Mazda | CorkSport Mazda Performance Blog

October 25, 2018April 15, 2019

Intake Valve Cleaning – A Dirty Job Made Easy

Introducing the CorkSport Intake Valve Cleaning Kit. While designed specifically for the DISI MZR engine found in the Mazdaspeed 3, 6, and Mazda CX-7 turbo. Our kit is versatile enough to be used in a variety of direct injected (DI) applications and alleviates many of the pain points associated with cleaning your intake valves. For an explanation on why DI engines need their valves cleaned, check out our blog on cleaning Mazdaspeed intake valves. Read on as the CorkSport Valve Cleaning Kit could make your next maintenance job much easier.

Despite its interesting appearance the CorkSport Valve Cleaning tool was carefully designed for ease of use. Starting at the large end, the cone shape was selected to accommodate a wide variety of vacuum hose sizes (1.50-2.5- inch OD) – it even works with the oblong-shaped hose we have in the CS shop! A clamp is included to keep the tool secure on the vacuum. Due to the slightly flexible nature of multi-layer silicone, clamping the hose creates a seal useful to get great suction from the vacuum.

To provide the best fit for both the large and small intake ports of the DISI MZR, the opposite end of the valve cleaning tool also is flared. When in use, this flare compresses slightly, making for another great seal. This keeps the cleaning chemicals, media, and any carbon deposits from getting all over you and your engine bay.

Last but not least is the small diameter offshoot on the side of the CorkSport Intake Valve Cleaning Tool. This is the port for a media blaster that helps make quick work of dirty valves. It is positioned for easy use, where one hand holds the CS valve cleaning tool while the other operates the media blaster. An abrasion resistant hose is included to fit on the end of your media blaster and travel down into your intake ports for direct blasting. Unlike doing this without the tool, you do not have to permanently modify your vacuum just to do valve maintenance.

There you have it, folks, quite possibly the weirdest looking CS product ever created but it’s quite useful! Check out the listing for more details and to see the CorkSport Intake Valve Cleaning Tool in use.

October 16, 2018June 1, 2023

Understanding Intake Systems for Mazdas

The CorkSport Cold Air Box pairs perfectly with the CorkSport Short Ram Intake.

When it comes to the breathability of your Mazda, a short ram intake is the best place to start. The benefits are immediate, the installation is quite simple and it’s genuinely the best first step to getting some power and fun out of your Mazda or Mazdaspeed.

Bringing more air into the intake chamber, the intake system allows you to increase horsepower and torque for your Mazdaspeed. Each is designed to maintain optimal flow and generate ideal performance for your Mazda, with exacting tolerances and using the latest in computer-aided manufacturing techniques to bring you the highest quality and best-performing part for your money. You can expect to gain up to 30+ HP from this simple-to-install short ram intake system.

Types of Air Intake Systems

Short ram air intakes suck in large amounts of heated air within the engine to help in efficient combustion. These are short and wide pipes because it uses a shorter pipe than the cold air intake, it only has access to warm air near the engine. To make up for this, it sucks in more air than cold air intakes.

Cold air intakes are a type of ram air intake system that works by drawing in cool air from outside and into the Mazda’s engine. This type of intake often has minimal bends and has a long duct with access to cool air. With cooler air coursing through the engine, combustion requires less heat and fuel.

Why Replace Your Mazdaspeed or Mazda Air Intake System

More often than not, car enthusiasts and expert mechanics recommend that you purchase an air intake as soon as possible. Even vehicles of the latest make and models benefit from an aftermarket air intake system. Below are five of the reasons why an air intake system can improve your Mazda engine’s performance.

Get your 2014 Mazda 3 the cold air it needs with the CorkSport cold air box that goes perfectly with the CorkSport SRI. — Mazda 3 Short Ram Intake

Keep in mind, when an intake is paired with a cold air box or battery box, you create a great look for your engine bay and increase your overall Mazda performance. Also, when paired with fuel pump internals, you’ll be able to increase the efficiency, power and set yourself up for future modifications as well!

Why replace your intake system?

1. Increased Acceleration

With an upgraded intake, your Mazda can experience increased horsepower. Upgraded intakes can also increase your engine’s responsiveness when speedy acceleration is required. Because there is more air available and ready for combustion with aftermarket air intakes, your engine reaches the desired speed faster compared to the stock intake that comes with your Mazda. Those who enjoy racing, autocross, or drag strips with their Mazda or who if you just like quick acceleration as soon as the traffic light turns green, an aftermarket air intake can help you enjoy your get up and go a bit more.

2. Greater Fuel Economy

Engines rely on a mixture of fuel and air to create an explosion that powers your Mazdaspeed. When there is not enough air pumping through the engine, your Mazda consumes more gas to compensate for the lack of oxygen. Stock intakes that come with your Mazda are designed to be quiet instead of fuel efficient, and as a result, they tend to use more gasoline. Pumping in more air via an upgraded intake can reduce gas consumption and translate to savings on fuel expenses. For those who are concerned about fuel efficiency…we should note here: that the enhanced sound may cause you to have a heavier foot and decrease your fuel efficiency in exchange for spirited driving.

3. More Effective Filters

The stock air intakes that come with your Mazda normally have disposable paper filters to catch debris. While these filters do their job in trapping particles that may potentially wreak havoc on your engine, the filters eventually require replacement (often a great upsell item for your local technicians). Aftermarket intakes, on the other hand, are equipped with filters that typically have to be cleaned every 20,000 to 50,000 miles (just some soapy water and let it dry completely before reinstallation). This not only saves money but it also provides a more effective filtration method that not only keeps debris out but also lets a larger qty of air inside.

4. Enhanced Sound

Those who like the aggressive sound of a roaring Mazdaspeed engine should enjoy our upgraded intakes the most. Because more air enters through the intake to the engine, it produces a sound that our Mazda enthusiasts find thrilling.

5. Better Overall Performance

With the simple installation of an upgraded intake, you can increase the overall performance of your Mazda. Whether you decide to go for the short ram intake or the cold air intake, you increase your Mazda’s efficiency, speed, power, and sound.

Looking for an intake system or upgraded intake components to fit your Model?

Shop Our Selection of Intakes By Model Year

2010-2013 Mazdaspeed3
2007-2009 Mazdaspeed3
2006-2007 Mazdaspeed6
2019+ Mazda3
2014-18 Mazda3
2010-2013 Mazda3
2004-2009 Mazda3

2014-2017 Mazda6
2009-2012 Mazda6
2003-2008 Mazda6
2016+ MX-5
2016+ CX-3
2013+ CX-5

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October 4, 2018April 8, 2020

The Ultimate Mazda Performance Guide

A few years ago, CorkSport’s resident racecar driver – Derrick Ambrose – released a book titled The Ultimate Mazda Performance Guide.

The wildly popular book provides beginner and intermediate Mazda/Mazdaspeed owners a solid guide that outlines how, why and when to modify their ride. Now that the platform is a little older, these second-hand models are more attainable for first-time car buyers and Mazdaspeed Owners specifically are hungry to transform their ride into a +400 WHP BEAST!

With so many new enthusiasts joining the Mazdaspeed platform, we have been flooded with inquisitive calls and see an increasing number of new owners post up questions about turbos, High Pressure Fuel Pump Internals, axle back vs cat back vs turbo back exhausts, and what can I do to make 400 WHP or even 600 WHP?

Many of these new Mazda enthusiasts are joining CorkSport’s premier 7th Gear Membership to take advantage of the free swag package, free shipping in the lower 48 states and immense benefits from the troll free and exclusive 7th Gear Facebook Group – Where beginners can ask questions without getting clobbered!

So, whether you’re just starting out with a new to you Mazdaspeed3 or Mazdaspeed6, or you’ve hit the ground running with a new MX-5, Mazda3 or Mazda6 (turbo diesel!?). Our Mazda performance Guide will help answer some basic questions as well as set you on your path to get the most out of your ride.

Previous Interview with Derrick:

CorkSport: What made you decide to write a book about Mazda Performance and why?

Derrick: I really just wanted to give some of the new Mazda enthusiasts some of the knowledge that I have gained about Mazda’s from my involvement with them since the mid 90’s. Many people are just now buying their first Mazdaspeed and don’t really know where to begin. I wanted to help ease them into what they really need to know. It can be quite scary for some to jump into modifying or go into the forums or Facebook groups and not know anything.

CorkSport: We know all about the forums and responses to Newbs on Facebook haha.

Derrick: Exactly, the purpose of the book was to help give people a path and empower them with information that may take a lot of years or a lot of searching to find. I didn’t want it to just be about selling CorkSport parts, we actually mention, and feature, many non-CorkSport parts in the book. That being said, I’m very proud of CorkSport and what we have done to help the Mazda community.

CorkSport: So who is this book really for?

Derrick: I wrote this guide for the beginner to the intermediate Mazda enthusiast that really wants to learn more and really get the most bang for their buck. I wanted to answer some of the most common questions I’ve seen on the forums and in person about aftermarket performance and where to start. If you have changed your turbo or are cross-weighing your coil-overs, you are probably past this book in terms of technical ability. I did, however, include many sources for additional information, contacts and even a brief history of Mazda itself; which is a topic I may even write another book on for the true Mazda fanatic.

CorkSport: I see, what do you think was the most challenging thing about creating a book?

Derrick: Everything, (laughs). When you have no idea what you’re doing as an ‘author’, it takes a LOT more time than you could ever imagine. I was lucky to have a lot of help from some truly amazing people and am very grateful to all of them. Writing a book is a much bigger endeavor than I would have every thought, but having an actual piece of history afterward is truly a special moment. Having that glossy cover in my hands, seeing the ISBN on the back and knowing that I will be in the Library of Congress forever is just an amazing feeling. It’s weird how just making a book can make you feel patriotic, but it really did.

CorkSport: Well hopefully we can talk you into signing a few for us and we look forward to helping to make the next one. Thanks for letting us get a little more insight into this great addition to the Mazdaspeed community.

Derrick: Thanks, I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did making it. If just one person gets the mod bug I did when I was younger because of this book then I will be happy.

September 18, 2018

Creating CorkSport Parts with 3D Scanning

While creating a new CorkSport part, we sometimes run into issues where calipers, bore gauges, and angle finders are simply not enough to get the measurements we need. We’ve discussed how we use 3D printing in a previous blog, but today I thought I’d go over the opposite: 3D scanning.

Where 3D printing takes a CAD design from computer to physical part, 3D scanning takes a physical part and converts it into a computerized model. This is especially useful for things like intercooler piping, intake design, and even creating exterior body parts. What these components all have in common is that they are a complex, difficult to measure, shape where fitment is critical. Check out the 3D scan below from the development of our GEN2 Mazdaspeed 3 front lip. While not a perfect replica, this 3D scan information was vital for designing the CS front lip to ensure great fitment and stylish look.

At CorkSport, we do have a small 3D measuring arm that can take measurements of 3D objects and input them directly into a CAD program. The arm does this by first having a “home” position established that the arm can measure from. Then as the arm is moved around, it knows how far the tip of the arm is from the home position in x, y, and z coordinates. This is a very basic form of 3D measurement as the arm must actually touch the surfaces of the part. Mostly simple information like mounting surface locations, angles, and hole sizes can result from this arm. While not a full 3D scan, it is especially useful for things like the GEN3 Transmission Motor Mount that have mounting planes at different angles.

For intercooler piping with completely round surfaces and bends, CorkSport’s 3D measuring arm has its limitations. We typically get a full 3D scan performed on the OEM piping to give us solid locations and a great visual reference to design from. The 3D scanning arm bounces a laser off the part to determine its shape and size. Then, software that accompanies the 3D scanner stitches all the information together into a full 3D CAD model. The scans achieve great accuracy; check out the embossed writing and even texture on this OEM intercooler piping for the SkyActiv 2.5T.

From this point, we design the new CorkSport parts. In terms of intercooler piping, we analyze where the larger piping will fit to get the performance gains we want. In some cases, we can also simplify the pipe routing to get smoother airflow than the OEM piping. Having a full OEM piping scan makes this much easier as we can easily double check our measurements with the OEM parts on the car. As a result, our first 3D print can often be the final version before having metal parts made. An early design for an upgraded Mazda 6 SkyActiv 2.5T hot pipe is shown below (blue) with the OEM part scan (gray). The routing was carefully chosen to achieve our desired piping size within the constraints of the OEM engine bay.

3D scanning has a huge range of uses and we are just beginning to explore the full capabilities. Be sure to share your ideas on how we should use this technology and what new CS parts we should make with 3D scanning’s help!

-Daniel

September 11, 2018December 26, 2023

Mazda’s Dynamic Pressure Turbo – A Closer Look

There has been a lot of buzz about the new(ish) turbocharged SkyActiv-G 2.5L first found in the Mazda CX-9 and now in the Mazda 6. Along with all this buzz, there are a lot of unknowns as well. Here at CorkSport, we’ve taken the step to try and address some of these unknowns. What is Mazda’s “Dynamic Pressure Turbo” and how does it work? There have been diagrams bouncing around on the internet, but no close-up view of the turbocharger itself. That’s about to change.

If you haven’t already read Daniel’s first installment, “Mazda Dynamic PressureTurbo an Introduction.” You wouldn’t want to miss out on the extra information before reading on.

The turbocharger found in the 2.5T equipped CX-9 and 6 is quite complex in design. There are many aspects to the OE turbocharger we could discuss, but today we are going to focus solely on the dynamic pressure system and turbine housing.

If you are reading this, then you’ve probably already seen various diagrams depicting how the dynamic pressure system works and showing Mazda’s clever 3-2-1 exhaust port design. If you haven’t, check it out below. Image credit to Car And Driver Magazine for the fantastic diagram.

Mazda’s 3-2-1 exhaust port design takes full advantage of the engine cylinder firing order. The advantage is improved exhaust gas scavenging for the adjacent cylinder (more or less the cylinder that just fired helps pull the exhaust gases out of the next cylinder that is about to fire). Ok, moving on; this is great, but how does the dynamic pressure system come into the mix?

Shown here are the turbocharger assembly and the dynamic pressure valve assembled as one unit (the first two images also showed the fully assembled setup). The three ports are clearly visible along with the “vane” that passes through the three ports. This vane rotates depending on the engine RPM to control the exhaust gas velocity entering the turbine housing. The vane itself is controlled by the larger blue-colored actuator.

Mazda 6 Turbo design for exhaust velocity

Now let’s take an even closer look. The vane does not open until approximately 1600rpm, but the engine cannot run if there is no exhaust gas can flow out of the engine. To resolve this Mazda has designed a dynamic pressure system with two exhaust gas paths. Looking at the above image you can see a small opening just above the vane. This is the sub-1600rpm exhaust gas path.

By reducing the cross-sectional area of the exhaust gas path, the exhaust is forced to accelerate through the dynamic pressure system and into the turbine wheel. This effectively reduces turbo lag, improving the vehicle’s response at low engine RPM. Once the engine revs past 1600rpm the vane opens, allowing the larger path to be used.

Here we show the turbocharger assembly (right) and the dynamic pressure valve assembly (left) separated. Looking at the dynamic pressure valve assembly, you can now more clearly see the three small paths above the larger path with the vane inside. Then look at the turbocharger assembly and you will see the small upper path and the larger lower path.

The fact that these two assemblies are separate systems is great news for the enthusiast. The development of a performance turbocharger will be much more feasible and the dynamic pressure valve can be retained with the performance turbocharger. One more detail to point out.

Mazda 6 turbocharger design for exhaust pressure

Mazda put a lot of thought into the design of the wastegate port; let me show you why. First, looking at the inlet of the turbine housing you can see a small vertical wall in the large path. This wall creates a completely separate path to the wastegate port which is very unusual on an OE turbocharger. Combine this design with a very large wastegate port and you get a design that can “waste” or divert an excessive amount of exhaust gas.

Mazda 6 turbocharger design for skyactive-g 2.5l

This tells us the SkyActiv-G 2.5L engine is creating a lot of (currently) unused exhaust gas energy. Again this supports the feasibility of a performance turbocharger suiting Mazda’s new turbo engine quite well.

Great things are on the horizon for the Mazda 6, now if only Mazda would put this engine in the 3 paired with a 6-speed manual transmission. Oh, one can dream.

-Barett @ CS

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