Derrick Ambrose | CorkSport Mazda Performance Blog

April 23, 2013

Help CorkSport help you!!!

Here at CorkSport we know you, the customer, are what really drives our business. We don’t just build parts we think you need, we build parts YOU ask for. We understand Mazdas and we love to innovate, but some of the best product ideas we’ve ever had, have come from our customers. We’ve gone to great lengths to make sure we stay involved with you and have a genuine interest in the parts that you want. We’ve set up a link on our website to help make it easier to get your great ideas to our great engineers. If you go to our site and scroll down to where it says “Collaboration” underneath it is a link that says “Request a Product”

We’ve worked hard to make sure we provide exciting products that live up to your expectations and who better to tell us what’s needed then the very people who get excited about it? In the past we’ve worked with our customers to decide everything from the colors we offer for our upcoming brake caliper kits to sending out test parts to customers with high horsepower to try and see if they can expose any weaknesses that we may not have seen.

As we ramp up for the race season we want to make sure your voice is heard and you get the best from us. Please feel free to add your suggestions online, email us or even pick up the phone and let us know what you think. We can’t wait to see what amazing things we can do together with you this year!

April 18, 2013December 17, 2018

Product Release! Mazda 3 Short Shift Plate

Having a Mazda 3 with a 6 speed is amazing. Having a Mazda 3 with an amazing 6 speed is AMAZING-er?? Whatever you want to call it, with the new CorkSport short shift plate, your Mazda 3 will shift with much shorter throws and with more precision that it ever did when it rolled off the factory floor.

Reduce the throw of your shifter and improve precision and performance with the CorkSport Mazda 3 Short Shift Plate. Providing a 33% throw reduction, the CorkSport Mazda 3 Short Shift Plate is designed for spirited driving and will reduce throw while keeping the height of the OEM shifter unchanged. The installation takes a mere 20-30 minutes with some simple hand tools and will provide a serious improvement to the quality of your shifting experience.

The CorkSport Advantage:

Made from CNC Machined Steel Plate with powder coated finish for a long lasting durability
Adjustable: Reduce the throw by 33% to customize your shifting experience
Self Locking Nuts: Pre-applied locking patch nuts included with shifter plate
CorkSport Support and Service: Receive a full 2 year warranty, all of the needed installation hardware, and knowledgeable telephone support. Takes 20-30 minutes to install

The CorkSport Mazda 3 Short Shift Kit is available at our online catalog and is in stock today. For more information please visit our product listing at: https://www.corksport.com/corksport-mazda-3-short-shift-plate-kit.html

April 16, 2013February 28, 2018

Fuel Pump Comparison Part 1

Adding power to your Mazdaspeed 3 and Mazdaspeed can be amazing and very rewarding. One of the most important decisions you can make when tuning these cars is which fuel pump to use. Since we have never seen a proper comparison of the currently available models we decided to test them for the Mazda community. In this multi-part series, we will talk about the basics, the differences and the advantages with all of the available options.

Most aftermarket fuel pump upgrades consist of changing the internal parts of the factory pump with an enlarged piston and sleeve. By enlarging the piston, you increase the volume of the pump; thus creating more flow and the ability to maintain pressure at higher power levels.

When you first start taking the fuel pump apart, the first thing you are met with is the sight of a strange black deposit in the cap of the pump. Shown above are the deposits common to most caps. The bottom is a machined surface that should be clear of debris. In order for us to more clearly understand the situation we sent the cap out to undergo chemical analysis.

The spectrum analysis shows that the buildup is made of motor oil and defoaming agents that are added to motor oil. The oil in the cap is from the camshaft case that drives the pump, a slight amount leaks by the seal and into the pump. When installing new internals it would be a very good time to clean that area as best as you can and possibly replace the O-ring that seals the area inside the cap.

Once we understood what the substance was we then set out to see the options available. We purchased a CP-E pump (APR), Autotech internals and KMD internals to compare and test. Next time we will be measuring all the internals and comparing expected increases while determining what the real differences were. If you already have a pump, are thinking about getting one or are still scared, you’re going to want to see the next blog in this series.

Cheers,

Joel

April 11, 2013May 3, 2023

Dual Product Release!! CorkSport Mazdaspeed 3 Passenger Side Motor Mount and Transmission Insert

It’s finally here!! The passenger side motor mounts you’ve all been waiting for. If you’re tired of slamming your engine into the firewall or just want to put all of those horses you spent so much money on to the ground, the new Mazdaspeed Passenger Side Motor Mount from is exactly what you’ve been looking for.

Designed as a direct OEM replacement, the CorkSport Mazdaspeed 3 Passenger Side Motor Mount maintains OEM fitment while adding a much stronger base incorporating stiffer urethane bushings and a billet aluminum structure.

The CorkSport Advantage:

Durable: Designed to withstand abuse and still provide a direct connection to the ground. With billet aluminum, performance urethane and top grade hardware, the CorkSport Passenger Side Motor Mount is built to last
Vertical Bushings: Like factory to limit fore/aft movement with 80 durometer urethane for improved resistance to movement
Black anodized finish with zinc coated sleeves: for a durable, lasting finish and long life.
OEM Fitment: Designed as a direct OEM replacement for a worry-free install
CorkSport Service and Support: Receive a 2-year warranty, full-color installation instructions, all of the needed installation hardware and knowledgeable telephone support

CorkSport Mazdaspeed 3 Transmission Mount Insert

We are also pleased to announce the release of our Mazdaspeed 3 Transmission mount insert. This insert is an easy way to reinforce the stock mount and prevent driveline slack.

The CorkSport Advantage:

Constructed from high durometer polyurethane: Designed to fill in the gaps in the factory rubber motor mounts to limit the movement of the engine and transmission
Patterned after the OEM Mazda mounts for accurate fitment
CorkSport Service and Support: Receive a 2-year warranty, full-color installation instructions, all of the needed installation hardware and knowledgeable telephone support

With the addition of these mounts, you can count on a much more direct path of your power to the ground, helping you get every ounce of performance!

As with all CorkSport products, the CorkSport Passenger Side Motor Mount and Transmission Mount Insert come with a two-year limited warranty, full-color instructions, and CorkSport service and support. The CorkSport Performance Passenger Side Motor Mount and Transmission Mount Insert can be purchased at our online catalog here:

CorkSport Mazdaspeed 3 Passenger Side Motor Mount

CorkSport Mazdaspeed 3 Transmission Mount Insert

Connect with us:

You may also like:

April 9, 2013April 9, 2013

Mazda Ruined the Mazdaspeed 3

Whoa! How could we say that?? The Mazdaspeed 3 is one of the most cherished Mazdas ever created and CorkSport is one of the biggest aftermarket manufacturers of performance parts for all Mazdaspeed models so why would they possibly make that statement? I’ll tell you. The Mazdaspeed 3 uses some of the worst motor mounts Mazda has ever made attached to one of the best engines they have ever made. Just about all stock motor mounts on production cars are compromises. They need to hold the engine securely but also keep noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) from being transmitted into the passenger cabin. To achieve this goal, many manufacturers turn to rubber. In doing that, the compromise is that while the cabin is a more relaxing place for the passengers, the engine is also in a relaxing place and allowed to move much more freely. In a front wheel drive car with a performance engine, flexible motor mounts can cause a host of problems including: wheel hop, hesitation, poor handling and poor turn in.

That is a fairly common issue among auto manufacturers and would have been excusable if the Mazdaspeed 3 didn’t also have another fatal flaw: the motor mounts simply do not last. We have seen failures on stock motor mounts on cars with fewer than 30,000 miles! The rubber is soft and even simple bolt-ons can destroy them. You can see the stock mounts and see the issues that can arise with them.

With many of our customers making much more power than stock, we needed to come up with a new way to mount some of these powerful engines. We started with our rear mount. We used a factory style mount with a much improved urethane and a much larger thrust surface that allowed us to support the engine much better while transmitting very little extra NVH to the cabin.

Now we’ve designed our Passenger Side Motor Mount with those same ideals in mind. Designed to withstand serious abuse, the CorkSport Passenger Side Motor Mount is crafted from billet aluminum and performance urethane and uses top grade hardware to make sure you are covered at any power level all while allowing you to have a conversation and use your rear view mirror!

For those of you who want a big improvement with just a small investment we also crafted performance urethane inserts for many of the stock mounts, including the new transmission mount insert we are offering soon.

So… Maybe Mazda didn’t ruin the Mazdaspeed 3, maybe they just made one too many compromises for many of us. Wheel hop and poor handling can be a serious problem with a powerful front wheel drive car like the Mazdaspeed 3, luckily, CorkSport is here to help. Keep checking this blog for important new product releases and tips for getting the most out of your Mazda.

Cheers,

Joel

Stay up-to-date on the latest news and product updates from CorkSport.