Derrick Ambrose | CorkSport Mazda Performance Blog

April 2, 2020August 15, 2023

CorkSport Mazdaspeed 6 Front Mount Intercooler

The MS6 FMIC installation gives you a stealth install with minor trimming and allows you to keep the windshield washer bottle.

It’s been a long time coming but it has finally returned: the CorkSport Front Mount Intercooler Kit for Mazdaspeed 6! We’ve had many challenges on this project but we’re happy to report that it’s finally here and better than ever. We originally released this way back in 2012 (check out the release blog HERE for a throwback) but the only thing we kept from that kit was the intercooler core itself. All of the piping, silicone, and mounting has been redesigned for best fitment and minimizing trimming needed for install. Check out the images and full info below!

Superior to the factory Mazdaspeed 6 TMIC, the CorkSport FMIC gives you consistent cooling all the time without heat soak

To start things off, let’s look into the intercooler itself. It is a unique design where both the inlet and outlet point toward the driver’s side of the vehicle. This means our pipe routing is a little more complicated than most, but it makes it much easier to fit as you do not need to relocate your windshield washer bottle or deal with any of the fitment issues that come with squeezing a pipe through the passenger side of the car.

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The bolt in Mazdaspeed 6 FMIC kit which makes it the best intercooler kit available.

The intercooler core is a high flowing, bar and plate design that measures 21”x10”x3”. This is good for efficient flow up to 500-550WHP yet adds minimal boost lag, even at lower power/boost levels. This big core fits snugly behind the crashbar to eliminate trimming the crashbar or your underbody shields. There is still some trimming required to fit the core and piping, however almost all of it is trimming on plastic components, with one metal cut on a thin sheet metal bracket.

Mazdaspeed 6 FMIC fits up to a 4 inch SRI

Moving onto the piping, the CS intercooler kit uses varied piping sizes for the hot and cold side intercooler pipes. The 2.25” hot side pipe ensures the charge air reaches the intercooler as fast as possible, helping reduce boost lag. The cold side uses 2.5” piping in the first half and 3” piping in the second half. Having this large volume of cool charge air directly in front of the throttle body helps with throttle response and the large diameter further helps with peak flow capacity. This piping setup has proven itself to work great on our GEN2 MS3 FMIC kit, and has been pushed to 684WHP on Barett’s GEN1 (he modified the GEN2 piping to fit his GEN1).

Wire reinforces silicone hoses make the Speed 6 FMIC a quality product

There was painstaking care taken to ensure the kit is as easy as possible to fit on your MS6. The hot pipe has a lot more freedom for intake fitments than our previous kit and we made sure all the CS intakes fit like a glove. Other aftermarket intakes have not been test fit but check out the images, they will give you a good idea if your SRI will fit or not. All the piping is mandrel bent and comes in a polished finish, so it is ready to install right out of the box and look and perform great!

Keeping everything together is the custom designed silicone couplers. You may notice that some of the silicone sections are longer than a typical silicone coupler. This is to ensure the best fitment as some shapes can simply not be made easily in a piece of pipe.

Front Mazdaspeed 6 with Front mount intercooler CorkSport product

As with most CS silicone components, each coupler uses 4-plys of nylon reinforcement braiding and 5 layers of silicone. This is typically very good at resisting expansion under high levels of boost; however, we wanted to really make sure the long couplers of the MS6 kit do not expand. Any coupler longer than about 6” uses an extra layer reinforcement made of metal wire. This further resists expansion under boost, and even helps keep all the piping stable between mounting locations. While the outside of the coupler may look bumpy, the insides are still very smooth like a typical piece of silicone.

A complete FMIC for the speed6, everything you need to install is included except the tools

Each Mazdaspeed 6 intercooler kit comes with everything you need for install. Stainless steel T-bolt clamps are included for each connection to ensure secure, leak free joints. The intercooler mounting bracket, hardware, and full color install instructions are also included so you know you can get the job done right.

We’re happy to finally have this out and are excited to see you all get your hands on them. Be sure to drop any questions you may have below and check out the product listing for more images!

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March 29, 2020October 20, 2023

B-Spec Racing

The following post is from a race prep shop Chris Taylor Racing Services out of Texas. Chris purchased our Mazda 2 B-Spec car we built back on 2012 and it is still out racing and winning after a decade of use on the track.

The first race of the 2020 SCCA Hoosier Super Tour was at Sebring International Raceway in Florida. It would be my first time to drive this iconic track, and to say I was excited was an understatement. As is my typical fashion, I watched a few videos on YouTube, made a few notes on what I thought would be important corners to figure out, but otherwise went wholly unprepared. Going with me would be Kent Carter in his Mazda2 that got a full front end rebuild halfway through the 2019 season after he loaned it to somebody, and Tony Roma rented my blue Ford Fiesta, while I borrowed one of my customer and friends Jon Over’s Mini Cooper.

Before we get to the weekend, a little back story! Jon and I drove his Mini in a fun enduro at MSR-Houston in December, and it was there driving my red Fiesta in one stint and the Mini in the other, and watching the Honda’s and Fiesta around MSR that I decided the Mini was taking an automatic rifle to a knife fight… the car was so smooth and planted that I figured going to what everybody says is the bumpiest track on earth would make up for any shortcomings the car may have. And given that I was able to chase down and pass the 2019 National Champion in the car at MSR-Houston, and it didn’t have the new header, I really thought I’d be able to shine at Sebring!

So off we go, with a little detour through Houston to pick up some Spec Racer Ford’s to deliver to Sebring… but not before the trailer frame decided to crack over the rear axle and set the trailer wall on the tires! After a 6 hour wait and an amazing mobile welder, I was back on the road, even arrived in Sebring just a few hours after load-in opened! Kent and I signed up for the Thursday test day, having never driven Sebring, while Tony did his practice on iRacing. Joining us in B-Spec for the weekend were Joe Gersch (who skipped the test day as well but did this race last year) and a newcomer to B-Spec but a local to Florida, Bob Iverson. Bob was kind enough to let us follow the first 2 practice sessions and speed up our learning process, then he handed the car over to his coach for the third session. While Terry Borcheller drove off into the sunset in Bob’s Honda Fit, I was able to run under the track record in my third session on old scrub tires!

Friday comes and our morning practice is good but the track feels dirty and slow, I run an OK time but not what I was doing the day before. The afternoon qualifying is unpleasant with all the traffic, and it seems with the Prod cars any time we try to come up with a Plan to get good laps, the old adage attributed to many but originally from Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, “No plan of operations extends with certainty beyond the first encounter with the enemy’s main strength” continues to rear its ugly head for us. I’m able to put the Mini on the pole, but not run laps like I was on Thursday. This part of the plan is still OK as I figure we’ll be able to run faster times Saturday morning with cooler temps as long as the track is clean.

Helmuth, or Murphy, or whoever it is rears their head Saturday morning and a small downpour occurs during AM Qualifying, so not a single one of us in B-Spec goes out. Which is nice, because I still get the pole! My first EVER, much less at a Super Tour! I’ve always said I’m not a qualifier, I’m a racer… but apparently I can run a quick lap every now and then! Thankfully the race is dry, we’re doing a split start so we’ll have a few laps before we catch the backmarker Prod cars, and I’m stoked. As I’m new to the Mini I’m still learning the sweet spot in the rev range, and I was in the wrong gear and wrong RPM for the start, which makes for an exciting one. I slot in behind Bob out of T1 and plan to just push him away from the other cars so we can get a good gap and battle it out at the end. Finishing the first lap I get a hell of a run out of 17 and clear Bob into T1, but going into T7 I touch the rumbles inside and the RF axle snaps! I spend the rest of the race watching from outside the guardrail in T9 as Joe and Tony duke it out after Bob had a tire go down, with Joe ultimately getting the win! Kent rounded out the podium.

Once I confirm its an axle, the odyssey of finding one in central/western Florida begins. First a parts house just up the road says they have one. When we get there it turns out it’s not for a 1.6L, hatchback, 5 speed. Evidently Mini uses a different axle for everything, I think even different color cars have different axles! Thankfully Kent was my chauffeur and drove and helped find the proper axle at a 24 hour Autozone warehouse/parts counter near Tampa, or I’d have not raced Sunday! With the proper axle in hand we got back to the track at 11pm, and I decided then I’d just wake up early and put the axle in in the morning.

With a new axle and a bit of apprehension, we take the green Sunday and my cousin and his son are there to cheer me on! The announcers got word of our axle adventures and talked about me at length as I drove away from the field, Bob dropping out with an engine issue after a few laps. With my first Super Tour win well in hand, I come upon a Prod car that I’m lapping for the SECOND TIME, unfortunately in a standing yellow zone (this would be the second lap we’ve passed this standing yellow), and he decides to come nearly to a complete stop before the incident. Not wanting to pass under yellow, I come to a nearly complete stop in Turn 16 too, which leads onto the back straight, and now Tony and Joe have been able to exit 16 at full tilt and overtake me. The B-Spec cars are not powerful and it takes me a lap to get my momentum back, and thankfully as we go through 17 and onto the front straight no white flag so I’ve got 2 laps to get by both of them! I follow for most of that lap and get a huge run out of 17 the next lap coming to the white flag, past Tony, and what-the-holy-hell-why-are-they-waving-the-checkered as the overall leader passes us at the line… because I guess his 15 second lead over 2nd place wasn’t enough to let us finish our race.

So it was a rough and tumble weekend, but I came away with a track record, a 2nd place, and my customers brought home 3 trophies! So while my weekend generally sucked, it was highly successful and a good way to kick off the 2020 season!

Full race video from Sunday is above and track record lap are posted on my YouTube, check ’em out and give me a subscribe if you like hatchback / pizza delivery car content! Some cool postcards, B-Spec shirts and G-Loc Brake Pads are for sale through this and my other website, tracksideatthecircuit.com — pick up some sweet B-Spec merch today!

Ciao

Chris

March 19, 2020February 24, 2025

MZR DISI Single Runner Intake Manifold Gasket

Mazdaspeed 3 Thermal Barrier Intake Manifold Gasket

The CorkSport Single Runner Intake Manifold Gasket is here! Designed for OEM and upgraded intake manifolds with or without ported cylinder heads on the DISI MZR in the Mazdaspeed 3, Mazdaspeed 6, and Mazda CX-7 Turbo, the CS Intake Manifold Gasket is one of those things you don’t realize you need until it’s too late. The OEM gasket often fails to seal once reused and can cause a restriction when going to enlarged ports. This can be frustrating as who wants to take their car back apart after a manifold upgrade because of a stupid gasket? If this sounds familiar, read on as we introduce you to the CS single-runner gasket!

We collaborated with Cometic gaskets to design the intake manifold gasket; testing multiple materials to really determine what will hold up to the abuse of a Mazdaspeed. Cometic’s Aluminum Foamette Material (AFM) in 0.060” thickness was by far the best choice. It uses an aluminum core surrounded by a synthetic nitrile rubber coating. This material seals fantastically well, even if there are some minor surface imperfections or even O-ring grooves that are present with some aftermarket intake manifolds. This material is also resistant to motor oil and fuels, plus can be reused should you need to perform valve cleaning or have to take your intake manifold off for an install.

The Mazdaspeed 3 intake manifold gasket fits with stock and most aftermarket intake manifolds found on the Speed 3 Speed 6 and Cx7

Aside from offering better sealing than an OEM gasket, the CS IM gasket offers performance benefits. When going for more power, it is very common to upgrade the port sizes on the intake manifold and/or cylinder head. Doing this and reusing an OEM gasket can leave an edge of a gasket or even the center dividers of the OEM gasket in the way of airflow. The CorkSport IM gasket eliminates this problem by using enlarged ports that will suit the most aggressive porting with no flow restriction. Plus, we went to a single runner opening to eliminate the divider present in the OEM gasket to further prevent flow restrictions. There is also the added safety benefit, as a piece of an OEM gasket hanging in the airflow path could break off and enter the engine which would never end well. This is truly a performance gasket, meant to give you room for whatever flow you want to put through it.

The Single runner MZR intake gasket goves the best flow without the divider obstruction in the intake runner

There is also a less obvious performance benefit than flow: thermal insulation. OEM gaskets are made out of metal, which means as your engine heats up, this heat can directly transfer easily into your intake manifold. This is also an issue with O-ring sealing as the intake manifold is directly touching the cylinder head. More heat in your intake manifold means it’s harder for your boosted air temps to stay cool when traveling through your intake manifold. While not a huge benefit, colder charge air will always help you make more power. Since the CorkSport Single Runner IM Gasket has the synthetic nitrile rubber coating, heat transfer into the intake manifold is more difficult, keeping your charge air just that little bit cooler!

The Speed6 gasket allows for plenty of space for porting if you are going to the maximum on your MZR DISI engine.

The CorkSport IM gasket comes with a spacer for the lower mount of the intake manifold made of the same AFM material. This is critical as the CS gasket is six times thicker than OEM so the lower mount no longer lines up properly. Failure to use a spacer like this can cause leaks at the cylinder head flange or worst case, warping or damage to your intake manifold or cylinder head.

Mazda MPS 3 and MPS 6 performance intake manifold gasket

The CorkSport Single Runner Intake Manifold Gasket is a great upgrade to optimize your manifold upgrade or simply ensure your next maintenance day goes smoothly. Let us know if you have any questions and visit the product listing if you’d like to pick one up!

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March 12, 2020September 13, 2023

2004-2013 Mazda 3 and 2010-2013 Mazdaspeed 3 Aluminum Coolant Reservoir is back

2004-2013 Mazda 3 bolt in coolant reservoir

We’re happy to welcome another product we have resurrected from the dead: the CorkSport Aluminum Coolant Reservoir for 2004-2013 Mazda 3 and 2010-2013 Mazdaspeed 3. We also have one for the Gen 1 Mazaspeed coolant tank. Back and better than ever, we have completely redesigned the tank from the ground up. We ended up with a tank that performs just like OEM yet will stand up to the test of time and look a hell of a lot better while doing it!

2004-2013 Mazda 3 & Mazdaspeed 3 bolt in coolant reservoir

As the Mazdaspeed GEN1 and GEN2 get older, the OEM plastic tanks become more and more prone to failure. The constant changes in pressure and temperature, plus the chemicals in the coolant cause the plastic to weaken over time. The aluminum used for the CS coolant tank will hold up better over time, ridding you of the hassle of a leaky coolant tank. To ensure proper functionality, the CS coolant res includes internal baffling, just like OEM. The baffling keeps air bubbles from entering the cooling system under aggressive driving conditions and ensures your cooling system will be operating as intended, regardless of how you’re driving.

A replacement for the ugly plastic coolant tank for the 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 Mazdaspeed 3

The CorkSport Mazdaspeed coolant reservoir is designed specifically as a replacement for the OEM Mazda tank, which means no drilling, fabrication, or other modifications. The OEM coolant hoses even work perfectly with the CS tank. To check the coolant level in the CS res, since you obviously can’t see through the aluminum, we include a sight tube on the front of the tank that easily displays how much coolant is present. As an additional upgrade from OEM, we include a 1.5bar (~22psi) radiator cap for better protection against overheating. Plus, should you want even a higher pressure cap, it uses a typical radiator cap connection, so upgrading is easy. Finally, an overflow hose is included, which can easily be adapted to fit with a catch tank, should you need one when racing at a track.

Replacement for the OEM plastic coolant tank for the 2010-2013 Speed3

We haven’t yet touched on what is possibly the best part of the CorkSport coolant reservoir: appearance! With its simple design and sleek wrinkle black powder coat finish, it is a great fit in almost any engine bay. Let’s be honest, the OEM tanks look okay at best when brand new, yet within a few months, they become yellowed and ugly. The CS coolant tank is a great finishing touch for your Mazda’s engine bay. We even hid the mounting locations to provide you with the cleanest look!

Each CorkSport Mazdaspeed Coolant Reservoir gets a lot of love before it heads out our doors. The tanks are first laser cut from 11 gauge aluminum and then precision formed before being TIG welded together. Each tank gets a cap, sight tube, and fittings which are all chosen specifically for use with pressure and automotive coolant so they will hold up over the years. Finally, once assembled, we pressure test every tank to ensure no leaks for your Mazda. All of this comes with the hardware needed for installation, color instructions, and CS support!

Mazda MPS3 coolant surge tank replacement

Be sure to check out the product listing for more pictures of the CS coolant reservoir. Give us a call if you want any additional info. We can’t wait to see you all get your hands on these tanks!

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February 20, 2020April 14, 2025

The CorkSport CST4 – The Best Turbo for the Mazdaspeed 3/6

How to get 400whp from your Mazdaspeed 3

Back in 2015, CorkSport announced the launch of the “CorkSport Turbo” or “CorkSport 18G” a high-performance drop-in turbo upgrade for the MazdaSpeed 3, Mazdaspeed 6, and CX-7. Fast forward to 2020, this potent turbo is now called the CST4 with the introduction of the CorkSport CST5 and CST6 Turbochargers.

The CST4 has found home in thousands of community members Mazdaspeeds since launch and continues to be a highly sought-after upgrade today…a testament to the CST4’s performance and durability. Starting from scratch, the CST4 is a 100% brand-new performance unit. No core, no revised K04 parts…this is a performance turbocharger from the ground up.

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Let’s recap what makes the CST4 the best turbo and a great fit for the MazdaSpeed. A proven MHI journal bearing center section, these offer great cooling capabilities and fantastic reliability, especially when combined with our high-performance journal bearings and 360° high-performance thrust bearing. The CST4 Mazdaspeed Turbo can seriously take a beating and does it in a package that fits perfectly in the OEM location.

Attached to this center section is a compressor and turbine wheel combo that is a little unconventional. Creating boost is a custom MHI 18Gbillet compressor wheel that is rated at 50lb/min while the turbine that drives the CST4 Mazdaspeed Turbo is a MHI TD05H 9 blade design. Compared to a traditional 12-blade turbine wheel, the CorkSport design is lighter weight for faster spool times and has fewer blades for higher maximum flow capacity.

Best Mazdaspeed3 turbocharger high flow exhaust wheel

The wheels are wrapped in new housings. On the compressor side, there is an OEM diameter inlet to simplify the installation with any intake system you had setup with your K04 Turbo. The turbine housing maintains the stock flange design for easy fitment with any exhaust manifold and downpipe that is bolted to the K04.

The best mazdaspeed 3 turbo upgrade internal or external wastegate, better than the BNR S3.

So what’s the hype now? Great question! The community has pushed this turbo to the limits and has asked for more…with the development of the 500whp CST5 and 600whp CST6, we found that an EWG turbine housing can be very beneficial to boost control. That development bleeds over to the CST4 in the form of an EWG turbine housing for increased boost control and an increase in A/R size.

Like the CST5, you can now choose your boost control. Internal wastegate for a stealth and simple install or go for the EWG turbine housing for extra noise and a little more top-end power potential. The choice is now yours.

Now what does all of this tech mean for you and your car? If you have a stock block you can easily max out power (~380WHP depending on fuel and bolt-ons) and keep some of the K04 Turbo spools you love. With professional tuning, you can keep a safe tune that hits hard and carries power.

The wheel and housing options deliver great response as well as great power. When pushed to its limits on a built block, 20psi was hit at 3300-3400RPM with a peak boost around 27-28psi carried to 7000rpm. Obviously, this isn’t stable for a stock block but is possible on fully built cars with full bolt-ons and a high-flowing head.

Mazdaspeed 3 Turbocharger installation hardware

Both the IWG and EWG options come with a full hardware kit that includes everything you need for installation. This means all coolant/oil lines, new gaskets, new crush washers, and even new studs and crimps nuts for both the turbine and downpipe flanges. The EWG setup includes a custom-designed elbow for excellent EWG actuator fitment on MS3 and MS6, and the correct clamp to attach it to the housing. More info to come later on an add-on screamer pipe option.

Best Bolt on Mazdaspeed 3 turbo EWG dump tube kit

Each Mazdaspeed CST4 Turbo comes with full CorkSport support, including full-color install instructions, a 1-year warranty, and assistance with any questions you may have. We are extremely excited for you all to get your hands on the CST4 and start taking your FBO Mazdaspeed to the next level. Check out the product listing for full details and to place to order.

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For A limited time get $125 off the CST4. Enjoy a more boost and increase your Mazda WHP up to 400!

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