mishimoto

Hey Evom,

We have been working on a new intercooler for the past few months in an effort to improve upon our existing product. Our team has performed extensive testing and the process was documented from beginning to end. We decided to share this information with the community!

Feel free to chime in at any time with question, concerns, or comments.

This product build and many others can be found on our engineering blog if you are interested in reading more!

2008–2014 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Performance Intercooler Part 1: Product Introduction, Goals and Initial Testing

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution continues to live up to its reputation as an ideal vehicle for the street, track, and rally course. Years of rally pedigree, a turbocharged inline 4-cylinder, and an AWD system that provides grip on any surface have all solidified its place as an illustrious and desired vehicle. Mishimoto is a fan of the Evolution as can be seen by our large line of Evo products, from the 4-chassis to the 10-chassis, including intercoolers, radiators, silicone coolant hoses, fan shrouds, and much more. Currently, we offer an intercooler for the Evolution X. Why would Mishimoto be developing another intercooler? The answer to this is simple. Our current product is suitable for stock and moderate bolt-on vehicles. Evo X owners are taking these vehicles to higher and higher power levels, and we needed a cooler that can support this need. A new cooler would provide optimal efficiency for vehicles that are beyond minor bolt-on modifications and tuning: vehicles with turbo upgrades, built motors, and aggressive boost pressures.

An intercooler upgrade is important for any vehicle running higher than OEM boost pressures. The stock intercooler for the Evo X has a fairly efficient tube-and-fin core. Once boost increases or larger turbochargers are installed , however, the CAC system begins dealing with substantial heat. The stock cooler just can’t keep up. Tube-and-fin coolers are great for their light weight and airflow, but they tend to heat-soak rather quickly. For greater efficiency we would need a larger bar-and-plate core with a dense fin composition for optimal heat transfer. Our team began brainstorming a few ideas regarding our performance goals, material choices, and construction. From this discussion we developed a few basic goals for the project.

Goals:

• Develop an intercooler that can support up to 550+ whp.
• Use cast end tanks for durability and airflow enhancements.
• Intercooler should perform adequately with stock vehicles and allow for future upgrades without having to upgrade this component again.
• Have a core size of at least 3.5” in thickness.
• Support increased temperatures from upgraded turbochargers or high boost pressures.

A few of these are open-ended, because we want our goals to support a range of vehicles, from stock to those achieving 550 whp. Our engineers would need to nail down a core composition that would provide great heat transfer without negatively affecting airflow. Balancing heat transfer and airflow would result in an intercooler that supports a majority of the modified vehicles on the road. Yes, I am aware that some Evo X vehicles achieve greater than 550 whp; however, we have found an optimal target range to be 550 whp or less. We spent some time on the forums and found bolt-on and tuned vehicles making well over 300 whp, which is rather impressive for such little investment. Indeed, Evo X modifications really do provide some nice bang for your buck, and it seems that the 4B11T inherited this trait from the brilliant 4G63T of the previous generation. I recall the late GVR4 and DSM that both made absurd power for pennies. They were great cars to tinker with when they weren’t shredding through timing belts or blowing through transmissions! I still have the Galant on my vehicle bucket list, and I’m just waiting for that mint Belize Green to show up for sale locally!

Back to the intercooler discussion! Below is an image of our existing intercooler. This core is 3” thick and utilizes a very nice bar-and-plate construction. It would be simple for our team to just expand the core and adjust the end tanks accordingly. Instead, we will be developing a fully new product. Our engineers will experiment with the end-tank design to achieve ideal airflow air and perfect dispersion through the core.


Current Mishimoto Evolution X intercooler

The images below show a quick comparison between the stock intercooler and the current Mishimoto intercooler. The third and fourth images show inside the end tank for a look at the core. Here you can see the differences between a tube-and-fin core and a bar-and-plate design.


OEM intercooler and current Mishimoto Evolution X intercooler


Thickness comparison of current Mishimoto Evolution X intercooler (below) and OEM intercooler


OEM intercooler


Current Mishimoto intercooler

Because we already have an existing product as well as a factory intercooler, creating an initial prototype would be simple. Using dimensions from these two coolers as well as our experience with the Evo X, we were able to design a prototype quickly and get it in the shop for evaluation. Check out our prototype below!


New Mishimoto intercooler prototype

Check back next time for a closer inspection of our prototype cooler!

Thanks!

Kartyman550

iTrader: (1)

Any info on how it compares?
Weight, Flow... like in this chart?
http://www.evoxforums.com/forums/sho...t=31677&page=2

infeKteDx

Feel free to use my 08 X as a test for the first product line!

mishimoto

Thanks for the interest! We do not currently have flow information, however I can provide the core specs for comparison with the chart in that thread!

Core Length: 19.5"
Core Height: 12"
Core Width: 3.5"
Core Volume: 819 cubic inches

Our next few posts will have all of our testing information so you can evaluate our new intercooler and see how it fits with your vehicle goals.

Thanks!

We appreciate the offer! As you will see in our next few posts, all testing has been completed!

mishimoto

Hey guys,

Check out our first round of testing!

2008–2014 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Performance Intercooler Part 2: Prototype Initial Testing

Now that we had a prototype, we would be determining if any initial points of modification could enhance performance. First we looked at the core composition and were very pleased with it. We received a couple different cores with varying fin pitches and bar heights. We would be testing each of these cores to see how the changes affect power output. Check out the images below for a look through the end tank!


Fin density of the Mishimoto race intercooler prototype


Fin density of Mishimoto race intercooler prototype

Our team was immediately concerned with the thickness of the castings for the inlet/outlet. We were focused on creating a heavy-duty product that could withstand anything thrown at it, so these end tanks were cast fairly thick for durability and boost tolerance. Because of this thickness, the inlet and outlet lost some inner diameter (while keeping them thick), which would provide a slight restriction compared to the OEM intercooler with its thin-walled inlet/outlet. Using some information from a recent project (Subaru WRX/STI Top-Mount Intercooler) our team decided to replace the inlet/outlet portion of the tank with thinner pipe that would be welded to the tank. This would ensure a durable tank without compromising airflow. Our team set about working. First removing the cast inlet/outlet and then welding our new ones on! Check out the results below.


Modifying Mishimoto prototype end tanks


Welding new inlet/outlet to Mishimoto prototype intercooler


Completed end tank modification

Once finished we relaxed with a few brews (Joking, this is a workplace after all! But Friday afternoon desk brews would be nice, just saying.) and discussed testing. We decided to bring in a stock vehicle for initial testing of the performance benefits for stock vehicles. Once we confirmed a successful fit, we could move onto the fun stuff and bring in a vehicle with higher horsepower.


2011 Evolution GSR on dyno

Our first vehicle was a 2011 Evolution GSR. This car was completely stock with no modifications – a perfect choice for a baseline test. First we obtained data from a baseline run with the stock intercooler set up on our Dynojet. Testing was done towards the end of summer here in Delaware with temperatures at 85˚F-87˚F and extremely high humidity. We made three runs with the stock cooler to achieve an average output for the cooler. The stock setup was making 287 hp / 286 tq, which is quite impressive for a stock vehicle.

Once complete we made runs with both our prototype coolers (two different fin compositions), and it was clear that the one core performed much better than the other. The larger ambient fin height of 8.5 mm made a huge impact on performance compared to the 6.5 mm fin height, so we selected the core with larger fin to move forward with the project.


Dyno testing the 2011 Evolution GSR with the Mishimoto intercooler

With all runs complete on the stock vehicle and the core prototype we analyzed the data to see how our intercooler stacked up against the stock unit. The results are in! Check out the dyno plots below!


Dyno testing the 2011 Evolution GSR with the Mishimoto intercooler


Dyno testing the 2011 Evolution GSR with the Mishimoto intercooler

The Mishimoto intercooler made power through a majority of the powerband compared to the stock cooler. We saw maximum gains of 10 hp / 10 tq at right around 5,000 rpm. These great initial test results showed that simply bolting on this cooler will net your stock Evolution some easy power.

However, we needed to confirm all our goals, so we would need another test fit vehicle with a bit more punch. Check back next time where we strap another test vehicle on the dyno and make some high-powered pulls!

Thanks

mishimoto

Hey guys,

Check out the last stage of development for this intercooler!

As always, all of our product builds can be found on our new engineering blog!

2008–2014 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Performance Intercooler Part 3: Final Testing and Completion of Development

After a successful run of testing with a stock vehicle, we were in the market for a higher-powered Evo to check performance with higher boost pressures and added heat. After scouring the forums and checking with locals we were able to locate this 2010 GSR model with a nice set of modifications!


2010 Evolution GSR high-horsepower test vehicle

Modifications:

• Precision 6262 turbocharger
• Equal-length exhaust manifold
• External wastegate
• Aftermarket 4” thick intercooler
• Professionally tuned
• 3” turboback exhaust
• 2.5” intercooler piping

Engine bay of 2010 Evolution GSR high-horsepower test vehicle

Once again we tested both core compositions as well as the intercooler currently installed on the Evo. We collected some baseline information first with the aftermarket 4” cooler installed. We saw power numbers at 410 hp / 340 tq in the vehicle’s existing state. I was really impressed by the power this thing put down. The external wastegate with dump tube woke up the office when it belched out some nice tones. If the Evo X ever depreciates (unlikely), then I might have to check into one for myself!


2010 Evolution GSR high-horsepower test vehicle on dyno with aftermarket intercooler

Ready to make some pulls and some noise!


2010 Evolution GSR high-horsepower test vehicle with “screamer pipe”

Our first prototype was the 6.5” fin, which performed with slightly less efficiency compared to the taller fins in our original test. Now we wanted to see how this core performs with a more powerful vehicle. Once the three runs were complete, we were surprised to see that our previously inferior core had exactly matched the power output of the aftermarket 4” core. Our previous testing on a stock Evo had shown that this cooler was inferior to our other core, so we tested the core with the larger fin height. After making three pulls we analyzed our data and found that once again the core with the larger fin height performed best. Not only did this new core outperform our other prototype, but it also gained a significant amount of power compared to the 4” aftermarket unit that had been installed on this vehicle! Check out the dyno plots below!


2010 Evolution GSR 4” aftermarket core vs. Mishimoto Race Intercooler


2010 Evolution GSR 4” aftermarket core vs. Mishimoto Race Intercooler

The Mishimoto intercooler achieved 10–15 whp and 10–15 wtq over the entire power band. Bolt-on power from an intercooler installation is a rarity – bigger is not always better.


2010 Evolution GSR with Mishimoto intercooler

With this project complete and successful test data collected, we were now ready for mass production. We decided to offer this core in either a silver or a black powder-coated finish, an option for those who want to show off the core or keep things stealthy.

It’s time to recap our project goals and see if anything was missed or overlooked.

Goals:

Develop an intercooler that can support up to 550+ whp.

Result: Thanks to a large 3.5” thick core and an optimal fin density, our engineers rate this intercooler for a maximum of 600 whp.

Use cast end tanks for durability and airflow enhancements.

Result: Our intercooler utilizes high-quality cast end tanks that provide great durability and also allow for smooth and uninterrupted airflow through the core. For identification purposes our end tanks are cast with the Mishimoto “M” logo, which looks very slick!

Intercooler should perform adequately with stock vehicles and allow for future upgrades without having to upgrade this component again.

Result: This intercooler was tested on a stock Evo and produced 10 whp / 10wtq through a majority of the powerband.

Use a core size of at least 3.5” in thickness.

Result: Our engineers identified the 3.5” core size as optimal for vehicles ranging from stock to 600 whp. Our testing proved that this cooler is extremely efficient and has produced increased power for both our test vehicles.

Support increased temperatures from upgraded turbochargers or high boost pressures.

Result: The Mishimoto intercooler supported and efficiently cooled temperatures produced by an upgraded 420 whp Evo X.


With all goals met and quite an efficient cooler on the way to mass production, our team of skilled engineers deserved a pat on the back. Seriously, these guys work very hard and know their stuff. Check out a few images below of the finished product that you can expect to pull out of the Mishimoto box!

Thanks for following along!


Mishimoto intercooler ready for install


Mishimoto Evolution X Race Intercooler


Mishimoto Evolution X Race Intercooler


Mishimoto Evolution X Race Intercooler in powder-coated black


Mishimoto Evolution X Race Intercooler mounting pegs

Feel free to follow up with any questions!

mishimoto

Hey Guys,

This intercooler has officially been released! Check out the details below!



Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X Performance Intercooler, 2008+

Product Specs:

• Direct fit for the 2008+ Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X
• 10 hp and 10 tq bolt-on power increase
• Efficient 3.5” thick bar-and-plate core provides optimal heat dissipation and low AITs
• Full aluminum cast end tanks provide increased durability and smooth, uninterrupted airflow
• Strategically designed fins for minimal pressure loss
• Substantial core volume will support vehicles up to 600 hp
• Available with a powder-coated finish in Sleek Silver or Stealth Black
• Mishimoto Lifetime Warranty

Tech Specs:



Check out a few more images of this awesome intercooler!






Feel free to follow up with any questions!

forza22

Dang! I just got the old one.. lol how well will the old one work up to around 350hp? Right now I just have a catback, intake, and bov. I'm getting a catless downpipe and 3-port boost controller installed in a couple months.

Mach3

I recently bought one here in Australia. But can't figure how to mount it. As there no mounting hole on the bottom like the previous model.
Just 2 metal tabs that don't line up to the stock mounting bolt/hole.