Mazda hasn’t done anything to squash the rotary engine rumors flying around the possible new RX-9. In fact, as of a few days ago, an executive from Mazda confirmed in more or less words: Yes we are working on it, and it is moving along to a more advanced stage.
Let’s review what we have seen so far.
Hybrid Drive Train Patent dated September 2016
Mazda basically penned out a drivetrain setup for the next generation of Rotary vehicle. There was also a rotary specific i-stop type patent entered as well. The only problem is we have seen something contrary to this in the next topic which makes this puzzle interesting.
Rotary Turbo Patent dated August 2015
This patent got everyone (including myself) really excited. Top exhaust ports, a turbo mounted to the top, rear wheel drive, and it is screaming for a huge upgraded turbo to be sticking out of the hood….
One can dream right? I digress with that path but looking at this patent Mazda was working on a different variant of the engine and thought it was important enough to file a patent on it. It should be noted once again this patent was from 2014.
Dorr Support Structure January 2017
The last patent popped up recently and it suggests a lower slung sports car as it moves the door up at a 15% angle and uses a torsion rod to hold it open. The only use a car would have for this is if it is low and you don’t want to hit your doors on curbs when you open them.
Looking back further we can see other patents from Mazda which point towards the continued research of the next rotary with laser ignition, different configurations of the engine, the 16x, etc.
Recently at the Mazda tech forum in Germany, Mitsuo Hitomi from Mazda confirmed that the development is in the advanced stage.
It looks like Mazda is willing to say they are still working on it, but not willing to say, “Yes you will have an Rx-whatever on this specific date.”
Adding to the fire, several Japanese magazines have been saying the Tokyo Auto Show will have the next car at it as well.
With more and more pieces to the puzzle being revealed, perhaps this will be the year we get to see the next RX. My money is on the strategy that it will be teased much like the RX-Evolve and the RX-Vision were, and we will get a real car and one heck of a surprise at the Tokyo Auto Show.
A guy can dream right?!
-Derrick
RX-9 Rotary Engine Puzzle: Confirmed? February 21st, 2018Derrick Ambrose
Although normally we have a ton of technical information for you, this time around, we wanted to take an opportunity to share with you an awesome customer story we had happen a couple weeks back.
CorkSport is all about growing our family base, and constantly trying to connect with our community. Let’s be honest, we are here because of our family of customers, and we will continue to be here as long as our family is as well.
As most of you know, our company runs on internet-based sales, but we are also present Monday through Friday in the office to field any walk-in customers we may have. Anyone is welcome to come visit us at our HQ, and also to pick up parts we have in store. Most people wouldn’t guess that we have a showroom, but as you walk in you can see an exhaust hanging from the ceiling, and a handful of parts we display on the shelf, so people get an idea of what we do in-person.
We would love to see more people come through our front doors, and we welcome anyone from anywhere to come visit us.
A couple of weeks ago, we were paid a special visit from a customer named Rick and his wife, who came all the way from South Carolina on some business, and wanted to stop by CorkSport while they were in town.
Rick and I had a conversation about adding some Drag Bags to the rear of his MS3 in order to keep it from rubbing. He later called and told me it worked perfectly and thanked me for my recommendation. Rick has a first generation Mazdaspeed 3, and he was wondering what type of modifications he would need in order to make a certain whp. After chatting with him for a bit, and giving him a list of parts he would need to reach his goals, we decided it would be a good idea to snap a couple pictures to make sure we saved the memory!
After Rick and his wife had left, I realized that those are the types of experiences and interactions that our team at CorkSport loves.
It was very refreshing to talk with a customer multiple times, and then be able to put a face to the voice on the other end of the phone. This is what CorkSport is all about. We are here for YOU. We want to see you succeed.
CorkSport takes a lot of pride in making sure our customers come first. It’s also our highest priority that if you as the customer ever feel like you are not being valued like you’re “Number One”, we will do what we need to in order for you to feel that way.
CorkSport wants to make sure the entire community is part of our family. We would love nothing more than to hear our customers feeling like they can come to us for anything, just like Rick did, because well… that’s what family is all about.
Cheers,
Luke
Why CorkSport Loves Our Family Of Customers September 7th, 2017CorkSport
If you have a Mazdaspeed, then you have probably heard about cleaning your valves a time or two. You may be asking yourself, why is it that I need to do this? What is it good for? Or why do my valves get dirty in the first place? I’ll be covering all of that in this blog post today, along with full instructions on how to perform the job.
Why do my valves get dirty?
They get dirty because our engines are Direct Injected. This means that the fuel is injected directly into the combustion chamber, rather than in the ports. This also means that there is no fuel passing over your intake valves, and those nice detergents in the gas that are advertised don’t do anything for you.
An example of direct injection.
That being said, Carbon from the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) system and oil from the PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) have free reign to cake your valves.
The figure above is an example of a dirty valve after approx. 80k Miles with no EGR delete or OCC.
Why do I need to do it?
If enough time passes without any preventative treatment, the valves eventually can get so caked with carbon, that it can start interfering with proper airflow, combustion, and even the valve’s ability to shut all the way. Intermittent misfires, knocks, poor fuel economy, and loss of HP are all symptoms that can occur.
What products do I need?
Before you get into this list – be sure to check out the CorkSport Valve Cleaning tool released after we published this blog!
I’m glad you finally asked that! Go ahead and get ready to start jotting down some notes on the things you will need! Most of these can be found locally. *You will need a Shop-Vac, and an Air Compressor.
1. Media Blaster – This is just a gravity-fed gun with a hopper. Powered by compressed air. As you squeeze the trigger, the media falls in and goes out of the blaster. You can open and shut the media valve in order to Switch between media and air only.
2. Media – You will want to pick up some of the 24 Grit Walnut. Do not get the 12 Grit as this is too large, and you will continue to jam up your gun where the media falls from the hopper into the barrel. The 24 will have “Fine” In the top right corner.
3. Long Picks – You won’t want to start blasting right off the bat. You will want to soak the valves for a little bit and get in there with some long picks to really start softening up that initially built layer. You order the picks online and these are a lot easier to use than the little scribes at Harbor Freight which have always felt too short to me.
Link: Purchase Long Picks
4. Carb Clean – Over the years people testing different chemicals. The one still in the lead is B-12 Chemtool. You’ll use this to soak the valves and let them soften up the carbon. Be sure you get the sprayable can.
*You must also have all the normal tools required to remove your intake manifold.
Blue painters tape
Big garbage bag or plastic tarp
Long hose to attach to the end of the blaster to be routed through the Shop Vac
Funnel
Toothbrush
Brake clean
Shop towels
The process!
1. Disassembly: The goal here is to get your Intake manifold off. This consists of removing the TMIC, (If you have it) your harness, and vacuum lines. A well-written write-up on MSF to remove your intake manifold can be found here if you have not yet done this!
2. Mask off the Engine Bay: In order to prevent walnut from getting everywhere, a proper prep job is very important. Clean the face of the head, and around the runners well. They will be oily and blue tape will not stick well unless it’s clean!Cut two trash bags so that they lay flat, and stick the tape to them. End result should be like this! *Note that cylinder #2 is open and has been taped off.
3. Soak Your Valves: This is where the process actually starts! Spray down the valve with the B-12 Chemtool until all the build-up is covered. Let It sit for about 30-40 minutes. It may seem like a bit of time, but it does really help to make the process much easier.
4. Start Scraping: This is where your long picks will start to come in handy. With the carb clean still soaking on the valve, use the slightly angled pick to begin the process of removing the buildup. Once you think you have scraped enough off, use the air gun and the Shop-Vac to remove the fluid. Route the hose from the blaster through the vacuum hose as so: The air will blow out whatever is in there, and the vacuum will cleanly evacuate it from the runner.
5. Start Blasting:Fill up the blaster with a little funnel. Try to keep it over the box because this stuff likes to go everywhere. Once you have it filled you can proceed to the blasting. Start on the first runner of your choice. Make sure that the hose from the blaster sticks out enough to go a decent distance into the runner. Open the valve on the blaster with the switch on the side, and pull the trigger. Pulse it every couple of seconds, as this allows time for the walnut to drain out, and gives your compressor time to keep up!
As you blast it, the compressed air forces it into the runner and then gets blown back into the suction of the vacuum. You will need to go back and forth between blasting and picking, as you run into stubborn bits that are giving you a hard time. You will need to go back and forth between blasting and picking, as you run into stubborn bits that are giving you a hard time.
6. Rinse and Scrub the Runners: Now you use the brake clean and a toothbrush. The runners by now will be coated in dust and some residue. Use the straw on the brake clean and thoroughly hit the runners. Use an old toothbrush or equivalent to scrub it. You may need to repeat this a couple of times in order to get it nice and clean. Suck out the fluid with the Shop-Vac and air gun as you did in step #4. Your final result will definitely blow your mind! *Take extra time to ensure that you have no media left in the runners. Blow it out thoroughly.
7. Repeat for the valve that was taped off: Now that you have completed the ones that were shut, you need to tape those off, and unmask the runner that has the valves open. The easiest way to do this is to rotate the engine by hand. The Crank Pulley is a 21mm Bolt. Simply turn the engine to the right a little bit until the valves fully shut. Having a spotter tell you “when” is the easiest way. If the Buildup makes it hard to tell, then you can put a long screwdriver, or extension in the spark plug hole and watch it reach its peak at TDC. This will ensure the valves are fully shut. Soak the valve, scrape, and blast, just like the previous valve.
8. Time to clean up: Remove your masking, and try to channel all the walnut into one area. Wad it all up and toss it. Keep the tape on the cylinder head until you are ready to install the manifold. Used some compressed air to clean off anything that may have gotten media where it doesn’t belong.Reassemble, and start it up! Check for vacuum leaks or loose clamps. Watch your fuel trims and AFRs on your AP (if you have one) to make sure everything is normal.
Hope this will help you guys on your valve cleaning ventures, and you can always give us a call at 360-260-2675 if you get stuck! Connect with us
Are you tired of going on dates, leaning in for the kiss, and missing the target because of dull yellow lights? Well search no more, CorkSport family. With our CorkSport LED light kits you no longer have to worry about missed opportunities due to insufficient lighting. CorkSport has been in the Mazda game for quite some time now, and we know that having a ride that shines bright is a must of any Mazda owner. Not only does our LED light kit brighten up your ride, but the lights last longer, and also use less power, just in case you leave one on during the night. Here are the vehicles we offer these kits for:
If you do not know the benefits of the LED light kits, then let me make sure and call that out as well:
Blue-White Color
Retains Interior Dimming
Longer Lifespan
Less Heat
Resists Shock and Vibration
Lower Power Draw
These are the reasons why everyone needs the CorkSport LED light kits installed in their Mazda’s. Not only do you get a bright and shiny ride, but you no longer have to worry about missing that first kiss on the most important date. For any questions about them, please call us at 360-260-2675. Happy summer, CorkSport Family ☺
Cheers,
Luke
Get the Right Lights and Set the Mood September 13th, 2018CorkSport
How is our CorkSport family doing this summer? Good I hope! The CorkSporteer’s are doing very well over here in Vancouver, Washington, constantly on that grind to bring more parts to the market. We always have our customers’ best interest in mind, and will do whatever we can to help our CorkSport family reach their goals. With that being said, I wanted to make sure to remind everyone of a part that is considered to be the most intimate part other than our CorkSport Steering Wheels.
We all know that the stock shift knob in our Mazda’s can get worn down and look like it’s been through some abuse, especially with how hard we bang gears! CorkSport has that perfect solution for upgrading the shift knob while maintaining an OEM look. Using real leather, red stitching, and adding a CorkSport logo, this shift knob is a must for anyone looking to upgrade. Here are a few extra tid bits about the knob:
Made from high-quality leather
Weighs 320 grams
Hand wrapped and stitched
Perfect design to comfortably sit in your hand
Hot/cold temperatures do not affect this knob as much as OEM or aluminum knobs
The CorkSport Leather Shift Knob includes a limited 2-year warranty against manufacturer defects. The thread pitch of the knob is the same as almost all Mazda’s so whether you have a regular Mazda 3, or a Mazdaspeed 3, this knob will fit both of those applications.
So grab a beer, browse our website, and feel free to message myself, Luke McCarvel, if you have any questions. You can also call me at 360-260-2675 to bug us and rack my brain. The more the merrier!
Cheers
Shifty Things Getting Shifted January 4th, 2020CorkSport
