My review of the Mishimoto Oil Cooler

[Impulsed7]

Received it a week or so ago, and have been staring at the temperature screen ever since. Even on hot days, the cylinder head temp is almost 20 degrees cooler than before, chilling at about 185 to 195. Before, it would sit around 205 or much higher depending on my driving.
Shipping was fast, Packaging was on par with high end BMW, Porsche, or Ferrari products where you pay double or more for the same type of product.
I will add temperatures and video when I get out to VIR for some real testing.

While it is a really well put together kit, I still have a few beefs to lay out.

First and probably hugely important unless you want to act like a brand new GT3, the oil cooler lines run right on top of the drivers side engine mount bolt. I can easily see these rubbing through after a time and causing a catastrophic failure. My fix will be to wrap the lines in reinforced rubber hose and some zip ties anywhere they would rub, but Mishi could include something to prevent this for the price.

Second, I had to bend their bottom mount for the cooler a bit to make it fit. Things just didn't want to line up right away.

And lastly, but a big redass on me, the instructions from Mishi did not show the bolts holding the front bumper on that are behind the outside edge of the headlights. I read them as saying the bumper would just pop out back there once I got everything apart, and I broke my bumper where the bolts go through back there. It still mounts up just fine, but that bothers me on a brand new car.


Final verdict: Absolutely GREAT product, but just not 100% in execution. Again, I will update after a few track sessions, but I am expecting to be very pleased after a few laps. Thanks Mishimoto.

Pictures to come when my intercooler gets here and I have everything apart again.

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[Impulsed7]

Just read from someone else that other vendors bumper removal steps have not shown those bolts either. I have the base PP ecoboost, are the front bumper mounts different on any other ones?

 

[dragonacc]

Just read from someone else that other vendors bumper removal steps have not shown those bolts either. I have the base PP ecoboost, are the front bumper mounts different on any other ones?

I don't believe they are. Lethal Performance's grill delete instructions show those two side bolts. I used those for removing my bumper. It's a big pain getting to those bolts without removing the fender liners and wheels completely.

 

[EcoSwag1990]

I did the same thing as impulsed when I swapped for the GT grille but I also used the lethal performance instructions. I did remove some bolts that I could only get to through the wheel liner but they must have been the wrong ones.. oh well it looks fine and still holds on but just hated to do that

 

[Juben]

Those bolts just inside the fender well where the end of the bumper meets the fender is the worst part of removing the front bumper. I debated on leaving them out and using zip-ties or something that I could cut, lol.

 

[EcoSwag1990]

Lol try doing it without jacking up the car or removing the wheel. I was on the floor for a while

 

[neodark]

Those bolts just inside the fender well where the end of the bumper meets the fender is the worst part of removing the front bumper. I debated on leaving them out and using zip-ties or something that I could cut, lol.

haha, indeed... those damn bolts.

 

[Impulsed7]

Bumper is holding steady right now, for those who would possibly remove them. I'll check it after the track and report back.

 

[Mishimoto]

Received it a week or so ago, and have been staring at the temperature screen ever since. Even on hot days, the cylinder head temp is almost 20 degrees cooler than before, chilling at about 185 to 195. Before, it would sit around 205 or much higher depending on my driving.
Shipping was fast, Packaging was on par with high end BMW, Porsche, or Ferrari products where you pay double or more for the same type of product.
I will add temperatures and video when I get out to VIR for some real testing.

While it is a really well put together kit, I still have a few beefs to lay out.

First and probably hugely important unless you want to act like a brand new GT3, the oil cooler lines run right on top of the drivers side engine mount bolt. I can easily see these rubbing through after a time and causing a catastrophic failure. My fix will be to wrap the lines in reinforced rubber hose and some zip ties anywhere they would rub, but Mishi could include something to prevent this for the price.

Second, I had to bend their bottom mount for the cooler a bit to make it fit. Things just didn't want to line up right away.

And lastly, but a big redass on me, the instructions from Mishi did not show the bolts holding the front bumper on that are behind the outside edge of the headlights. I read them as saying the bumper would just pop out back there once I got everything apart, and I broke my bumper where the bolts go through back there. It still mounts up just fine, but that bothers me on a brand new car.


Final verdict: Absolutely GREAT product, but just not 100% in execution. Again, I will update after a few track sessions, but I am expecting to be very pleased after a few laps. Thanks Mishimoto.

Pictures to come when my intercooler gets here and I have everything apart again.

Thanks for the honest feedback regarding our oil cooler kit! Great to hear about the temperature benefits you are seeing on the street. I imagine you will be very pleased with track temperatures as well. Looking forward to that update.

Interesting point in regards to the lines sitting on the engine mount. These lines are actually supposed to run under the mount. Ran out to our shop vehicle and snapped a couple pictures for you.

The lines should go from the sandwich plate over the steering rack and around the side of the radiator/intercooler. These lines should not pass over the top of the engine mount. Also, be sure your fittings are oriented correctly, shown in the image below.

You mentioned an intercooler install in the near future. I would recommend re-routing these lines if possible when you have the car back apart.

The bracket mounting problem is a bit concerning, this unit fit perfectly on our shop vehicle. Sending you a PM for some more information about the fitment concern.

In regards to the mounting bolts, we truly apologize for this. It does appear a step has been missed in our guide. We are working with our video team to modify our steps to include the referenced bolts.

Sorry for the inconvenience!

Thanks
-John

 

[ecolulz]

Impulsed7, sorry to bump your older thread, but I just installed one of these myself. Do you monitor your oil temps with anything in particular, or just the gauge in the car? I'm in Phoenix and just installed this kit, and see no reduction in temperature. Cruising on the highway, even after an hour or so (77mph cruise) my oil temp is about 215 degrees if it's in the 70s-90s outside, and if it's over 100 degrees, my oil temp is over 220deg. I bought this oil cooler for trackdays, but I'm not seeing any benefit over stock. Any thoughts?

 

[Impulsed7]

The oil temp reference in the car is just inferred from the coolant temp vs oil pressure. There is not an oil temp sensor. I just keep an eye on cylinder head temp while at the track. Where the other eco went into limp mode early in the morning at about 80 degree temps, mine ran strong all day with a max of ~227 cyl head temp.

 

[ecolulz]

The oil temp reference in the car is just inferred from the coolant temp vs oil pressure. There is not an oil temp sensor. I just keep an eye on cylinder head temp while at the track. Where the other eco went into limp mode early in the morning at about 80 degree temps, mine ran strong all day with a max of ~227 cyl head temp.

That's really interesting. I know that the oil pressure goes up a bit after the install of the kit, but I don't see how that would make the algorithm read higher...generally colder oil (like at startup) has higher pressure than hotter oil. My cyl head temp and water temp are always right at 185. We'll see what happens on the track I guess.

 

[Impulsed7]

The algorithm doesn't know there is a cooler there, so it is going to read as though there wasn't one. Your oil will be cooler, just the stock ecu won't know its cooler.

Do you have the intercooler installed yet? Mine was a MAP, but the Mishi one looks good as well.

 

[ecolulz]

The algorithm doesn't know there is a cooler there, so it is going to read as though there wasn't one. Your oil will be cooler, just the stock ecu won't know its cooler.

Do you have the intercooler installed yet? Mine was a MAP, but the Mishi one looks good as well.

Yes, I have the Mishi intercooler as well. I know the ECU doesn't know there's a cooler...What I meant was, I figured the algorithm would correlate higher oil pressure with cooler oil temps, and the pressure IS higher now. Who know....it's Skynet. Thanks again for the info.

 

[Mishimoto]

That's really interesting. I know that the oil pressure goes up a bit after the install of the kit, but I don't see how that would make the algorithm read higher...generally colder oil (like at startup) has higher pressure than hotter oil. My cyl head temp and water temp are always right at 185. We'll see what happens on the track I guess.

The oil temp reference in the car is just inferred from the coolant temp vs oil pressure. There is not an oil temp sensor. I just keep an eye on cylinder head temp while at the track. Where the other eco went into limp mode early in the morning at about 80 degree temps, mine ran strong all day with a max of ~227 cyl head temp.

Thanks for clearing that up impulsed! If you wish to monitor actual oil temperatures, we do include an 1/8" NPT port in our sandwich plate for use with a temperature sending unit.

Also, do you have the grille shutter system removed? This may be impacting airflow at highway speeds. Once the shutters open, the cooler will see appropriate airflow and should begin to drop temperatures.

Great to hear the cooler is working out for you!

Thanks
-John

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