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  1. Keeping The E36 Cool, Part 2: Second Prototype

    Keeping The E36 Cool, Part 2: Second Prototype

    Interested in picking up our E36 fan shroud? Check out the full details on this kit on our product page!

    Mishimoto BMW E36 Performance Fan Shroud Kit!

    E36 M3 on dyno
    E36 M3 on dyno

    First Prototype Testing

    When we left off last time we were exploring our first prototype design. This unit is a traditional aluminum fan shroud with air flaps to improve core airflow at speed. Once we had a working prototype, we decided to perform some idle testing to see how well our single electric fan would perform on a mostly stock E36 M3.

    To get started, we began removing the stock setup.

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  2. Mishimoto E46 Non-M Aluminum Radiator R&D, Part 1: Stock Radiator Evaluation

    Mishimoto E46 Non-M Aluminum Radiator R&D, Part 1: Stock Radiator Evaluation

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

    Mishimoto BMW E46 Non-M Performance Aluminum Radiator!

    E46 325ci test vehicle
    E46 325ci test vehicle


    A peek under the hood reveals a clean and entirely stock engine bay. This would be helpful because we know what components we will need to incorporate into the design of our radiator. It will also help provide clearance information in regard to how much we can increase the size of our radiator.

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  3. BMW E36 Aluminum Coolant Expansion Tank R&D, Part 1: Intro and Factory Tank

    BMW E36 Aluminum Coolant Expansion Tank R&D, Part 1: Intro and Factory Tank

    Interested in picking up this aluminum E36 expansion tank? Check out our product page linked below!

    BMW E36 Aluminum Coolant Expansion Tank!

    Historically, BMW vehicles have been plagued with rather frequent cooling system failures. A majority of these failures are a result of the use of plastic components in a high-temperature application. Although failure isn't immediate, over time the frequent heat cycling of these plastic components results in increased fragility, fatigue, and eventual failure.

    A few components we see failing on E36 models include the radiator end tanks, radiator expansion tank, and the mechanical fan. We already offer two aluminum radiator options, and we have an electric-fan conversion kit in the works. An expansion tank is our last stop for product development on the E36 (for now). We have had numerous requests

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  4. Keeping the E36 Cool, Part 1: Initial Fan Shroud Design

    Keeping the E36 Cool, Part 1: Initial Fan Shroud Design

    Interested in picking up our E36 fan shroud? Check out the full details on this kit on our product page!

    Mishimoto BMW E36 Performance Fan Shroud Kit!

    E36 M3 test vehicle
    E36 M3 test vehicle

    Cooling systems on older BMW models have been recognized as a frequent failure point requiring regular replacement to avoid catastrophic failure. This includes anything made of plastic within the system. So far we have a few remedies - an aluminum radiator and a silicone coolant hose kit. The mechanical fan is next on our list to be addressed.

    The stock fan setup is certainly efficient in keeping your straight six cool. That said, a fan failure can get quite ugly

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  5. Mishimoto Subaru WRX/STi FMIC Kit, Part 8: Testing Data Presentation and Project Recap

    Mishimoto Subaru WRX/STi FMIC Kit, Part 8: Testing Data Presentation and Project Recap

    Interested in purchasing our Subaru WRX or STi intercooler kit? Check out more details on our product pages linked below!

    Mishimoto Subaru WRX/STi Front-Mount Intercooler, 2001-2007

    Mishimoto Subaru WRX Front-Mount Intercooler, 2008-2014

    Mishimoto Subaru STi Front-Mount Intercooler, 2008-2014

    Time to review our data so we can finally put a close on this project. The product development process for this front-mount intercooler has taken months and has also helped refine several of our processes. Before we move into the testing data, our first portion of this post will cover the physical benefits of our intercooler. By providing a more efficient heat exchanger, we can ensure that higher-powered vehicles are not being hindered by debilitating heat-soak

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  6. Mishimoto BMW E30/E36 X-Line Radiator, Part 4: Cooling Efficiency Results

    Mishimoto BMW E30/E36 X-Line Radiator, Part 4: Cooling Efficiency Results

    Interested in purchasing this BMW E30/E36 aluminum radiator? Check out the product page for more information!

    Mishimoto BMW E30/E36 X-Line Performance Aluminum Radiator

    The testing results are in! First, a quick comparison of the fluid capacity improvements the Mishimoto X-line radiator provides.

    Stock Radiator Capacity: 0.6 gal (2.27L)

    Mishimoto X-Line Radiator Capacity: 1.15 gal (4.35L)

    This is an increase in capacity of 91%! This additional fluid, combined with our highly efficient core design, should easily produce great gains in cooling efficiency. Let's evaluate our charts obtained from the testing data. First up, our raw temperature data from both rounds of testing.

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  7. Mishimoto Subaru WRX/STI FMIC Kit, Part 7: Cooler Efficiency Testing

    Mishimoto Subaru WRX/STI FMIC Kit, Part 7: Cooler Efficiency Testing

    Interested in purchasing our Subaru WRX or STi intercooler kit? Check out more details on our product pages linked below!

    Mishimoto Subaru WRX/STi Front-Mount Intercooler, 2001-2007

    Mishimoto Subaru WRX Front-Mount Intercooler, 2008-2014

    Mishimoto Subaru STi Front-Mount Intercooler, 2008-2014

    We are nearing the end of this build. As mentioned in the last post, we wanted to put our core to the test and provide some cooling efficiency data that our customers could use. We decided to modify our 2010 STi to add some heat and power to the CAC system for testing. Information regarding our vehicle is listed below.

    2010 Subaru WRX STI

    • 6-Speed Manual
    • Mishimoto Intake
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  8. Mishimoto Subaru WRX/STi Front-Mount Intercooler Kit, Part 6: Final Prototype Installation Shots

    Mishimoto Subaru WRX/STi Front-Mount Intercooler Kit, Part 6: Final Prototype Installation Shots

    Interested in purchasing our Subaru WRX or STi intercooler kit? Check out more details on our product pages linked below!

    Mishimoto Subaru WRX/STi Front-Mount Intercooler, 2001-2007

    Mishimoto Subaru WRX Front-Mount Intercooler, 2008-2014

    Mishimoto Subaru STi Front-Mount Intercooler, 2008-2014

    As promised, we have a couple cool images showing these kits fully installed on our test vehicles. Check them out below!

    First, our full kit installed on our shop 2003 WRX Bugeye wagon!

    Bugeye wagon with Mishimoto kit fully installed
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  9. Mishimoto BMW E30/E36 X-Line Radiator, Part 3: Prototype Test Fit and Performance Testing Process

    Mishimoto BMW E30/E36 X-Line Radiator, Part 3: Prototype Test Fit and Performance Testing Process

    Interested in purchasing this BMW E30/E36 aluminum radiator? Check out the product page for more information!

    Mishimoto BMW E30/E36 X-Line Performance Aluminum Radiator

    Being pleased with our design in comparison to the stock unit, it was time to put this radiator to the test and see how the improvements would impact cooling efficiency. The first true test for this radiator would be fitment. Although this product was designed based off of dimensions from the stock radiator and the engine bay of an E36 M, we still had yet to drop this unit into a vehicle to ensure that all components bolted into position properly. We snagged the keys to our test vehicle from our videographer and easily dropped our prototype into place. Check out a few shots of this radiator installed!

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  10. Mishimoto Subaru WRX/STi Front-Mount Intercooler Kit, Part 5: Intercooler Pipe Fabrication/Development Continued

    Mishimoto Subaru WRX/STi Front-Mount Intercooler Kit, Part 5: Intercooler Pipe Fabrication/Development Continued

    Interested in purchasing our Subaru WRX or STi intercooler kit? Check out more details on our product pages linked below!

    Mishimoto Subaru WRX/STi Front-Mount Intercooler, 2001-2007

    Mishimoto Subaru WRX Front-Mount Intercooler, 2008-2014

    Mishimoto Subaru STi Front-Mount Intercooler, 2008-2014

    GR STI stock intercooler removed
    GR STI stock intercooler removed

    Once the engine bay was evaluated, we began to fabricate piping. Our goal was to route these pipes in the cleanest possible fashion while keeping the route as short as possible. First, the upper

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