The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Modding Your 2017 Mazda 6

If you just bought a 2017 Mazda 6, these are the mods you need to upgrade your ride.
Time to take this 2017 Mazda 6 to the next level.

Youโ€™re the proud owner of a new Mazda 6, so we know youโ€™re a discerning customer when it comes to cars. Off to a good start. And while modding a new vehicle might not be something youโ€™ve considered (โ€œItโ€™s brand new, what could it need?โ€œ), there are loads of benefits that your ride can achieve with some simple modification. Thatโ€™s where CorkSport comes in. Or, if youโ€™ve upgraded your ride to something that looks a bit more professional in the parking lot of your new job, but you still want to tear up the road to and from the office, well โ€ฆ thatโ€™s where CorkSport comes in, too.

In the past, weโ€™ve shown you how to take a 2014 Mazda 6 and upgrade it to your liking. Weโ€™ve even showcased some great customer success stories when it comes to modding the Mazda 6. Our commitment to our CorkSport family โ€” thatโ€™s you guys โ€” doesnโ€™t stop there. We wanted to create the ultimate starter kit for folks that may be new to our family. So hereโ€™s where to start if youโ€™re a Mazda 6 beginner looking to mod your new 2017 Mazda 6.

Mazda 6 power mods

Power mods like our 2014+ Mazda 6 SkyActiv Power Series Short Ram Intake are a great place to start.
Our 2014+ Mazda 6 SkyActiv Power Series Short Ram Intake is a great, efficient power mod for your Mazda 6.

Letโ€™s start with speed. Youโ€™re not taking your Mazda 6 out racing, but that doesnโ€™t mean you donโ€™t want to have a little fun from time to time. CorkSportโ€™s power mods for the Mazda 6 add impressive improvements in RPMs, throttle response, and other performance aspects of your new ride. That means you get speed, but youโ€™re also getting efficiency from your vehicle. Weโ€™ll get into handling next, but letโ€™s get you set up with some power that requires handling adjustments first.

  1. 2014+ Mazda 6 SkyActiv Power Series Short Ram Intake 2.5 Engine: Reduce your rideโ€™s intake restrictions for some dramatic power improvements throughout the entire RPM range. Bonus: This mod improves your gas mileage, too!
  2. 2014+ Mazda 3/6/Cx5 Short Shift Plate Kit: Reduce shifting throw by 33 percent and get more control over the weight of the knob to hone in on the perfect shifting experience.
  3. 2014+ Mazda 3 And 6 Crankshaft Pulley:  This part reduces the weight of the engine’s rotating assembly to increase throttle response, horsepower, and torque.
  4. Rear Motor Mount for 2014+ Mazda 3 and 6, 2013 Mazda CX-5: This part works with many Mazdas, but for your Mazda 6 it decreases engine movement to boost power transfer from engine to tire. In short, better throttle response, gear-shifting, and driver feedback.
  5. Mazda 6 2014+ Power Series Exhaust: If youโ€™re looking for something a bit more intense, you can give your ride some aggressive sound and power with this part that also adds some nice style.

Mazda 6 handling mods

See how CorkSport handling mods can increase your Mazda 6's drivability.
Drive quality is something that handling mods can boost on a daily basis.

Maybe you needed a more family-friendly ride than your souped-up Mazdaspeed. Maybe you just wanted some of that Mazda kick in your new daily driver. Regardless, CorkSport handling mods are going to make driving your new Mazda 6 a joy. Whether youโ€™re on the morning commute or picking up the kids from soccer practice, we know the urge to accelerate into that turn is strong. Hereโ€™s how you can get the handling you crave.

  1. Mazda 6 Adjustable Struts and Shocks: Letโ€™s kick things off with our newest part! With 15 adjustable positions, these shocks and struts reduce rebound up to 70 percent so you can achieve the smooth ride you want. Easy to install and adjust!
  2. 2014+ Mazda 6 Lowering Spring Set: Not only will this part give your car a sleeker look, but by lowering your ride you get faster turn response โ€” great for ride quality and responsive, safe driving.
  3. 2014+ Mazda 3/6/CX5 Big Brake Kit Not only does this mod reduce your vehicle weight for better handling, it adds brake power as well. Pretty nice when you can get a mod that improves drivability and boosts safety at the same time. Thatโ€™s an easy one to talk your wife into!
  4. 2014+ Mazda 6 Rear Sway Bar: Crank that handling up a notch and fine-tune to your heartโ€™s content with our sway bar. Take those corners exactly how you want, no holding back.

Mazda 6 style mods

CorkSport style mods, like our headlight level adjuster, are a great addition to your Mazda 6.
Style and safety come together in our Mazda headlight level adjuster.

If youโ€™re already set on power and handling, or maybe you just want to tweak the look of your vehicle, CorkSport style mods are the next thing on the list โ€” because you want to look at a car youโ€™re happy to drive. From interior improvements to external upgrades, adding a little style and luxury is a nice way to treat yoโ€™self. Here are a few ways to get started.

  1. Mazda Headlight Level Adjuster: A good call (especially if youโ€™ve added our lowering springs) is making sure your headlights are illuminating the road properly. Itโ€™s safe, itโ€™s functional, and it gives you the ability to make quick strut and shock adjustments.
  2. Leather Shift Knob for 2014+ Mazda3/6 and Cx5: Let people know youโ€™re part of the CorkSport family and pick up this smooth-as-butter black leather shift knob.
  3. Fog Light Kit: Powerful LEDs that look good while brightening your way, uniting function and style in one mod.

These mods should get you started, but the CorkSport fam knows that thereโ€™s always more you can add. Check out the rest of our Mazda 6 parts and, if you plan to mod on the regular, make sure to check out 7th Gear, our new exclusive membership club.

If youโ€™ve got questions as youโ€™re modding your 2017 Mazda 6, give us a call. And follow the CorkSport blog for regular news, modification advice, Mazda tips, Mazda lifestyle talk, and much more!

The CorkSport Guide To Modifying The Mazda 3

White Mazda 3 from CorkSport
Ready to mod your Mazda 3? You will be after you read this!

New to modding your Mazda 3? No worries! CorkSport has you covered. Check out this guide to the parts that can turn your Mazda 3 into something special โ€” and something more fun. Iโ€™ll be covering the main Mazda 3 performance checkpoints: power, handling, and styling. Feel free to hit me up if you have any questions along the way!

Letโ€™s get started …

Power Modifications

One of the first questions I always hear when Mazda 3 owners call me on the phone is, โ€œWhat can I do to get some more horses out of this?โ€ As many of us know, the SkyActiv engine that comes in the Mazda 3 isnโ€™t exactly designed with big power in mind. It was built for fuel economy and efficiency. Even so, Mazda 3s are still very enjoyable to drive. With some bolt-ons products and a tune, you can definitely squeeze out some more ponies.

Short Ram Intake

One of the most restrictive parts of these carsโ€™ induction systems is the factory air box and paper filter. We offer a much more free-flowing solution with our short ram intakes for Mazda 3. It looks a little something like this:

Mazda 3 Short Ram Intake
Mazda 3 Short Ram Intake

Utilizing a machined billet aluminum MAF housing and a Dryflow filter, we saw gains up to 6 HP on the 2.5 L models and 2.0 L models on an untuned ECU. On top of achieving these gains, the intake also provides amazing induction sounds โ€” this probably wonโ€™t help you lighten your lead foot, though!

Exhaust

If youโ€™re considering any brand for an exhaust, be sure you keep us in mind. We spent a lot of time creating the perfect exhaust for these cars, including the sedan model and the hatch.

CorkSport Axle Back Exhaust
Axle back? Full cat back? We have exhaust options for the Mazda 3 at CorkSport.

Constructed of 65 mm piping and made from T304 stainless, CorkSport Mazda 3 exhausts will provide long lasting durability and performance! We can sell you just the axle back if you are going more for sound, or you can pick up our full Mazda 3 cat back if you want to get as much flow out as possible. (Please note: The cat back does delete the second unmonitored cat so it may be illegal based on your local emissions laws.) We saw 5 whp out of the 2.0 L and 10 whp out of the 2.5 L with our cat back on an untuned ECU!

Handling mods

One of the things that Mazda really hit out of the park with the Mazda 3s is the suspension and handling department. For a FWD econobox, these things carry momentum through turns really well. We offer some mods that cater specifically to this aspect of the car!

Springs, Shocks, and Struts

Dropping the car a bit on some adjustable damping shocks, struts, and lowering springs is a great place to start. Lowering the center of gravity while upping the spring rates will help improve your handling responsiveness. Slap a rear sway bar on there as the cherry on top and help the car rotate around corners while reducing the infamous understeer problems that FWD cars are often cursed with!

CorkSport suspension springs.
Drop that Mazda 3 with our lowering springs.

Our shocks and struts are 15 way adjustable, with 70 percent higher rebound damping. They allow you to run stiffer springs without needing to worry about the life of the strut being deteriorated.

The springs drop the car a tasteful 1.75โ€ in the front and 2.00โ€ in the rear.

Sway Bar

CorkSport rear sway bar.
Our CorkSport rear sway bar is a must.

The rear sway bar comes paired with some very nice billet aluminum brackets with Zerk fittings for servicing. The bar is a solid piece so youโ€™ll never have to worry about breaking it. Itโ€™s also two-way adjustable, allowing for stiffer or softer settings depending on how you like to drive and what youโ€™re driving.

Brakes

CorkSport's Mazda 3 big brake.
Hereโ€™s the breakdown on our brakes.

Not only do these suckers stop, but theyโ€™re also lighter, removing 7 pounds of unsprung weight. Stainless steel braided lines are also included to help improve the pedal feel.

The brakes are 4 pot calipers made from 6061-T6 aluminum, which comes anodized for a long-lasting finish. The rotors are 28mm larger than the factory rotors.

Styling mods

Although these cars already look great, we offer a few tasteful touches that you can add to your car to really help tie the whole package together.

Exterior

Every car enthusiast hates a front license plate, but we also hate getting pulled over for not having one. A good compromise is choosing not to drill into your bumper, offsetting it poorly and blocking your carโ€™s sexy curves. Our license plate kit utilizes your factory tow hook so itโ€™s easily removable if need be!

CorkSport License Plate Relocation Kit
A much more stylish way to showcase your plates.

Also, check out our fog light kit to replace those yellow factory ones. They consist of a very crisp 6000K LEDs that will definitely add to the front end and provide that high line look you want.

Interior

The average American spends approximately 17,600 minutes in the car every year. Thatโ€™s a lot of time to spend holding onto your shifter and steering wheel. So, treat yourself to an upgrade! Our leather steering wheel features a much thicker ring, flat bottom, and aggressive thumb grooves, all while maintaining OEM fitment, stereo controls, and an airbag. As most people come to find, itโ€™s your favorite mod โ€” you just donโ€™t know it yet.

CorkSport Mazda 3 steering wheel upgrade
Look at this beauty of a steering wheel!

Our leather shift knob (for those of you with manuals) is an incredibly nice touch that ties in with the steering wheel perfectly. At 325 grams, itโ€™s heavier than stock to help you smoothly change gears. The leather is also much nicer to the touch.

CorkSport leather shift knob upgrade
Shift into high gear in style.

Also, If your car didnโ€™t come from the factory with LED lights, then you donโ€™t need to miss out! We sell a full kit for the interior that features all the lights you need for the inside as well as the license plate. Youโ€™d be amazed at how much better the inside feels with that extra touch of ambiance.

CorkSport Interior LED light kit.
See the light with our LED light kit.

I hope that this helps you figure out some awesome things to start doing to your 2014+ Mazda 3. We have plenty more that I didnโ€™t even get to talk about, so check us out at www.Corksport.com!

And if you have questions, just give us a call at 360-260-2675.

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

* indicates required

Dear Car Guy: Our Beginnings and Our Why

CorkSport HQ featuring the old CorkSport logo.
That old CorkSport logo is a blast from the past!

Dear Car Guy,

Itโ€™s been a bit. I hope youโ€™re well and having a great time getting your baby ready for the summer weather!

Recently, Iโ€™ve been getting a lot of questions about why CorkSport sticks with the Mazda market. Some of these are more like comments, but really it seems like a continuous surprise to some that we find ourselves still innovating and providing for this market that we work in daily. The answer to this question was simpler than I expected to be once I gave it a good thinking over.

Mazda is in our blood. Itโ€™s who we are.

Where it all began

From the beginning, the founders of CorkSport were Mazda guys. They worked on their own cars with big dreams of racing and of building the biggest, baddest, most amazing Mazda parts around!

Yes, youโ€™re welcome to giggle. I know I did when I went through some of these pics of our history.

When youโ€™re a company in the early going, you take pride in some of the simplest things โ€” like our first time in the Yellow Pages or CorkSportโ€™s first blog. Or in something like our new website back in 2009. Or even when we finally got a banner in our window with the new logo.

CorkSport Yellow Pages ad.
CorkSportโ€™s Yellow Pages premiere.

You should check out this blog about how we came up with our name and logo designs for some excellent throwback CorkSport information.

We love the Mazda community

CorkSport tent with old CorkSport logo.
We always love getting out and meeting more members of the Mazda community.

Weโ€™ve continuously stuck with the Mazda community due to their passion, support, and โ€” of course โ€” the NATOR Club! Weโ€™ve written about this in the past, and you can find a ton of blogs that reference this club, but here are a few of my favorites to check out if youโ€™re interested.

Mazda community members working together.
What unites this group? The Mazda platform we all love.

  1. While we love you, Car Guys, we love our lady drivers, too. Find out what it means to be a Car Girl.

    A 2014 Nator event for the Mazda community.
    The community that plays together stays together.
  2. See what that NATOR life is all about with this recap of a great event a few years back in 2014.

We love our customers, we love our community, we love Mazdas. So why do we do what we do? Whatโ€™s our reason why? It all comes down to you, Car Guy!

CorkSportโ€™s reason why

We stay in the Mazda market, we continue to innovate, and we push ourselves โ€”ย sometimes to the breaking point (yes, sometimes breaking cars, hearts, minds, and wills in our offices!) โ€” in order to supply this amazing platform with great parts, awesome community, and realized dreams!

CorkSport's Mazda family.
Community is key. Youโ€™re our family. Youโ€™re our reason why.

Itโ€™s short, itโ€™s sweet, and itโ€™s our reason why: Itโ€™s all for you.

I almost wish it were more complicated than that.

Thanks for the support, Car Guy! Until next time …

Stay safe, stay fast, and stay happy, my friends!

-Kim

Long Lost Love for MS6 Owners

Due to the number of requests we have had, and the fact that we love our Mazdaspeed 6 peeps, we have decided to bring the aluminum skid plate back!

Good day, CorkSport family! This is Luke here at CorkSport HQ in Vancouver, Washington.

Iโ€™ve got some very exciting news that I know my Mazdaspeed 6 guys will be very happy about. As most of you know, CorkSport listens to our customers and, after listening, we deliver. Ever since we removed the aluminum skid plate from our product list, weโ€™ve received many requests for it. Due to the number of requests, and because we love our Mazdaspeed 6 peeps, we decided to bring the aluminum skid plate back! Thatโ€™s right, weโ€™re bringing it back to the site! Hereโ€™s a quick reminder of the benefits that the Mazdaspeed 6 aluminum skid plate gives your ride:

  • ย ย Replace OEM plastic skid plate with sturdier aluminum
  • ย ย Better protection during the winter months
  • ย ย Keeps the engine bay cleaner
  • ย ย More robust protection for people in lowered rides
  • ย ย Easy access to changing oil
  • ย ย Direct bolt on

Starting July 18, CorkSport will have the components back on the shelf and weโ€™ll be ready to start shipping these out. These new Mazdaspeed 6 aluminum skid plates will be limited quantity โ€” only 20 skid plates โ€” so be sure to get one before we have to have more made.

Starting July 18th CorkSport will have the components back on the shelf, and we will be ready to start shipping these out.

If you would like to pre-order, please call us at 360-260-2675. ย Letโ€™s get this party started folks!

Due to the number of requests we have had, and the fact that we love our Mazdaspeed 6 peeps, we have decided to bring the aluminum skid plate back!

Cheers,

Luke McCarvel

The Engine Build Process on a 2009 MazdaSpeed 3

A Mazdaspeed bent valve.
The bent valve on my Mazdaspeed.

Whatโ€™s up, fellow Mazda enthusiasts!

Youโ€™ve probably heard the phrase โ€œbuilt blockโ€ lately on social media or at your local car meet, but you might be wondering what that actually means. In fact, youโ€™ve probably heard it enough times that you donโ€™t even notice it. For you newbies, itโ€™s when the engine internals are replaced with performance parts. Whether you do or donโ€™t understand what a built block is, I thought I would share my knowledge and experience through the engine building process for my 2009 Mazdaspeed 3.

The incident

The moment we all dread (or maybe even look forward to?) finally happened โ€ฆ zoom zoom BOOM (ZZB).  I was merging onto the highway, within the speed limit, when the engine went silent and my dashboard became a Christmas tree of lights. I tried to start it โ€ฆ nothing. Well, shit.

I called the tow truck and brought my Mazdaspeed back to CorkSport HQ. A compression test gave me the quick, sad story. It was 0 0 0 0 across the board. Obviously, something gave out. That something turned out to be the friction washers on the crankshaft.

I now pronounce you piston and valve. You may kiss the valve.

The diagnosis

The engine slipped timing and bent all of the valves. Luckily, I didnโ€™t vent the engine block in the process, so that could be reused. After all this, I didnโ€™t trust the engine. So it was time to get built!

A 2009 Mazdaspeed bare block.
The bare block from my Mazdaspeed.

I pulled the engine and transmission from the vehicle and stripped them down to the bare components so the machine shop could do their magic. But, before we could let them start, I had to get some parts ordered for the machine shop to consider in the build tolerance. Just look at that stack of money โ€ฆ I mean parts.

The engine build parts

Forged Mazdaspeed internals.
Forged internals for the Mazdaspeed.

The bare engine block, a new used cylinder head, ACT 6-Puck clutch, and forged internals were sent to M & B Cylinder Heads for some much-needed love. The block was bored and cross-hatched to match up with the pistons, the main bearing journals were line honed where needed, and the deck surface was cut down just a hair to provide a new surface thatโ€™s true and flat. Since I wasnโ€™t going for just a bare bones build, I opted to have some added processes done to help with reliability and performance.

  1. I planned to run without the balance shaft, commonly called a BSD (balance shaft delete), to increase the oil capacity of the oil pan. This would remove some rotating mass to help the engine rev more freely. However, this does come with some compromises, mainly in severe NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) the driver experiences. For this reason, I had the rotating assembly (crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, clutch assembly, and crank pulley) balanced to further reduce vibrations.
  2. My build goal was at least 450 whp to further benefit the effect of the CorkSport Mazdaspeed camshafts, so I had the cylinder head ported to improve flow. The intake runners were opened up and cut to a single runner setup along with the exhaust ports. Both intake and exhaust had most of the work performed on the โ€œbowlโ€ area of the runners โ€” the area just above the valve seat. To top it off, the combustion chamber was touched up to remove any sharp points to help reduce hot spots that may cause detonation.

Check out the cylinder head porting:

Mazdaspeed single runner.
Hereโ€™s the single runner.
Mazdaspeed exhaust runner.
And hereโ€™s the exhaust runner.

The engine build operation

After what felt like an eternity, we got all the completed parts back from M & B and were ready to begin the assembly process. This is when I really stepped back and let Vincent take the lead. Heโ€™s the master when it comes to engine blueprinting and assembly.

The blueprinting process is arguably the most critical and time-consuming process of the engine build process. Each cylinder diameter is measured at three different vertical locations to determine cylinder taper, then measured again 90 degrees from the previous locations to determine cylinder roundness.  The piston outer diameter is measured as well and verified for the cylinder it was matched to at the machine shop. Once the block and pistons are confirmed, then the finer details are set in motion with the piston ring gaps, the main bearing and connecting rod bearing crush, and setting the main and head studs. Iโ€™m just skimming the surface here. Please note that all of this is measured down to the tens-of-thousandths of an inch. Thatโ€™s 0.0001โ€ for clarity. This really is a precise art.

Mazdaspeed engine build blueprint papers.
Precision means paperwork. Here are the blueprint papers for the Mazdaspeed engine build.

With the short block assembled, itโ€™s time to focus on the cylinder head. The cylinder head almost seems easy after the short block assembly. The cylinder head comes assembled with the seals, valves, and springs from the machine shop. Whatโ€™s left to Vincent is the tappet and camshaft installation. The tappets are non-adjustable solid tappets and each has a specific and precise thickness. Once the camshafts are installed, the gap between the camshaft base circle and the tappet is measured and adjusted until the correct gap is achieved. Then the complete the cylinder head can be installed on the short block and the head tightening sequence performed.

If you want to see a really awesome video of this whole process, including a bunch of detail I havenโ€™t added to this blog, youโ€™re in luck (thanks to CorkSportโ€™s Brett White).

I hope you enjoyed this tale as much as I enjoyed writing it. This not the end of my build, so hang tight for the rest of the engine and vehicle in a later post. Weโ€™d love to hear about your build, whether itโ€™s a few bolt-on parts or a crazy built engine and car. Comment below and tell us about it!

Barrett @ CS

Connect with us

You may also like