Why You Need Injector Seals for your Mazdaspeed, Part 2

This post is part 2 of a 2-part series on the importance of injector seals. If you’re just now discovering this post, be sure to tune in to part 1 before continuing here.

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Like the title says, you need injector seals for your MZR! Here’s why.

When Mazda designs a part, they design it with the “typical” customer and OEM power in mind – not the power hungry, boost craving driver. Yeah, I’m talking about you and you know it – and we have just the thing to keep you and your MZR in check. As you add more fuel and more boost, the weakest link is eventually going to give. That link is the OEM injector seals.

Three Reasons You Need Injector Seals For Your Mazdaspeed

Reliability is sacrificed using the OEM seals.
Leaking seals causes loss of power.
Inconsistent performance is caused by leaks.

So, if you are just tuning in to our blog, then shame on you, go read part one like everyone else! With that, let’s dive into the design of the seal and how it works.

We put 500 hard miles on the Speed3 and here are the results. 500 miles may not sound like a lot, but the company owned MS3 does not live the normal life. It spends most of its time on the dyno testing new products pull after pull, may have hit 35psi, and when it does hit the streets, it’s driven by an employee searching for the governor speed. I think we can all agree that the 500 miles was a fair amount of abuse to put the injector seals. Plus, other sets of seals have been running in alpha testers vehicles for thousands of miles without issue.

Now that we have that covered, let’s talk a bit more about the design of the seal and how it works.

It’s no longer just a washer with one sealing surface – it’s a cup. So it seals in the OEM location AND along the side of the cup. The secret is in the design (which is all thanks to @Tokay444 from MazdaSpeedForums). The lip at the bottom of the cup is flared just a bit so that it crushes down tight against the cylinder head, and as it crushes down it also crushes outward, pushing against the wall of the port much like an O-ring. If you are having trouble visualizing the flared lip crushing outward then check out the image below. Time to get technical!

Looking at this side view of the seal, you can clearly see that the flared lip is extended further outward than the side of the seal. (Please note that in this FEA, or Finite Element Analysis, the deformation scale factor is 6.5:1, i.e. highly exaggerated). This design is what separates the CorkSport seal from any other seals on the market today. In the FEA the seal is subjected to 3300lbf in the direction of the arrows; 3300lbf is the approximate clamping force of an M8x1.25 torqued to 18ft-lb. The areas in red indicate a displacement of 0.0057 inches, which is just enough to begin yielding (permanently bending) the beryllium copper material. After the 500 miles of use, we had the four seals precision measured using a CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine). On average, the seals yielded 0.0015 inches confirming our FEA.

Still following?

So what does this mean to you? When you torque down the fuel injector bolt and clamp you are applying approximately 3300lbf to the injector seal. This crushes the seal downward pushing the flared lip outward into the wall for ultimate sealing strength; and we have all the data to prove it! The CorkSport seal works flawlessly, but because of the design they are not reusable like any other crush seal.

So, now that we are done with all the technical stuff let’s take a look at the used seals. First, I would like to remind you what the injector looked like with the OEM crush washer and only 4000 miles.

Extremely dirty with an excessive amount of combustion gases blowing by the OEM injector seal. This makes for a very unhappy MZR. Second, in the images you are about to see, the seals have not been cleaned in any way, shape, or form. I pulled these out of the car and immediately took the pictures. Prepare to be WOW’d; I know I was…

Besides the clean injector body, there is a more subtle detail that needs to be pointed out. If you look at the very edge of the flared lip on the seal you will notice that the black soot does not go all the way to the edge. This further confirms that the seals are working the way Brock (@Tokay444 on MSF) had envisioned them and we can also see this “clean ring” in the cylinder head below.

In the image below you will notice that the seal is dirty on the inside, but that’s okay – that happens by design. The “shelf” that you see midway up on the inside of the seal seals against the injector body instead of in the OEM location further down around the injector nozzle. This change in sealing location allows the flared edge to deflect how it needs.

If I haven’t convinced you yet why you need injector seals for your Speed3 then you’re hopeless…you should go get a Civic or something else that’s slow…

Between our results and the reviews given to us from our alpha testers we have great confidence in the seals and you should too! Keep an eye out for these to be released very soon! Zoom – Zoom! -Barett, CS Engineering

September 3, 2014September 3, 2014

Official 2016 Mazda Miata MX5 Revelead

The 2016 Miata is Finally Here!

There is no official word on the engine, weight, or other specs yet, so we will just leave these photos here.

August 27, 2014February 21, 2018

Mazdaspeed 3 Coming in 2017 with AWD!

UPDATE: Masahiro Moro, president of Mazda USA, called the Mazdaspeed 3 “childish” in execution. What does that mean for the future of the Mazdaspeed model? Find out.

According to Ryan Beene at Autonews.com the next Mazdaspeed is planned for 2017. At first glance we might assume that this is purely more rumors, but upon further inspection we see that there might be cause to believe him.

Why?

First of all, Ryan Beene has been vouched for by several other automotive sites and journalists. Over at thetruthaboutcars.com they state “Having known Beene for a number of years, I can say that his information is to be trusted more than the typical buff book “anonymous sources” accompanied by some fanciful colored pencil sketch or computer rendering.” Jalopnik.com also states: “Automotive News’ Ryan Beene, who has covered Mazda in depth, is rather reliable. This is a good thing.”

Shop Mazdaspeed 3 Performance Parts Now

So apparently we should listen. We also see some of the first reasonable explanations for AWD and a Turbo. As we have discussed previously, the new Mazdaspeed will most likely share the AWD from the CX5 platform. See the article here: //corksport.com/blog/will-there-be-a-new-mazdaspeed-3-with-all-wheel-drive/ where we also happen to quote Takeo Mariuchi, the program deputy manager as saying “from a technical point of view it’s not difficult to install a four wheel drive system”. We also showed some interesting photos showing the rear of the CX5 and 2014 Mazda 3 that appeared as though it would be rather simple to add the AWD.

Nonetheless we put our stamp of approval on this statement.

The second thing that he brings up, that we can stand behind, is the fact that he believes the engine will be the same as the one used in the CX-9 launching that year. This would not surprise us at all since it would help shave cost, and engineering work on Mazda’s behalf.

There is a lot more info in the article, so feel free to read the full article here: https://www.autonews.com/article/20140825/OEM04/308259975/mazda-making-big-changes-fast

I’ll summarize the rest of his interesting points here otherwise:

Mazda 2: Redesigned Mazda 2 production starts in November and he expects a sportier Mazda2 with a modified intake and exhaust as an option.

Mazda 5: This will get killed off by 2015 due to lack of interest.

Mazda 6: An interior redesign for 2016, new center console, smaller dash that sits lower. Similar to the Mazda3.

Mx-5 Miata: Debuts in one week. Will have a SkyActiv 2.0L liter engine (no word of a turbo). More exciting though is the news that Mazda is planning a fastback-style hardtop version.

Rotary RX-7 or Rx-9: They are still working on it, should be 2 seats, not 4. No word on when.

CX-3: This should go on sale next June. Built on the same platform as the Mazda2.

CX-5: Fresh interior for 2016 and new front and headlights.

CX-9: Redesign for 2017 with new KODO language. Turbo Engine 2.5L that will be the same as the Mazdaspeed 3.

Of course, Ryan still doesn’t quote any sources or give any proof, but we definitely are willing to believe all that he says!

-Spencer@CorkSport

Check out the latest Mazdaspeed 3 performance parts

August 22, 2014December 18, 2017

What Mazda said that Will Have you Saying “Take my Money”

Real Quotes from Mazda’s Global Sales and Marketing General Manager

Once again Motoring.com.au has brought some rotary rumors to surface thanks to an interview with Yasuhiro Aoyama, the General manager of Global Sales and Marketing. So what did Yasuhiro say that is so revealing?

“this is a very fantastic idea, 2017, [for] a new rotary.”

followed by

“We celebrate the anniversary of rotary in 2017; 50 years. Then 2020 is the Olympics in Tokyo and the 100th anniversary of Mazda,”

When prodded for more info and whether we would see a halo car in 2020 he was quoted as saying: “We will defy convention”.

In order to prevent us from expanding on his words without the proper quotes let us list them all here:

“We have our own definition of sports and our own definition of how to get Jinba Ittai, the oneness between car and driver – and we do not have to necessarily compete with segments or competitors,” he said.

“We won’t follow them just for the sake of it.” [in reference to other car companies]

“We are indifferent to the successes that our rivals are making; we need to make our own success and forge our own way forward.”

And one of the quotes that I find most exciting was this:

“Lightweight is one of the core elements for our sports cars to have high performance, so all of the vehicles for the next generation will be like this,” he stated.

What could this all mean? Well that Mazda again has neither confirmed nor denied the idea of an RX-7 in 2017, and that it “is a very fantastic idea”, and that it it will definitely be a lightweight vehicle. We also know that he is hinting at something in 2020? Possibly a halo car? Possibly the RX-9 that they trademarked awhile back. (source)

Nonetheless, we are already stashing our pennies so that once we have official word, we can start yelling “Take my MONEY!”

-Spencer

August 21, 2014September 13, 2018

Mazda, Motorcycles and Dorito Chip Goodness

How Mazda, a Strange Recycling Symbol and Dorito Chips all Connect

What is this symbol? And how is it connected to Mazda? On first look it appears to be somehow symbolizing recycling, or Rotary Engines, and if that was your guess, you aren’t really wrong. But, there is certainly more.

This is the logo for a Motorcyle Company known as Van Veen that produced cycles from around 1972 until 1981. Van Veen was run by Henk Van Veen a dutch importer of motorcycles who had a crazy idea to cram a rotary engine into a motorcycle. So, he chose a bike, a Moto Guzzi V7 as the frame, and then an engine.

Now, contrary to much of what you see on the internet (such as wikipedia) stating that his first prototype used a Comoto Rotary, Van Veen actually chose another engine. A Mazda rotary.

The first engine this slightly crazy man decided to cram into those bikes was none other than the same engine that Mazda used in their RX2, the 10a.

Though the initial prototype used this engine, Van Veen sadly began instead using the Comoto rotary instead.

Alas though, after just a few years of selling his OCR 1000 wankel rotary bike, the company stopped producing them in 1981. As much as we wished he continued to use the Mazda engine, he did not, but that original prototype still exists. If you happen to read Dutch, check out more here: https://cybermotorcycle.com/docs/downloads/vanVeenMotorRijwiel.pdf

Though we never got to see them use the Mazda engines for production, or later start using the RX7 engines (boy that would have been awesome!), there have been others that have followed in Van Veen’s path and built Mazda rotary cycles.

Here is a custom built 13b powered rotary bike by Rodney Aguiar.

Who knows, maybe one of these days Mazda will even start making rotary motorcycles! After all, they did start by making 3 wheeled cars!

P.S. Don’t forget your love of Dorito engines.