 19-row, stacked-plate fluid coolers next to the liquid-to-liquid transfer unit. This is the same location as the turbocharger on the previous generation of EJ engines. Check out the beginning of the mock-up below!
Prototype 1 mock-up
The primary concern with this location is airflow. This cooler utilizes external fins to promote the exchange of heat with the liquid running through the cooler. Without airflow, the effectiveness of this cooler is significantly diminished. The primary benefit of this location is packaging. Our lines will be short, which will alleviate
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Interested in purchasing our WRX transmission cooler? Check out our product page for more information!
WRX stock liquid-to-liquid CVT cooler
The lines are rubber with a sheathing to protect them from any rubbing. This unit mounts to the side of the engine block on the passenger side. After evaluating the stock unit, our team decided to design a product to assist the stock unit. The stock setup also functions as a fluid warmer, which will help bring the fluid up to operating temperature, and then our supplemental cooler will help retain optimal temperatures. Check out our test vehicle below!
Mishimoto CVT test vehicle
So we had everything we needed to start the project: a team of engineers, an office full of car enthusiasts, a 2015 WRX, testing equipment, and a shop full of fabrication equipment. First, we set a few simple goals to follow to obtain the results we wanted.
Project Goals
- Kit must be easy to install and require no vehicle modification.
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