Mishimoto R&D: 2015+ F-150 Aluminum Radiator

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

Mishimoto

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2016
Posts
105
Reaction score
65
Hey everybody!

Mishimoto is in the process of developing a radiator to fit all 2015+ 2.7L EcoBoost, 3.5L EcoBoost, and 5.0L V8 F-150s, including the Raptor ;) Check out our first installment of our engineering blog below and let us know what you think!

-Steve

Everyday Hercules — Aluminum Radiator R&D, Part 1: Stock Review

IMG_4568.jpg


Like the Roman hero Hercules, the 2015+ F-150 is capable of other-worldly feats. From the street to the jobsite, and even the dunes or the track, there’s little that the F-150 can’t conquer. With three available engines producing over 350 lb. ft. of torque, the 2015+ F-150 could probably stop the rotation of the earth. Even with all that power, many of the F-150’s on the road will never see Moab or drag a 1,000 lb. log up a mountain. But that doesn’t mean your F-150 shouldn’t be your everyday Hercules.

Owning an F-150 should mean being confident that you can tackle any task life throws your way, but that confidence may be shaken if your stock cooling system has seen better days. Hercules is nothing without his strength, and if your F-150 is overheating, all the power in the world means little. That’s why we here at Mishimoto are developing an all-aluminum radiator to keep your 2015+ F-150 going strong.
MG_7937.jpg

The first step in developing our 2015+ F-150 radiator was a familiar one: analyzing the stock part. We needed to know what would stay from the stock design and what would go to make way for stronger components. Our research showed that the 2.7L EcoBoost, 3.5L EcoBoost, and 5.0L V8 shared three common radiators. Our hope was that those three radiators would share features and we could combine those features into one radiator. To find out, we brought in the two light-duty radiators and a brand new 2018 F-150 Raptor with the heavy-duty radiator.
IMG_4595_2.jpg

Our engineer examined each of the radiators and began compiling data for each. With the light-duty radiators finished, he then turned to the Raptor. The Raptor radiator has the thickest core and greatest potential for cooling of all three radiators, but it lacks an in-tank transmission cooler that other models have. If we could improve upon the Raptor rad, while still fitting the light-duty trucks, our radiator would be a significant upgrade over all three.
IMG_4584.jpg

We drained the coolant from the Raptor, then carefully removed its grille and everything between us and the rad. Finally, the stock radiator could be pulled out and its features added to our master file. After noting every detail of the Raptor radiator, we compared all three to find out if our plan would work. Luckily for us, all three radiators shared common mounting points and many other features. As we suspected, an in-tank transmission cooler would be needed to allow fitment with various packages, along with mounting locations for different fan shrouds, but our plan was moving forward.

In the next post, we’ll be using the data we collected from the stock radiators to generate a 3D model of our herculean replacement. We’ll also be building a prototype and test-fitting it on our Raptor. Keep an eye out for more updates soon and, as always, feel free to let us know what you think!

Thanks for reading,
-Steve
 

91Eunos

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2018
Posts
867
Reaction score
1,644
Location
Hill country, Tejas
So built-in trans cooler and potentially more cooling/surface area and/or thicker core? I assume all metal construction...

You have my attention.

Looking forward to updates (I assume after the new year). I have a couple high flow Spal fans left over from an old race car project...got the gears turning on a better shroud and cooling package for the truck.

Been thinking about opening up more of the hood vents too, or maybe enlarging the vents already present in the first two rows of the hood ridges. I’d have to see wind tunnel testing (or I suppose I could affix some yarn and do my own redneck wind tunnel testing)...I assume the factory only opened up the first two because the high pressure area begins somewhere just past that and they’d just be pumping the air back down.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
Mishimoto

Mishimoto

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2016
Posts
105
Reaction score
65
So built-in trans cooler and potentially more cooling/surface area and/or thicker core? I assume all metal construction...

You have my attention.

Looking forward to updates (I assume after the new year). I have a couple high flow Spal fans left over from an old race car project...got the gears turning on a better shroud and cooling package for the truck.

Been thinking about opening up more of the hood vents too, or maybe enlarging the vents already present in the first two rows of the hood ridges. I’d have to see wind tunnel testing (or I suppose I could affix some yarn and do my own redneck wind tunnel testing)...I assume the factory only opened up the first two because the high pressure area begins somewhere just past that and they’d just be pumping the air back down.


Yup, all metal! Some high-flow fans and a good shroud would compliment this rad well!

Thanks,
-Steve
 

91Eunos

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2018
Posts
867
Reaction score
1,644
Location
Hill country, Tejas
My understanding is that it will be a factory replacement... I just happen to have some spare high flow fans left over from a race car build.
 
OP
OP
Mishimoto

Mishimoto

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2016
Posts
105
Reaction score
65
Hey everybody,


We have another update on this radiator! Check it out below and let us know what you think!


Thanks,
-Steve


Everyday Hercules — Aluminum Radiator R&D, Part 2: Design & Prototype
MG_0548.jpg


What haven’t I said about Ford’s F-150? It’s reliable, affordable, capable, comfortable, and all the other -ables that you’d want from a truck, except for one. It’s not invulnerable. Like every vehicle, time takes its toll and something’s bound to break. If you’re lucky, you have some time before those tolls hit your F-150’s cooling system, but it’s always a good idea to be prepared. Mishimoto is working on a radiator to allow you to do just that.


MG_7937.jpg


Our last look at the 2015+ F-150 revealed that our radiator needed to replace not one, but three different factory radiators. Our goal was to combine the features of the two light-duty radiators and the heavy-duty Raptor radiator into one even better aluminum radiator. To start that process, we measured all three radiators, making sure to note any mounting locations, then brought in a 2018 Raptor to gather even more data.


Continue Reading...
 

91Eunos

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2018
Posts
867
Reaction score
1,644
Location
Hill country, Tejas
Looks promising! I think something like this is a no-brainer for anyone adding power or moving the intercooler up to the upper grill area. More power = more heat, and it’s not a linear curve.

Do you intend to do any testing with popular mods such as relocated intercoolers and/or lights mounted behind the grill?
 
Top