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Mishimoto's Performance Intercooler R&D Thread

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#1
Hello ExplorerST.org!

Nick here from Mishimoto to bring you guys news direct from the source that we're working on a performance intercooler for the Explorer ST! We've already made some serious progress on the design, and we're inching closer to dropping info on our final design and testing, so make sure that you keep your eyes peeled for more updates coming soon! In the meantime, make sure that you head over to our Engineering blog to see what we have in store for the Explorer ST!


FORD FAMILY FUN – 2020+ FORD EXPLORER ST PERFORMANCE INTERCOOLER STOCK REVIEW AND DESIGN PLANS



Spirited driving is now a family affair in a Ford. Ford needed a new herald for the ST badge since exiling their small car lineup to Europe and Australia. So, why not turn one of America’s most popular SUVs into a performance machine? Thus, the Explorer ST was born. A 3-row monument to practicality now fitted with a heavy-hitting 3.0L twin-turbo EcoBoost, hunkered down suspension, and bolstered sport seats. From the factory, the Explorer ST already boasts enough grunt to shove you and the kids back in your seats, but we reckon there are more ponies to squeeze out, particularly through the intercooling system.

...

As previously stated, we’re on a mission to further solidify the Explorer ST as a do-it-all speed machine, which means updating the dinky stock intercooler. If you scroll back up and take a peek at the intercooler installed without the bumper, you’ll see that there’s plenty of room to expand. We intend on growing the core significantly, but not too big. Drastically increasing the core size would have a detrimental effect on our new intercooler. Oversized intercooler cores can cause unwanted turbo lag, pressure loss, and adverse effects on charged-air cooling. So, our engineer, and EcoBoost expert, Mitch, digs into our donor Explorer ST to determine the perfect size and shape for our new intercooler.




More to come soon! As always, don't hesitate to reach out with any questions that you might have!

-Nick
 

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#2
Nick, Awesome progress, can't wait to see the intercooler come out.

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UNBROKEN

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#3
Hope it doesn’t leak like both radiators and the coolant tank I bought from y’all in the past did.
 

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#4
First thing’s first: get those oil catch cans out to those of us that pre-ordered!
 

GearHead_1

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#5
I am interested to see the progress. I mean no offense but the pictures look much the same as I saw sometime back.
 

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#6
I am interested to see the progress. I mean no offense but the pictures look much the same as I saw sometime back.
Yeah, that blurb is from August. No significant updates since.
 

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#7
@Mishimoto what quarter in 2022 do you expect this to release? And will you offer upgraded charge pipes?
 

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#8
I am looking forward to the progress and final product but the link is a 5 month old write-up. Kinda disappointing


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GearHead_1

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#9
The Mishimoto products I've seen have been well made. That said, I followed them on the catch can development for EcoBoost trucks. It was slow going. No one is going to accuse them of being first to market. I'm just spouting off here and I may be wrong but this doesn't seem like a tough design/build if someone were to put their minds to it. I mean that's what these guys do after all.

Sometimes the 800lb Gorilla is the company that gets its foot in the door early on. When that doesn't happen it has to come down to a better price point or a product that is significantly better in terms of quality than what is already in the market. We already know that there is a good product on the market. Now we're looking for a $700 product. ;)
 

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#10
Sweet. It will be nice to have more quality options. I second the previous statement requesting a $700 product
 

OP
Mishimoto
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Thread Starter #11
Hey guys!

Appreciate the feedback!

Yes, this is still the first post in our series for our R&D process, but we're new to this forum so I just wanted to make sure you guys were up to speed! We're getting close to the end of development, so I'll have some more info for you guys very soon, since this was the state of our donor ST recently:



Don't hesitate to reach out with any questions that you might have!

-Nick
 

OP
Mishimoto
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Thread Starter #12
First thing’s first: get those oil catch cans out to those of us that pre-ordered!
We're working on that as well! There was, unfortunately, delay in getting components to the warehouse, but we're anticipating them in the next two weeks. I'll keep you posted on those!

@Mishimoto what quarter in 2022 do you expect this to release? And will you offer upgraded charge pipes?
Currently, we're aiming for late Q2, early Q3 to account for finalizing design, mass production, and inventory. I'll be sure to keep you guys more updated on the timeline as we get closer!

-Nick
 

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#13
Hello ExplorerST.org!

Nick here from Mishimoto to bring you guys news direct from the source that we're working on a performance intercooler for the Explorer ST! We've already made some serious progress on the design, and we're inching closer to dropping info on our final design and testing, so make sure that you keep your eyes peeled for more updates coming soon! In the meantime, make sure that you head over to our Engineering blog to see what we have in store for the Explorer ST!


FORD FAMILY FUN – 2020+ FORD EXPLORER ST PERFORMANCE INTERCOOLER STOCK REVIEW AND DESIGN PLANS









More to come soon! As always, don't hesitate to reach out with any questions that you might have!

-Nick
I see Mitch L. in the pics ! Tell him I said hello, we used to work together.
 

ARC

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#14
Hope it doesn’t leak like both radiators and the coolant tank I bought from y’all in the past did.
Damn, to the point!
 

OP
Mishimoto
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Thread Starter #15
Hey Guys!

I just wanted to give this thread a bump since we just dropped the latest update to our intercooler development! Make sure you head to our blog for the full scoop!

Ford Family Fun – 2020+ Ford Explorer ST 3.0L Performance Intercooler R&D, Part 2 – Production Sample



Any road trip requires at least a small amount of planning. Sure, you could just jump into the car and drive, but it helps to know at least the direction you’re headed in most cases. The planning requirements only increase as more passengers climb into your Explorer.

If the intercooler is the road map to the Explorer ST’s expedition to more power, we here at Mishimoto prefer our trip to have a complete and detailed itinerary. Really, after a closer inspection of our production sample, our road trip looks more like the course details of a road rally.

When we last left off, our intercooler was just the framework of our design. This physical manifestation of the digital design was fabricated here at our R&D facility to triple-check our fitment before the real thing arrived. Well, the real thing is here, and we’re eager to show it off. read more...
As always, don't hesitate to reach out with any questions that you might have!

-Nick
 

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#16
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#17
How is that different from what Whipple has been providing?
 

Cajun Heat

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#18
Interested in this when the product is ready for release.
 

OP
Mishimoto
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Thread Starter #19
Hey Guys!

I just wanted to give this thread a quick bump and let you all know that we're still wrapping up this project! We'll have some more info on the performance side of things once we get closer to our presale launch!

Don't hesitate to reach out with any questions you might have in the meantime!

-Nick
 

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Allentown, PA, USA
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#20
Hey Guys!

I just wanted to give this thread a quick bump and let you all know that we're still wrapping up this project! We'll have some more info on the performance side of things once we get closer to our presale launch!

Don't hesitate to reach out with any questions you might have in the meantime!

-Nick
Hey Nick, Can you share if install would require the grill shutters to be removed?
 



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