Hey Evom,

Although we released this kit quite some time ago, we thought it would be neat to put together a build thread showing the process of designing and testing this awesome kit. In addition, we will be giving away one of these for a member here to conduct a completely independent review. Our goal is to shed some light on the benefits of our oil cooler kit and display how it can help reduce oil temperatures, especially if you track your car.

So, let’s get to the product build!

2008–2014 Mishimoto Lancer Evolution X Direct-Fit Oil Cooler Kit, Part 1: Project Direction and Prototyping

If you have not kept up with Mishimoto’s new line of direct-fit oil coolers, you will be surprised to see that we are working on developing a kit for any vehicle we find that has a general need for reduced temperatures. A majority of our selections are enthusiast vehicles, which we know are being driven on the track and pushed hard on a regular basis. Oil temperature regulation will help reduce engine wear and is key to ensuring that your bearings are properly lubricated. I am sure you already know that! As oil heats up it begins to lose its viscosity, and at a certain point it becomes essentially useless for both temperature reduction and lubrication.

Stock Evolutions are having some issues with temperature, but we have seen even more problems with increased temperatures on modified vehicles. With the ease of pulling power out of the 4B11, we will find that a majority of Evo owners are making more power than their vehicle had when it left the factory. Below are the general goals for this project.

Goals:

• Must work with all factory equipment
• Must include all necessary components for installation
• Must provide improved cooling over the factory unit

The goals for this project were rather loose; we were hoping to trigger some of the creativity that our talented engineering crew has to offer. Now, as you are probably aware, the stock Evolution X comes equipped with an oil cooler setup. The stock vehicle runs lines straight from the oil filter housing to a plate-and-fin cooler located in the passenger side of the front bumper. This is a fantastic setup and performs very well for the vehicle it was designed for. Unfortunately, Mitsubishi did not design this for 325+ whp road-course vehicles. Our engineers immediately saw some opportunities for a few improvements. First, we would be able to utilize a stacked-plate heat exchanger that would provide improved heat transfer. A second improvement would be size. The stock cooler is reasonably sized, but we decided to increase the cooling footprint to increase capacity and efficiency.

At the time of product development we had a 10-row and a 19-row stacked plate oil cooler. We selected the 19-row cooler and decided to include not one, but two coolers, which introduced a new issue – space! I’m referring to the physical space behind the bumper of this Evolution. With only so much room, we would need to get creative with mounting to be sure everything fit behind the bumper and fog lamps. Check out a few images below from the initial prototyping.


Initial product prototype


Initial product prototype

After we developed the basic brackets, the engineers decided to get a general idea of how airflow would be passing through the cores. Airflow has a direct influence on heat transfer, so this was a pivotal measurement. Airflow was first analyzed with the brackets on the 19-row cores you see above. A second test was performed using an air diverter; this small component is designed to channel air into the cores of the coolers. Testing revealed that airflow moving through the cores was actually doubled by using a diverter! We also developed stainless steel oil lines that would allow oil flow from the filter housing to the cores. Once the initial design was complete, it was time to put this into a 3D model. Check back for the completion of this project in our next installment!

Feel free to follow-up with any questions or comments!

Thanks

 

Check out the conclusion of this build below!

2008–2014 Mishimoto Lancer Evolution X Direct-Fit Oil Cooler Kit, Part 2: CAD Design and Product Testing

With our general design created, our engineering team set to work developing 3D models of the components for this kit. Check them out below!


Mishimoto prototype rendering


Mishimoto prototype rendering

The bracketing would be split into several components and the coolers mounted in a V format. The diverter in the middle of the coolers would prevent airflow escaping between the cores and direct it through the heat exchangers. Oil flow would enter through one cooler, move to the next, and then exit back toward the engine. Check out some 3D images below of the fittings that we needed for this kit.


Rendering of Mishimoto fittings

Now that we had our renderings, a real prototype was worked up, and we needed to find a vehicle for test fitting and data collection. We used our local contacts to source a 2010 GSR model that fit the bill perfectly.

Once the vehicle was in the shop we assembled our testing equipment and decided on a few details of the process.

Testing Conditions:

• 55 mph cruising
• 5th gear at 2,850 rpm
• Five miles of continuous driving
• Ambient temperatures around 50°F

Data Collection:

• Oil Pressure
• Oil Temperature

Our team then completed testing on both the factory cooler and the Mishimoto dual 19-row cooler setup. Check out the results below!


Mishimoto oil cooler testing data

The Mishimoto oil cooler dropped temperatures by 10°F compared to the factory cooler. Although this might not seem substantial, there are a few other factors to keep in mind. For one, the stock oil filter housing has a built-in thermostat that regulates temperature to 170°F, which is exactly what our cooler did. Another important factor is the type of driving conditions for this test, which could be considered normal. Under extreme driving conditions the temperature difference between the stock cooler and the Mishimoto kit would be even more significant.

Another key point of data to consider is pressure loss. Often times when adding oil coolers to a system, a certain percentage of pressure loss is incurred, due to line routing, increased capacity, and other factors. It is important to note that the Mishimoto oil cooler kit, with dual 19-row coolers, showed identical oil pressure compared to the factory unit. This kit also adds nearly a quart of oil capacity to the system. Installation is rather simple and can be completed with basic hand tools. Check out the installed product below!


Mishimoto oil cooler installed

Check out a few videos for this kit!

Features and Benefits


Installation Guide


Thanks for reading through the build! Feel free to follow up with any questions or comments regarding the product and/or testing.

Thanks

 

Hey everyone! We are giving this kit away for FREE! Enter to win here!