Keeping The Party Cool! Mishimoto's Fiesta ST Radiator R&D!

[RAAMaudio]

Thanks.

I am going to run what I have in the car for now as new water wetter, some antifreeze and distilled water in your radiator I made fit but will have to try your coolant before to long

From prior experience keeping cars cool on road race tracks I would want to use the mixed and some distilled water so perhaps I would need a bottle of the chill concentrate as well or get full strength, DW and the concentrate, I will not need -26 protection, more like +20 degrees or so as the car will be parked inside most of the winter and used on clear days if much at all.

Perhaps that is not an issue with your product though, maybe just run the 50/50 and be done with it, what do you recommend?

 

[mishimoto1]

Thanks.

I am going to run what I have in the car for now as new water wetter, some antifreeze and distilled water in your radiator I made fit but will have to try your coolant before to long

From prior experience keeping cars cool on road race tracks I would want to use the mixed and some distilled water so perhaps I would need a bottle of the chill concentrate as well or get full strength, DW and the concentrate, I will not need -26 protection, more like +20 degrees or so as the car will be parked inside most of the winter and used on clear days if much at all.

Perhaps that is not an issue with your product though, maybe just run the 50/50 and be done with it, what do you recommend?

Seems like you're already familiar with our cooling products, so as you may have guessed we made a few options of our Liquid Chill in order to incorporate all of our customer's needs. As far as which one is right for your ST that would be completely up to you whether you want to dilute our full strength coolant yourself or just pour in our premixed Liquid Chill as you stated earlier may be the simpler way to go.
Thanks!
-Sara

 

[RAAMaudio]

Yeah, it seems I can figure this out

Any time line on the radiator release?

 

[mishimoto1]

Yeah, it seems I can figure this out

Any time line on the radiator release?

Not at the moment, we are still a bit early in the development process. We should have a better idea in the coming weeks. We were just test fitting our first prototype yesterday and will be posting up a report with our findings next week.

Thanks for following our progress!

-John

 

[Rhinopolis]

Looking forward to you guys report!

 

[meFiSTo]

This (meaning a hoped-for high-capacity radiator/oil cooler combination) looks like the winter project for my ST. Well, it looks like a winter project for my car at the shop that will do the installs.

 

[mishimoto1]

Looking forward to you guys report!

This (meaning a hoped-for high-capacity radiator/oil cooler combination) looks like the winter project for my ST. Well, it looks like a winter project for my car at the shop that will do the installs.

Thanks for the support! We will indeed have more information for you guys about the development shortly so be on the lookout.
-Sara

 

[Rhinopolis]

Thanks, Sara. You know that we are, and if Moshimoto (AHEM, cough cough) would like a test subject in the hot and humid Houston market, I'll even participate in a few track events so we can really see what cool effects your system will provide

 

[maestromaestro]

Would be VERY interested.... FiST in the OEM configuration is not really a track car, no matter what marketing dept would have you believe. Fantastic DD and AX, but not a 'tracker'.

 

[mishimoto1]

Thanks, Sara. You know that we are, and if Moshimoto (AHEM, cough cough) would like a test subject in the hot and humid Houston market, I'll even participate in a few track events so we can really see what cool effects your system will provide

Sounds good! If we find ourselves in the market for a test subject in your area I will be sure to keep you in mind!

Would be VERY interested.... FiST in the OEM configuration is not really a track car, no matter what marketing dept would have you believe. Fantastic DD and AX, but not a 'tracker'.

Thanks very much for the support! We will make sure to keep you in the loop with the development so you can turn that FiST into a track monster!
-Sara

 

[mishimoto1]

Project update! Check it out below.

Keeping The Party Cool! Mishimoto?s Ford Fiesta ST Radiator R&D, Part 2: First Prototype Evaluation and Installation

We left you with some pretty cool 3D models last time. We are back with something even better ? our first prototype has arrived!

Prototype Radiator

I know you guys are excited to see this piece so I won?t extend the wait any longer. Check out some shots of our first prototype!

First, a look at the front of the radiator.

Mishimoto prototype Ford Fiesta radiator

Mishimoto prototype Ford Fiesta radiator

Mishimoto prototype Ford Fiesta radiator

A look at the back (engine-facing) side of our prototype!

Mishimoto prototype Ford Fiesta radiator

We?ve emulated the stock fan shroud mounts as well as the inlet and outlet hose locations. The upper and lower radiator mounting pegs are also positioned just like the stock radiator.

Mishimoto prototype Ford Fiesta radiator

Mishimoto prototype Ford Fiesta radiator

I am sure you are looking at these images and thinking, ?The thickness of that radiator is absolutely astonishing.? Well, you?re right; it is a massive core. Here is a closer look from the side.

Mishimoto prototype Ford Fiesta radiator

Just how thick is it?

Mishimoto prototype Ford Fiesta radiator thickness

Our first prototype measures 2.25?. Keep in mind this prototype is based on a variety of 3D models of the stock vehicle. Our sizing is an educated guess and may need to be scaled down slightly for fitment purposes. We shall see with the test fit!

So how does this compare with the stock Fiesta ST radiator in terms of size and volume?

First Prototype Spec Comparison

Mishimoto prototype Ford Fiesta ST radiator (top) and stock Fiesta ST radiator (bottom)

The chart below provides a nice comparison of the basic specs of both the stock radiator and the first prototype we designed.

So, our first prototype provides over twice the volume of the stock radiator. The puny stock unit measures just one inch in overall thickness.

The fin height determines how many rows of fins we can include, as well as how tightly they are packed into the core. A smaller height between fins will improve heat transfer, although it will restrict airflow through the core. It is give and take here. The stock fin height is 6mm, while our first prototype unit is 6.5mm, slightly larger.

Another interesting feature to note is the little brass component in the upper radiator tank. This piece is a bit experimental and functions to bleed air easily from the cooling system. The spring-loaded bleeder must be depressed to relieve pressure and air from the coolant system. Typical setups utilize a screw at a high point in the system. We will be testing the functionality of this piece and potentially incorporating it into our final design.

Check out a closeup of the core our engineering team designed for this radiator!

Mishimoto prototype Ford Fiesta ST radiator core showing relative height between fins

Mishimoto prototype Ford Fiesta ST radiator core

The tightly packed fins are key for improving heat transfer and will help provide greater surface area for more heat-transfer contact points.

One more comparison shot of both radiators!

Mishimoto prototype radiator (left) and stock radiator (right)

As you can see from the chart above and the images, the Mishimoto radiator dwarfs the stock unit.

Prototype Test Fit

With our prototype in hand and our Fiesta on the lift, it was time to test fit our first prototype and see where changes would be needed.

First, the stock radiator was removed.

Removing stock Ford Fiesta ST radiator

Removing stock Ford Fiesta ST radiator

Yes, you are seeing things correctly. Most of the front end of the Fiesta must come apart and be separated to access the radiator. Tight packaging is great for weight reduction, center of gravity, handling, and emissions, but it certainly makes maintenance and repair work a challenge.

We had the stock radiator out as well as the stock fan shroud. We fit this piece up first to check out mounts for appropriate fitment.

Mishimoto prototype radiator mated to stock fan shroud

Next we fit our prototype in place, but we quickly found that we had been a bit optimistic with the size of our core. As a result, we ran into some fitment issues that kept us from fitting this unit in place. The thickness of the core pushes the fan shroud a bit too close to the engine, causing some clearance concerns. But ? this is why they call it R&D right?

No worries here, a few tweaks and a slight decrease in core size should give us an aluminum radiator that features greater fluid capacity and fits perfectly! On top of this, we will be modifying our fin height to 5.5mm in order to pack a few more rows of cooling tubes and to promote greater heat transfer with a denser core.

Check back next time for a look at our next prototype unit and test fit!

Thanks for reading!
-John

 

[BoostBumps]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1DzZ7oShl4

[video=youtube;z1DzZ7oShl4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1DzZ7oShl4[/video]

 

[FiestaSTan]

looks great!

 

[maestromaestro]

Hurray for Mishimoto! Not to be crass or anything.... Any idea on the expected cost?

 

[Rhinopolis]

Looks great, and the install looks like it will be challenging! Thank you for the R&D photos!

 

[OEFvet11]

Presale special pricing now? Thanks for R&D updates.

 

[Rejeme]

I fear that my intake manifold spacer might lead to clearance issues.

 

[rodmoe]

Looks like a fun winter project for the car .. Great work ..

 

[mishimoto1]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1DzZ7oShl4

[video=youtube;z1DzZ7oShl4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1DzZ7oShl4[/video]

Haha thank you!

looks great!

Thanks for checking it out!

Hurray for Mishimoto! Not to be crass or anything.... Any idea on the expected cost?

Thanks maestro! No pricing at the moment, we are still a bit early in the prototyping process. Once we have a final prototype in place, we should be able to release pricing details. As with most of our projects, we will also be launching a discounted pre-sale for those following our progress here on the forums.

Looks great, and the install looks like it will be challenging! Thank you for the R&D photos!

Yes, I would not call installation simple. It is a process and does require removal of quite a lot of front-end components. That being said, we will be highlighting the process within a detailed video installation guide for those DIY'ers who want to tackle replacement.

Presale special pricing now? Thanks for R&D updates.

Not yet! Once we have a final prototype complete we will begin putting together the discounted pre-sale! Thanks for taking a look at our progress.

I fear that my intake manifold spacer might lead to clearance issues.

Good point! Just spoke with the engineer tackling this radiator and he confirmed that the spacer should not cause any concerns. The coolant lines on the passenger side and the clearance to the airbox are going to impact fitment before the manifold. More on this as we continue working on our next prototype.

Looks like a fun winter project for the car .. Great work ..

Thanks!
-John

 

[Perfblue15]

Wow That radiator looks awesome Sign me up for one when they go on sale. I cant wait to open track my car and not worry about over heating