Fuel Pump Comparison Part 4 (Bombs Away!)

We know by now that adding power to your Mazda is fairly straightforward up to a certain point. However, sooner or later, that hunger for power means you’re going to need to step up to a new fuel pump that can flow more fuel. By seeing that most of the fuel pumps on the market were largely the same, we decided to see what kind of innovations we could bring to the table. At this point we had learned volumes about the pumps on the market through our research and decided to engineer a new set of pump internals that focused on everything that we had learned.

We know this is possibly the worst kept secret since Area 51, but we started engineering fuel pump internals over 2 years ago and we aim to show you why ours is worth the wait.

We didn’t just set out to make another pump; the market has plenty of those. We set out to make the best Mazda fuel pump upgrade on the market specifically for Mazdas from a company that ONLY makes parts for Mazdas.

We started by researching many different technologies and engineering ideas in the pressure ranges experienced in these fuel pumps. We purchased every kit on the market and a brand new replacement from Mazda to test. The results from some of those tests can be found here (Link to blogs 1,2, and 3). After agreeing that 9.8mm was the maximum size we could attempt for the piston without making the sleeve wall too thin, we could start engineering the rest of the part.

We then built all the internals available in SolidWorks and tested the efficiency of them all for flow design and volume. This was merely the beginning of our design phase but helped us realize many great ideas (as well as a few not so great ones). We ended up with a design unlike any other on the market that, according to the data, would be more efficient than anything on the market.

With the increase in flow and efficiency we knew that our design could also benefit from a stiffer spring rate for the pump. That would enable higher RPM’s and improved cam wear over the life of the pump. Since we would be flowing more, the pressure on the pump would be greater than ever, the stiffer spring was just good insurance to get the power we needed even past the stock redline.

During our testing we also discovered the keeper assembly used by the factory is no accident. Many of the other pumps on the market use a keeper system similar to an intake or exhaust valve. This style does a fantastic job of locking the piston in place, but creates a few issues of its own. Because of the flow of fuel, the piston rides one side of the sleeve more than the other; over time, this will wear more into the piston which will affect clearances and efficiency. To prevent this, the factory style keeper allows the piston to spin as the spring moves up and down. That led us to choose the factory style retainer. We didn’t want to guess on either design without proof of our theory so we produced samples of both styles to prove wear differences and address installation challenges related to both styles.

Now that the cat is out of the bag, we’ll have just one more fuel pump blog next week with a very exciting limited offer. Stay tuned as CorkSport is about to take Mazda performance one step higher!

September 30, 2013September 13, 2023

No Leaks, No Mess, No Cleanup! An Innovative Coolant Solution.

CORKSPORT Mazdaspeed 3 and Mazda 3 2.5L Coolant Tank

Coolant resevoir for the Mazdaspeed version 1.

The common problem of coolant tank failures has gone too far. Leaks, drips, and holes are not something we will stand for. So what is the solution? The CorkSport 2010-2013 Mazdaspeed 3 and Mazda 3 2.5L Coolant Tank Reservoir! The CorkSport Coolant Tank Reservoir is made of a durable aluminum to prevent the leaks that can plague so many stock coolant tanks. We realized quickly though that without X-ray vision it was hard to tell when to top up your coolant, so we implemented a sight glass. Thanks to this sight glass you can easily spy low coolant levels and top up. We also included a high-pressure cap for increased performance and style.

The CorkSport 2010-2013 Mazdaspeed 3 and Mazda 3 2.5L Coolant tank requires no drilling and is a bolt-in replacement that won’t discolor over time. The Coolant tank is black to keep an OEM look in your engine bay, though it could be easily modified with decals or painting. With every CorkSport Coolant Tank getting pressure tested before it leaves our door, you can have peace of mind that you won’t have any more coolant tank leaks.

The Mazda Coolant Tank Reservoir is now available.

Learn more about this product, or purchase it, here: https://www.corksport.com/corksport-mazdaspeed-3-coolant-tank-reservoir.html

September 5, 2013January 11, 2020

Just Released: CORKSPORT 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed 6 Transmission Mount Insert

A Brand New Car in Just 1 Hour:

Wheel hop, driveline slack, and excess movement of the engine, what do these all have in common? All of these issues are easily fixed with the new CorkSport Mazdaspeed 6 Transmission Mount Insert. Within minutes your Mazdaspeed 6 will feel tight, fresh and ready for action, after installing the Transmission Mount Insert. Don’t be surprised when it becomes easier to shift and smoother to drive. Enjoy a new feeling car with a simple fix.

Unlike complete replacement motor mounts on the market which can transmit excessive vibration, the CorkSport Motor Mount Inserts fill in the gaps in the factory mount allowing it to retain its vibration isolation while providing a simple and cost effective upgrade to your Mazda for a more enjoyable driving experience.

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

The CorkSport 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed 6 Transmission Mount Insert is available on our online catalog here: https://www.corksport.com/corksport-2006-2007-mazdaspeed-6-transmission-mount-insert.html

August 8, 2013August 8, 2013

What does Customer Service Mean to You?

What makes a customer service experience great? What does it take to make you happy when things have gone sideways?

Every single eCommerce company in the world has customer service issues, it’s what they do about them and how they handle them that makes them different. Are you put on hold for hours at a time? Do you have to get past the first person to have anything resolved? When you get off the phone do you feel better or worse.

At CorkSport, we really try to treat every person who calls as if they were us having issues. I’ll share my latest story as an example.

I ordered a wireless AC router from an un-named company, we’ll call them “Sysknil”. I ordered this item on a Thursday, probably after the shipping cutoff so I didn’t really think about it. I had a busy Friday so I didn’t even check on it or really remember about it. On Monday, I went to check the status of it to see where it might be or when I could expect it. I was met with a message that said it was processing/picking/possible ship. Obviously, I was a little bit confused by that status; which one was it? I decided to call and just ask if it had been shipped or not. I have a bit of experience with shipping so I assumed the item had shipped but the tracking hadn’t been updated. When I called I sat on hold for almost 15 minutes. Then I was finally picked up by a gentleman who after asking nicely said he could not tell me the status of my order but would forward my question to the shipping department and they would call me back in 24-48 hours. I told him that I was without a router and I needed the internet. I would like to know now so that I can either know that this is shipped and wait for it or cancel the order and go out and buy a router in a physical store. He told me that was the only option available. I asked to speak to his supervisor.

At CorkSport, if you are ever put on hold for even 5 minutes, ask for Joel and I will get involved and get you to the people that can best help you.

Enter the supervisor

I sat on hold for another 10 minutes and was passed on to the supervisor of the day. In the beginning he asked all kinds of questions about the order and what I was looking for. I could hear all kinds of typing so I really felt like I was getting somewhere. He kept telling me “don’t worry about that because shipping is going to call you back”, and “you don’t have to worry about that, I will forward your message”. If I wasn’t “worried”, I would not have called. After another 10 or so minutes… I was transferred to the manager.

At CorkSport, everyone here has the power to help you with any issue you are having. If it’s trouble with an install or a part that just isn’t working out for you.

Manager

The Manager quickly took control of the conversation (after a brief 10 minute wait). She quickly ascertained my issue and then was able to calmly tell me that if I could hold on, shipping could be notified and would get back to me… in 24-48 hours! At that point, I was boiling mad, I kept it all inside and mentioned to her in my best Zen-like voice, that I was not able or willing to wait that long and that I was concerned that I might not be available for the phone call (God forbid I go to sleep and have my ringer off). She then asked if I should cancel the order, I tried to remind her that I couldn’t really cancel the order if it had already shipped. She breezily told me if I wanted to cancel she would just have the package turned around. That was one of the final straws for me, I know for us, stopping a package is at LEAST $25.00 or more. The fact that she was willing to light $25.00 on fire, rather than putting me on hold and calling someone in shipping and just asking them about the order told me all I needed to hear. I cancelled the order and let them eat whatever they were willing to eat as well as losing the sale.

Now I realize I am only seeing this from my side, but that’s exactly how every customer sees things. We just want people to help us, and if they can’t help us, at least feel like they did the absolute best that they could have. I didn’t get that feeling from Sysknil. I really felt they did whatever they could to get me off the phone. Being in the industry, I really feel like as long as you are being reasonable, you should be treated well. If I called up and said I wanted free shipping and a 2^nd router for free I would assume that I would get none of those things and a “Have a nice day sir”. But no… I just wanted to know the status of my order and they wanted me to wait for up to two days to get that information.

At CorkSport we make it a priority to treat your issues as our issues. We won’t be perfect, but we’re trying every day to make sure you get taken care of the way we would like to so that you don’t have to feel the way I did recently. To us here at CorkSport, our customer service is just as important as our parts and we want to prove it to you. If you ever have an issue that you feel wasn’t resolved to your satisfaction, email me at joel@corksport.com and I’ll do whatever I can to make it right. This isn’t just lip service or an empty promise, if we have an issue we want to know about it and we want it to be the last time we ever have to deal with it, for both our sakes.

Cheers,

Joel

July 16, 2013

Help Build the Mazdaspeed of Your Dreams

You may remember that we had to get a new shop testing vehicle after our last Mazdaspeed 3’s untimely demise See here; but what you may not know is how much time and effort was put into that car. Building a rolling showcase isn’t easy, cheap or quick. We were sad to see it go but now have a brand new canvas to start over on.

With our new speed we decided to go white, with that pearly white paint job we wanted to go towards a “panda” style going forward, mixing white and black parts in our build. We have started with a few small black and white things (intake, BOV, etc.). We’re really looking for input from you to really make this car unforgettable.

We’re looking at every detail to try to make an overall car that hasn’t been seen before that goes deeper than just bolting things on. We want to try new things, make combinations that have never been seen before and really try to make something that you would want if you never had to make a compromise.

Check us out on Facebook and let us know what you think we should add to this car to make it really unique.