Looking to take the next step on your MS3 journey and move beyond the limits of stock fueling?
Look no further than the CorkSport Auxiliary Fuel Tank for Mazdaspeed 3. We incorporated a ton of features into an aux fuel tank that sits in front of the driver’s side front tire. By using rotomolded construction, we were able to maximize the volume and ease of use to really make a fantastic starting point for your fuel system. Be sure to read on for more info and check out the product listing for full details!
The main focus of the CS aux fuel tank is to maximize capacity without compromising usability and features. We chose rotomolded cross-link HDPE construction to do this. Manufacturing the tanks with this method removes a lot of the restriction that comes with sheet metal tanks so we could keep the tanks cheaper for you while incorporating extra features.
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Adjustable mounting brackets
We were able to maximize the tank to approximately 2.6 gallons for both the GEN1 and GEN2 while retaining great fitment. We even incorporated adjustment into all of the mounting brackets to account for manufacturing and setup variances from one car to another.
Along with fitment comes the flexibility to make the tank work best for your fuel system. We have incorporated mounting locations for both methanol pumps and a standard 044 style mounting bracket. This means you can run a basic single nozzle meth setup while on stock block, then move to a full PI setup once you build your engine, all while using the same tank.
The CorkSport MS3 aux fuel tank also incorporates a bunch of other great features:
An included low level sensor and warning LED that will trigger with ~0.8 gallons remaining in the tank. This gives you plenty of warning before running your aux fuel system dry.
A sump is molded into the bottom of the tank for the fuel pump feed. This prevents fuel starvation from fuel slosh during hard cornering.
A fuel return port is present for use with full port injection setups. If running methanol, this port can be easily plugged.
Warning light, anti-leak, easy refueling, and more!
A billet aluminum cap keeps the tank sealed. Dual O-rings are used to keep the cap in position and prevent any leaks, even if the tank is upside-down.
The tank fill neck was carefully sized to fit with most gas can nozzles and funnels for easy refueling.
An included vent tube keeps tank pressure in check.
The CS aux tank is made from rotomolded 0.19” thick HDPE. This is the same material that most racing gas cans are made from, so you know it will be safe no matter the fuel you use. Each mounting bracket is laser cut and precision formed 304 stainless steel for strength, a great look, and corrosion resistance.
Each cap is made from black anodized billet aluminum for reliable and easy use while being stealthy in your engine bay. Finally, each tank comes with full color installation instructions and CS customer support so you can be sure you will be in a good spot for the rest of your fuel system.
Searching for more power for your speeds MZR engine?
Are you building your DISI motor, and trying to figure out your next setup? Say no more…
This next Mazdaspeed-focused blog is going to focus on making some big power numbers, and what it takes to get there. Now is the time to go beyond the scope of the 400-wheel horsepower to look at what it takes for 500 horsepower at the wheels.
In our 400 WHP blog, this is not an all-inclusive guide and the only way to achieve these power levels… However, it’s something that’s been tried and tested for years and proven to be a reliable method of making the power you’re after. We are aiming to educate you in the best way to make the most out of your MZR engine.
Let’s get started
With the MZR engine being out for over 10 years, it’s had a lot of time under the knife. We know how the engine responds to different airflow mods, tuning characteristics, fuel, etc.
We also know that 400 Whp is about the limit of the stock bottom end on the Mazdaspeed 3. If you have a Mazdaspeed 6, then you can assume it’d be a bit less given you have AWD and need to account for further drivetrain loss.
It is beyond this point that the motor is in danger and could potentially let go. Keep in mind that at 400 Whp you are nearly doubling OEM power output, and that’s a lot of strain on those pistons and rods that were never designed to endure that power long term. If you are wanting to go beyond 400 Whp then you should know that you are also looking at the price tag of a Built motor.
CorkSport
Now, if you are relatively new to this, and aren’t very familiar with the basic building blocks of the platform such as the Cobb Accessport, and Upgraded Fuel Pump Internals, then I invite you to read our 400 Whp Blog to build a good foundation. Do you feel you have a good understanding of what it takes to get to 400 Whp? Then you are ready to read on!
When you’re at a point in your build that you are seeking 500 Whp then it’s safe to say that you probably have gotten the more tedious stuff out of the way… You probably have about every bolt-on modification, and you understand what it’s like to work with a professional tuner.
That being said, let’s do a bit of a recap on the 400 Whp mods, so you have a good idea of where we need to go from here.
These are all the recommended/required mods to increase engine airflow and efficiency to make 400 WHP.
– Stock Fueling on Pump Gas usually nets around 330-350 Whp depending on octane and gas quality.
– Stock Fueling on E85 blend fuel usually nets around 370-390 Whp depending on Tune aggression and also Quality of the gas and E85.
– With Aux fueling such as port fuel, or methanol you can easily bump up over the 400 Whp mark and beyond. (I’ll get into the differences more in a bit)
Putting down 500 Whp pretty much requires many of the same mods that 400 Whp does, BUT the primary game changers are the Advanced Bolt On’s and Fuel.
(If you’d like to refresh your memory on the basic bolt-ons and how they affect your Mazda please refer to the 400 Whp blog.)
I’m ready for more POWAHH
In the grand scheme of things, making the 400whp is relatively easy and affordable considering it can be done on the stock block. With bolt on parts, fuel, and a tune you can easily hit that number. But as soon as you want to make more, you’re looking at a built engine, as previously mentioned, And that’s a whole new can of worms.
So, what’s all involved in a built motor? That’s a bit of an open-ended question as there are so many variables to take into consideration. However, “built” engines usually contain forged pistons and rods with upgraded bearings to handle more abuse. From there, the complexity increases as you get into port work, cams, etc. I will touch on that a bit more later.
Fortunately for you, most engine builders have their entry level engine ready to handle 500 wheel horsepower and it’s a pretty basic build that features stronger internals. But, the tedious stuff like port work is usually reserved for the higher tier engines that are usually built for more power.
I won’t get into the engine building side of things, as that could turn into a whole other tangent. But you can assume that a built motor may cost you anywhere from 5k and up dependent on the level of motor you go with. From there we can start piecing together our 500 Whp build.
CorkSport
Let’s Talk TURBO’S (Crowd Cheers)
The turbo is the heart and soul of the Zoom-Zoom, so it seems like a suitable place to start.
CST5 Turbo Upgrade – 2006-2013 DISI MZR
As we know, the CST4 is happy up to around 400+ Whp. Which is why it was the recommended turbo in the 400whp blog. But now we are ready to take a step up to the CST5 Turbo for the Mazdaspeed which is happy up to… You guessed it! 500+ WHP. With the ability to hit 20 PSI by 3500-3600 RPM and Carry out 30 PSI it really packs a punch for its size. You may be needing to upgrade your intake to pair to the T5, I’d recommend our Power Series 3.5” Intake I mentioned earlier. It will come with the 4” coupler required to mate up to the turbo.
The turbo is available with an internal gate, or an External Gate so you can choose what works best for you. Both options can hit the same power numbers.
Let’s Talk Fuel
HPFP System
“What options do I have for bigger injectors?”
At CorkSport I get this question rather often. Unfortunately, I must tell them “There aren’t any”
Without going too off topic here I will explain why.
Our cars feature a Direct Injection fuel system or DI… And by today’s standards, it’s a bit primitive. The MZR DISI was one of the first pioneers of modern DI, which is probably why the OEM high-pressure fuel pump can’t even sustain the full potential of the factory injectors. Don’t worry, the CorkSport Fuel Pump internals fixes that problem.
Port Injection is simple and easy to maintain. It works by spraying low pressure fuel into the intake runner where it atomizes in the air stream before entering the combustion chamber. For car guys, it’s fantastic and easy to swap out injectors when you are ready for more fuel.
Direct Injection takes a whole new approach. Instead of the fuel going in through the intake manifold, it goes DIRECTLY into the combustion chamber.
In order to overcome the force of compression, the fuel must be highly pressurized in order to atomize correctly. It also must deliver more volume in a shorter amount of time. This is why your Mazdaspeed has a high-pressure fuel pump.
This causes a whole lot of complications for injector developers because things like fuel pressure also become a huge variable when attempting to create a larger Direct Injector. The bigger the hole on the injector, the more fuel pressure is required to create adequate atomization. Combining that with the rarity, and size of the Mazdaspeed platform, it’s just not worth it for any manufacturer to develop one.
So, what’s the solution to getting more fuel? Well… As previously mentioned, you pretty much have 2 choices Port Injection or Methanol. Since both of these are considered Auxiliary fueling, they are controlled by separate controllers, unless you want to ball out and get a Motec ECU that can control the OEM engine systems, as well as your port fuel.
Choosing which system, you want to go with solely depends on your power goals, and how much money you have to spend. Those 2 factors are pretty much the only question you need to ask yourself.
Leo dropping that cash on a port Injection fuel system
Methanol – Cheap and simple
Port Injection – Expensive and Reliable
You must remember that the OEM fuel system, even with E85 in your tank is only good up to around 370-390 WHP. So, everything beyond that is supported by your AUX fueling. If your extra fuel system stops spraying for any reason, that could lead to catastrophic damage depending on how much you’re relying on it. When you’re just trying to nudge over the 400 whp mark on a CST4 or CST5 then Methanol is usually fine in my opinion. But beyond that, I’d be concerned with the reliability aspect.
When you have a properly set up port fuel kit (Manifold with fuel rail required) it behaves almost as if there is no AUX fueling system. This is especially the case when you have it all integrated into your factory gas tank and don’t need to fill up a separate cell. A quality Port Fuel Kit is pretty full-proof.
You’ll have to make the decision that’s best for you, but I’d recommend a port fuel kit to support 500 Whp, vs a heavy spraying methanol kit.
CorkSport Manifold With Fuel Rail For Port Injection
Let’s Talk Manifolds
Manifolds are responsible for transferring all the air in and out of the motor from their respective cylinder. This job is an important one as it needs to distribute the gases as evenly as possible. The more even the flow, the better the performance!
On the Mazdaspeed Platform, the OEM intake manifold is known to be the bigger restriction over its exhaust counterpart. With very unequal flow distribution across the 4 runners, it has been proven not only to restrict power but also cause premature wear and tear on cylinder #3; here’s why.
This is caused by “over-feeding” air to #3 in comparison to the other cylinders. Over time this #3 is actively running leaner than its counterparts which is why it’s been deemed the most common cylinder to blow if an engine does give way.
CorkSport Intake Manifold shown to provide example of even Flow
It is because of this, that I always recommend a CorkSport intake manifold for even stock power levels. It may not be required to make 500 Whp, since you can essentially just turn up the boost to counteract the restriction. But in the name of reliability and efficiency, you should always try to help your engine breathe with the most minimal effort while also helping it maintain its health.
CS manifolds, FMIC, and 3.5” intake in picture
The OEM Exhaust manifold may not be as bad as the intake manifold, but it’s still not ideal, especially at this power level. A performance exhaust manifold needs to be designed with exhaust scavenging in mind.
Exhaust scavenging is a very cool effect. The exhaust gases leaving the combustion chamber travel out the individual runners and enter the collector. It’s at this point that it creates a vacuum-like effect on the runners, assisting the exhaust gases to escape from the other cylinders. This constant scavenging helps improve exhaust flow dramatically, especially when you start making power over 400 Whp.
You can learn more about exhaust Scavenging in our Blog that dives deep into it and shows examples comparing our Exhaust Manifold to OEM!
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CS Exhaust Manifold vs The OEM Manifold
When you replace both the Intake and Exhaust Manifolds with a performance unit you are drastically helping your motor improve its efficiency, which can mean 3 things.
1. Make the same power on less boost. 2. Make more power on the same boost. 3. Make Way more power on way more boost.
When you have to push your car less to make the power you want, reliability improves, and it also needs more room on the table for when you want to make even more power later on. That leads us to our next topic, Efficiency Mods.
The Cherry On Top
With a built motor, full bolt-ons, fuel, and a big enough turbo you can easily hit 500 whp.
However, efficiency mods such as Camshafts or Throttle Body will help you make more power easier, or really push the limits of your turbo by improving its ability to perform.
Our CS Camshafts are ideal when you start getting into this power range. It helps with everything from turbo spool, midrange power, and top end. Even on K04 powered speed 3’s / 6’s our cams netted around 20 Whp. You can imagine the kind of exponential improvements it can make as you move up in power.
Mazdaspeed Camshafts for DISI MZR Motor
That being said, if you’re already having a motor built, or you happen to be going inside your motor, its not a bad idea at all to toss these cams in. They will only help you, and if anything, help your car to not need to work so hard when you’re pushing its limits.
Performance Throttle Body for 2006-2013 DISI MZR Mazdaspeed
To top that off something like our CorkSport Throttle Body has been proven to make more horsepower and flow 33% more CFM than the OEM unit. Up until recently, no other throttle body has been a viable option due to drivability issues. But CS now offers a drop in plug and play unit that doesn’t come with the problems and utilizes OEM ECU logic to function. Modifications like the throttle body are the awesome little bonuses you can do to help the car hit that 500 Whp mark even easier.
Let’s Recap
So, to cover everything that we’ve learned: This is what we recommend to achieve 500 WHP
We hope you enjoyed reading this blog, and now have a better understanding of the details that go into making 500 whp. Next, we will be reviewing the in’s and out’s of 600 whp!
My Name is Symon Powlison and this is my journey of how I got my Mazdaspeed3 and the Mazda community that became my family.
Let’s head back in time a bit, I was a broke high school student and I had just bought a 1997 dodge avenger, while my friends had all dabbled with modifying their cars at the time, I had not, but I knew I wanted to. The avenger came with an exhaust that sounded ok and some wheels and that’s about it.
When I showed my new car to my best friend Barett (yes Corksport Barett) and talked about build aspirations that never happened, we decided that we both wanted new stereo and subs, 2007-2008 was the time for loud music and lots of bass lol, “Darude Sandstorm” anyone?
I had a lot of fun with that car but long story short the car was towed away late in the night for having a flat tire in a parking lot. Now with little to no money and my little avenger was never to be seen again. All is not lost though because those early years with that car started me on a slow trek of building my own “Racecar” later in life it was the catalyst that started it all.
Fast forward to the year 2012, I’m a bit more established now and I’m getting ready to deploy at the first of the year for 10 months, when my Co-Worker decides to buy a BMW 335i, I made the brash decision to follow suit and I purchased a 2004 Audi S4, my wife was needing a new car anyway so I gave her the Kia Optima I had purchased a few months back.
Everybody was happy because I got my car and my wife got a brand new Kia! My Audi came with Tien lower springs, a nice fender roll job, and a Magna-flow exhaust. The roar of the V8 through the exhaust was great, it had quick get up and go and it looked amazing in the brilliant red paint. This was my first experience with a “quick” car and I was hooked, but with Audi’s, I had no idea how to even begin to work on it if it had problems, and neither did anybody close to me. This is when I knew this wouldn’t last but I thoroughly enjoyed it when I had it.
Symon Powlison
During deployment, I would leave my Audi in the hands of Barett, and return to resume driving bliss with the car, until I left again except this time it would be for nearly 3 years. My wife and I left for Korea in the middle of 2014. My car was out of my possession longer than in my possession and thus while my time away I grew apart from my Audi and wanted something new, different, I wanted a hatchback.
I always liked the way hatches look, the bodylines, the mildly flared fenders, the base stance of the hatchback drew me in. I spent countless hours looking at every model of hot hatches, tirelessly and sometimes redundantly, maybe I could afford this or maybe I should buy. I decided to call Barett from Korea and told him I was coming home and I wanted to sell the Audi and get something I truly desired.
He mentioned getting a Mazdaspeed3, I had seen some videos about them but I was rather set on an all-wheel-drive hatch to drive in the snow, but that was dumb because I hate driving in the snow lol. I decided to give the Speed a deep dive look and man I was impressed, not to mention I had an endless resource if I needed any help.
I was sold, the price was right, the whole car package was right, it checked all my boxes, I wanted a turbo 4cyl with good base stats, something reliable to a degree, and something that I could learn to modify and have help if anything breaks.
I arrived home in the spring of 2017, and scoured the interwebz and found the speed of my dreams, a velocity red 2013 tech package mazdaspeed3 with 69k on the dash. With what money I had left in savings, a small income, and an Audi for a deposit. I marched down to the dealership and literally, 6 hours later I walked out of there with my dream car.
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Funny side note here, when I took the MS3 for a test drive I was by myself, I never drove a 6-speed manual car before and didn’t know how to put the car in reverse, so here I am sitting in somebody’s driveway (huge facepalm) trying to figure out how to put the car in reverse when the homeowner comes out and asks if I need help. I tell him the story he laughs and gives me a push to send me on my way back to the dealer.
That test drive officially sold me on the car, I can still remember the first time starting that car and the first time I hit 15psi of boost, it was amazing and probably the coolest feeling ever while driving. I couldn’t wait to show my wife, I ripped the speed all the way home, and it was nothing but smiles per gallon. I couldn’t have been happier. I am honored to have such a loving wife who was just as excited for me to have a car I desired so much. This was my very first and only turbo car I’ve ever owned and every time the car plants my back to the seat I can help but grin from ear to ear.
I kept the car stock for a year on the dot before I started modifying it, if you’re keeping track it’s now April 2018. I purchased all the necessary supporting mods to keep it from going ZZB. I bought an Access port, HPFP Internals, intake, and pro tune and man did that little K04 Turbo come alive, a few other supporting mods like exhaust and rear sway bar brought the Mazdaspeed to a different level.
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The Speed had no changes for another year or less (early spring 2019), finally, it was time for power mods, big turbo, big FMIC, lots of little bits like injector seals, short shifter, motor mounts, and getting a tune from Purple Drank. The car became a monster, smiles turned to white knuckles gripping the wheel from torque steer, turbo noises for days, and a singing bypass valve that subtly lets you know it’s there on any occasion.
That kept me satisfied for another year till now, this plan is to do both manifolds, cams, and EWG. *Hurray for race car noises*. The transformation of my Speed over the last 3 years has been a rewarding experience, providing me with knowledge and experience and confidence to be able to tackle any problems or situations previously I would have avoided or paid an overpriced shop to fix.
This is the best part of the community I joined when I bought my speed, all the experiences and knowledge that has been shared with me have been nothing short of amazing and I’m truly grateful for the speed community. My wife and I don’t take a lot of vacations, but the two events that come up in the year that you can’t miss are Mazda events.
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I didn’t know that I could miss Idaho as much as I would when I have to leave Papa Keith’s Mazda Takeover event in Boise after a 4-day party. The big bear puts on an amazing event yearly and when it wraps up the withdrawals of it kick in. Those pains are subsided though just two months later when we all get to catch up for CorkSport’s Dyno Day’s! The event that the CorkSport crew puts together is a blast, its high tempo 2-day event that brings our Mazda community together in the Pacific Northwest, I have seen people from British Columbia to Utah come all the way to Vancouver, WA for this event.
These two trips are something that flows into my DNA and I can’t imagine my life without experiencing them or the people I’ve met along the way. My wife and I look forward to these weekends as I’m sure anyone who has gone to them at least once will, we love spending time with our extended Mazda family and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
In closing, to say that a car would change my life would be an understatement, but it did and I wouldn’t want it any other way, so if you see the Red Baron Speed of Newberg out and about, come up and say hi and chat for a minute. I hope to see you all at future events, keep hitting that Boost, and stay safe. See you all on the road.
Symon
Red Baron Speed of Newberg May 28th, 2024CorkSport
Let me take you to an extraordinarily dull time in my life, the last time I started my Mazdaspeed when it was still stock.
September 14th, 2018 was a beautiful September day in Washington. I started my car at 6:45 am, just like every other weekday. The Speed3 burbled to life, but it was relatively quiet, flat, and a bit uninteresting. No one knew I was leaving for work – I wasn’t shaking any windows, but that was going to change.
At CorkSport
Once I arrived at work and spread some Friday cheer, I settled in. Almost immediately, I could feel the pile of parts in the corner behind my desk, glaring at the back of my head. I thought to myself, “Don’t turn around – focus damn it!” The day had finally come – install day. Thankfully with our awesome half-day Fridays, I was out of the office and on my way to Brett’s house before 12:30 pm.
After we loaded up Brett’s Rodeo with a load of parts, we set sail to our destination, a place where many tears have been shed, knuckles have been busted, and where dreams have come true; Brett’s garage. Every tool you’ve ever needed and gadgets you didn’t know existed. There were even a few specialty items present, that if he didn’t have quite frankly, this couldn’t have happened.
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We started with thorough degreasing of the engine bay and setting up the essential supplies- because what is an install day without beer and snacks! Once the car has cooled down, I started with taking out the battery box, intake, and intercooler; and then the fun really started. I’ve read the horror stories, I’ve watched the videos, and I thought I spent enough time mentally preparing myself for what was about to come – I was wrong.
The Downpipe
We all know about the Mazdaspeed downpipe on our cars. The devil engineered the placement of this thing, and he had his minions tighten the bolts. There isn’t enough PB blaster in the world to help the corrosion and excessive heat that these bolts withstand. We got the first one out with little to no issue, but it just got progressively harder from there. It was only a matter of time before rounding off the edges of that last bolt. Thankfully Brett has an extractor tool that we hammered on there, and with the small act of god, it was successfully extracted.
My experience with removing the downpipe from the exhaust, as is everyone’s experience, was different. Mine was influenced by the previous owner adding a 2.5″ resonated exhaust on it from the second cat back. The downpipe didn’t want to come out until I wiggled a pry bar in between the flange and put Brett’s Caliper spreader in there (again tools I didn’t even know I needed) and applied sheer grunt force. I got the flange to bend, and after learning a few new choice words, we got it out. By this time, it was 11:30 pm, and we still had a few other things to unbolt before the exhaust came out. Instead of using power tools and waking every neighbor up in a two-block radius, we called it a night.
The Morning After
After some much-needed coffee, we made it back from the hardware store (replaced the downpipe nut from hell) it’s time to party. We started with sliding in my new downpipe with the High flow Cat what a breeze compared to taking it out. Next came my intake, I went with the 3.5″ so I don’t have to buy another one when I finally go with our CorkSport CST4 turbo. Still might go with the new CST5. Then I put in my ECU Relocation Box, and I have to say, what a clean looking piece to have in your engine bay!
Mazdaspeed 3 TMIC Top Mount Intercooler
We changed out the OEM spark plugs for some NGK 6510 gapped to .026 and started to put on my new TMIC that is rated up to 450WHP after we got the TMIC it was time to put on my shiny new boost tubes Engine bay= Complete.
Now time to get underneath and put on my highly anticipated Non-Resonated Cat-Back exhaust and my Stage II RMM. Goodbye, torque steer! Once we had the exhaust mostly in place, I realized if I didn’t have the CS exhaust hangers I would have been in trouble. The person before me had his exhaust welded quite poorly in place of the hangers, and I didn’t have an option to use my OEM ones.
Moment of Truth
After everything was double-checked and rechecked, it was time for the moment of truth. I hooked up my battery, I flashed my new tune from Erik Bjork at Drama Tune, and now it was Go Time! I will say hearing my car make those sweet sounds was one of the best moments of my life. I’ve been waiting for this moment since I purchased my car, and it was one of the most surreal experiences I have ever had.
We let the car run for a few minutes and checked to make sure I didn’t have any leaks, and then we headed out for a test drive.
In the immortal words of George Takei “Oh My!”
That was my thought, EVEN on just a base map. My car felt and sounded 1000% different than before. The intake was amplifying fun new mechanical noises – like I was hearing my turbo and BOV dance for the first time. The crackle from the exhaust on a hard 2nd to 3rd upshift was intoxicating, all the while my RMM putting in work to make sure I didn’t torque steer into someone’s front lawn. What an experience! I would even call this life-changing for me. The funny part of the story is that I wasn’t planning on buying all these items at once – true intentions of a foolish car enthusiast. Thankfully for me, I have a fantastic career within CorkSport and have a great friend who helped me make my dreams come true. Who wants a stock car when you work for the number one place in the world for Mazda Performance, not this guy?
Zach from CorkSport
Keep an eye out for my turbo blog, because it’s only a matter of time until the mod bug bites me again.
Today is a huge day for the Speed community; one that has been coming for a long time with both celebration and frustration. Never the less time is up and this project is ready for the community as a whole!
We are proud to announce the Performance Exhaust Manifold for the Mazdaspeed 3 & 6! With over 2 years in development, the MPS exhaust manifold has been long waiting, but for good reason. A project of this scale does not happen overnight; many variables have to be considered, evaluated, and verified.
I’m confident you have seen “leaked” images from our 6 Alpha and Beta testers over the recent month, but we can make it official.
CorkSport
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But with so many options currently available what makes the CorkSport option compelling? Why should you care?
Those are great questions and can easily be answered with multiple great reasons. The most obvious is the design: this includes the overall shape and the type of material & manufacturing.
Mazdaspeed Exhaust Manifold
Material & Manufacturing: In our initial investigation and vetting of this project we strongly considered two primary manufacturing methods; Casting and Tubular fabrication (check out the blog here). In a nutshell, we opted for a cast manufacturing method because it reduced the chance of failure modes, reduced the overall size and weight, and gave us more flexibility in design.
Like most exhaust manifolds, we opted to use 304 stainless steel because it is corrosion-resistant, handles heat well, and is a common and cost-effective material.
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Following up is the Design of The Exhaust Manifold
The list of details that went into the design is far too long to list here, but we can cover the major items that define the CS Exhaust Mani. With investment casting, we had a lot more flexibility in design with the bend radius, diameters, and wall thickness of the individual runners. This allowed us to increase the inner diameter of the runners to 1.59 inches, achieve a 0.200-inch wall thickness, and fine-tune the path and bends of each runner to optimize runner length and flow.
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With that flexibility in design, we were able to increase peak flow and improve flow balance per runner. Overall we were able to increase peak flow 45% over the OEM manifold and 33% over the XS Power V3.
Next up in design, and arguably the most exciting and unique aspect, is the modular flange system.
Mazdaspeed Exhaust Manifold
This is unlike any other manifold available for the Mazdaspeed today…you can choose your flange between OEM Stock Flange, Precision V-Band, or T3. Sure all these options are available today from other options, but none are modular. Say you pull the trigger on the OE Stock Flange today, but a year from now you want to upgrade your build to a Precision V-band flange. With any other manifold, you would have to buy another $900+ manifold to get the new flange, but with the CorkSport Exhaust Manifold, you just have to get the new flange elbow for your setup. This is MUCH MUCH cheaper and easier to change!
CorkSport
Speaking of install, compared to the typical performance exhaust manifold the CS design is cake to install. With the modular design, you are not fighting the entire bulk for the manifold and flange at the same time. You can leave you turbocharger unmoved connected to the downpipe and intake system, you just install the flange elbow after the manifold is in and bolted to the engine.
Mazdaspeed Exhaust Manifold
Making life even easier…we opted to develop a pre-fabbed dump tube (screamer pipe) for the Tial 44mm EWG. This is an optional feature for the kit, but one we highly suggest because it’s just so damned easy. Designed for MPS 3 and MPS 6, it fits around most standard downpipes and dumps below the sub-frame right behind the drive axle. Also included with each kit is a SS heat shield that is required for the GEN1 and GEN2 Mazdaspeed 3. You Mazdaspeed 6 guys just get a cool garage ornament.
So how does the CS exhaust manifold stack up on power?
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First up is a fully bolted CST4 MS3 with a 6th port fuel system: Comparing the CS EM to the OEM EM, this drop-in test we found that the turbo was spooling faster, carried more mid and upper range power and held that gain through to redline. Overall it improved power under that curve which is what truly makes a car fast and fun to drive.
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Next up is a fully bolted and built CST6 MS3 with 8th port fuel system: Just like the previous graph, we saw an improvement in spool, mid and upper rpm ranges, and carried it to redline. The difference here is the exhaust manifold we are comparing. This is showing the difference between the CS EM and the XS Power V3.
With that being said, the CorkSport Exhaust Mani has been proven to 685whp on this same car and with the Mazdaspeed CST6 Turbo. We are confident the CS exhaust manifold has far more capacity to support; if we have anything to do with that we will prove it.
Mazdaspeed Exhaust Manifold
Lastly is sound…we’ve been asked a lot about the sound. How will it affect the sound? Will it sound like a Honda now? Will it be louder?
We knew the sound was critical because let’s be honest…we are all car guys/gals and Mazdaspeed has a great unique sound to it. We did not want to lose that so we did our best to hit performance goals without sacrificing the Mazdaspeed grumble.
One of our Beta testers put together a great video comparing the sound of OEM vs CorkSport. The car is a GEN1 MS3 with a built engine, full bolt-ons, CST4 Turbo, and Cobb Exhaust system. Check out this video link for sound!
In our design, we kept a varied length runner design to help maintain the Mazdaspeed grumble. We believe we succeeded in keeping that classic grumble, but also refined the sound a bit. We like to describe it as exotic. Either way, the grumble lives on, and honestly, none of our beta testers can stop grinning ear to ear with every WOT pull.
With that being said act fast! We know these are going to fly off the shelf and we are going to do our damn very best to keep them in stock for everyone, but don’t wait!
