You want your Mazdaspeed faster and better. But it is more than just bolting on some parts. It all starts with an AccessPort and CorkSport Fuel Pump Internals. Before you know it, your Mazdaspeed is now fully bolted with an upgraded CorkSport Turbo. While throwing on power parts is fun, it requires a tune.
People sometimes forget that the quality of your tune is just as important as the quality of your parts. So how do you get a solid tune on your car?
CorkSport wanted to make sure to lay out exactly how to prepare your Mazdaspeed for tuning services. This helps streamline getting your Mazdaspeed ready, and it also helps your potential tuner so they don’t have to worry about tuning with a potential mechanical problem.
The very first step in getting your Mazdaspeed tuned would be to get the Cobb AccessPort tuning device. This is the gateway to access your ECU and to make adjustments to your tune. You will use your AccessPort to record logs and send those logs to your tuner. Not only can you make adjustments to your ECU, but you can also read/clear CEL’s ( check engine lights), and you can also monitor up to six different parameters in real time.
When you do apply for a tune, your tuner will tell you which parameters to monitor so they can have the correct information to get you a reliable tune.
The stock high-pressure fuel pump internals has proven to randomly lose pressure during a fourth gear wide open throttle pull. What we have seen is the pump spike pressure up in the 1800’s, and by redline, the fuel pressure has dropped below 1600psi. This creates lean situations, which have led to engines blowing themselves up. Before a tuner will touch your car, you will have to make sure to have these upgraded. These will increase flow and allow your fuel pressure to stay above 1600psi keeping you in the safe zone.
Double-check what your tuner will want you to use, but in general, people will use one-step colder plugs gapped down to a .026. The trusted spark plug in this platform would be the NGK Iridium IX plugs (part # 6510). The idea behind using a more quality plug with a smaller gap is to keep the spark from blowing out when you increase boost pressure. If you do have too large of a gap, then you will start to misfire, and you should get a code on your AccessPort for either random misfire, or cylinder specific. Keeping that spark in check will prevent delays in the tuning process.
Compression Test
Making sure to double-check the engine health is probably one of the most important things to do before modding and tuning your Mazdaspeed. Doing a quick compression test to verify your cylinder rings can still hold pressure will tell you if the engine is healthy or not. Ideally, you want to see all of your cylinders read approximately the same numbers.
You also do not want to see your compression go below 140 across the board. Mazda says that anything 140 or below is poor compression. If you end up having an unhealthy engine, then the car will not make the desired power, and you could potentially ruin your engine even further. Make sure to check out our misfire blog where we show you how to properly boost leak test your car!
Every tuner is going to be targeting a certain boost pressure based on current modifications. A lot of times, the turbo has to work harder because of a few boost leaks that are not closed off before tuning. This can affect your fuel trims, and it will also affect how much wastegate duty cycle is needed in order to reach desired boost targets. Having zero boost leaks is important so your tuner does not have to work around those leaks.
Ghost Knock
A big question we always see in the forums, and on Facebook is people wondering why their AccessPort shows knock values. The most important thing to remember is part throttle knock is nothing to worry about. My own Mazdaspeed sees values of 8.0 all the time on part throttle. The only time to worry about knock values is when you are at wide-open throttle. As long as your knock values stay below 2.0 then that is nothing to worry about!
Doing these few simple things for your tuner will not only save time for both of you, but your tuner will love you because they don’t have to try and diagnose an issue from thousands of miles away. CorkSport hopes this really helps the community as a whole, and we also hope that people can use this as a tool to get their car dialed in much faster.
In our drive to make more power, we often forget about adding measures to keep us safe at the greater speeds we are achieving. The CorkSport Big Brake Caliper Kit is a great place to start, however, if you wish you could stop even faster say hello to the CorkSport 13-inch Big Brake Kit. Designed for serious stopping power, it includes 13” directional rotors, powder-coated 4-piston calipers, upgraded pads, and everything you need to install it on your Mazdaspeed3.
Read on for a breakdown of all the components
Rotors
The rotors have been designed to provide optimal stopping power while minimizing noise for street use. The upgrade to 13-inch diameter rotors provides greater braking torque for an equivalent braking force (like how a longer wrench makes it easier to loosen a tight bolt). The larger diameter combined with an increased thickness of 28mm (vs 25mm for OE) provides better cooling as there is a larger mass to reject heat into.
In addition, slots were added to the friction surface to help sweep away any debris, brake dust, or gases that can otherwise affect your braking characteristics. We avoided drilling the rotors as holes decrease your total friction area and increase the chance that the rotor will crack. By moving to a two-piece design, we were able to decrease the overall weight of the rotor and by making the center section out of aluminum, it can help dissipate heat from the rest of the rotor better. Semi-Floating mounting between the inner and outer sections allows for a quieter rotor vs having a full-floating center section.
Finally, the vanes in the rotor are atypical; these vanes are the “fins” that connect the inside and outside of the rotor. By using curved vanes instead of the typical straight vanes, the rotor becomes directional and has to be used on a specific side of the vehicle; however, it also provides more efficient cooling. When the rotor turns, the curved vanes draw air through the center of the rotor and out through the edge, providing greater airflow than a straight vane and thus better cooling. There is another bonus to heat dissipation as the curved vanes have a larger surface area that will come in contact with air than an equivalent number of straight vanes.
Calipers
Forged aluminum, four-piston performance calipers are included with the kit in a choice of powder-coated blue, red, or black.
Although each piston is individually smaller in diameter than the single OE caliper piston, the total surface area is increased so the braking force at a specific brake pressure is increased. A larger piston surface area means larger brake pads can be used as well. You also get more even braking force on each side of the rotor due to the opposed piston design. This encourages even pad wear, even rotor wear, and consistent braking characteristics.
The pistons themselves were specifically chosen for optimum braking endurance and reliability. They are staggered in size, with the pistons on the leading edge being slightly smaller than the trailing edge pistons. This is another protection for even pad wear. Each piston is made completely out of stainless steel for its low conductive heat transfer. What this means is that the pistons themselves will transfer less heat to the brake fluid than an aluminum or steel piston, decreasing the chances of overheating brake fluid.
Pads
Street performance brake pads are included with the kit that bridges the gap between Mazdaspeed3 street and trackpads. They are larger and a more aggressive compound than the pads included with the CorkSport MS3 Big Brake Caliper Kit but are not full trackpad. They will produce less dust and noise than a trackpad but still need to be warmed up for optimum performance. Should you need new pads or want to change to a different pad, you have a bunch of options from G-Lock, Carbotech, EBC, Hawk, and various other manufacturers.
Lines, Brackets, and Hardware
The rest of the CorkSport 13-inch BBK is composed of exactly what you need to properly and safely install the kit on your Mazdaspeed3. Stainless steel brake lines are included to remove any risk of a soft brake pedal and ensure the calipers are operating optimally. High-strength steel brackets properly position the four-piston calipers on the new rotors using the OE bracket locations. All components are locked down using Grade 12.9 hardware with a corrosion-resistant coating for lasting durability.
Mazdaspeed 3 Bracket for the Big Brake Kit
The CorkSport Mazdaspeed 3 13” Big Brake Kit has everything you need to keep you safe at increased horsepower levels. If you’re looking for more than the stock brakes have to offer, let the CS Mazdaspeed3 BBK be a part of your build.
CorkSport Built Long Blocks for the 2006-2013 DISI MZR
You’ve probably seen the stellar videos posted on our news feed or heard the rumors about CorkSport building stout long blocks for our employee’s Mazdaspeeds and the company R&D Mazdapeed. Today, we are ready to let the “cat out of the bag.”
CorkSport is building long blocks for your Mazdaspeed and here’s why it will interest you:
We have complete long-blocks ready for installation with blueprint certificates. These long-blocks are in-stock and are ready to ship. If you’d rather send us your motor, we guarantee one month or less turnaround.
Let’s check it out:
Every engine is meticulously inspected and measured to extremely precise tolerances per our ASE certified master technicians. Critical surfaces are measured to the 0.0005” for the pistons, bearings, and camshafts to create a tight, powerful, and reliable engine setup that you can depend on. To support this, every engine comes with a blueprint certificate to confirm all critical tolerances in your engine.
Better yet, this precision doesn’t come with at the cost of a 3-6 month wait. We intend to have these motors in stock. Even if you send us yours for a rebuild, we guarantee we will have your engine ready to ship faster than the industry standard!
No bull pricing means you get exactly what we list out here.
At no point will you get a call from CorkSport stating extra work or cost is needed to get your engine complete and ready for you. We’ve all been through this; starting a build with one budget and ending with a different, much larger, budget. We hate it and we won’t let it happen to you.
Other than the block and cylinder head themselves; all the parts going into your build are brand new, not reconditioned or re-used. This includes genuine OEM Mazda components; Manley connecting rods and Mahle pistons, ARP fasteners (specifications depend on Dankai Build), along with CorkSport Camshafts, Injector Seals, and other supporting parts.
Finally, what good is all this if your engine can’t get back to you safe and secure?
We want your new built block to arrive for delivery without issue, that’s why we use heavy duty sealed plastic crates that are designed to ship engines. This provides ample mounting and restraining of the engine block in the upright position for easy access for you. Along with that your engine ships free of charge within the lower 48 states. Just return your good engine core in the provided crate and get the core charges refunded.
This sounds pretty great, right? If you’re thinking about a built engine for your Mazdaspeed, then I invite you to check on the CorkSport Dankai Engine Builds to see which version fits your goals and desires.
-Barett @ CS
CorkSport Built Engine December 11th, 2018CorkSport
How about something a little different from the usual CS blog? I thought I would give you all a little insight into all the different Mazdas that are owned by employees. Some are daily drivers, some are full racecars, and some are…different (more on that later). So grab a cold refreshment, we’ve got quite a few cars to go through.
Modifications: Full Flyin’ Miata CAI, polished stainless piping, Turbosmart recirculating bypass valve, manual boost controller, O2 signal modifier, boost gauge. Recent Mustang Dyno showed a consistent 189.9WHP.
Corey’s Comments: Purchased new to me at 17,000 miles in 2012 for my 40th birthday. The Mazdaspeed Miata had been stored for 4 years-everything was original, even the tires. This Miata came from California and had never seen rain. I keep it in the garage and it’s mainly a fair weather/weekend car except during the summer. I enjoy taking a ride in the MSM with each of my kids, but love honking the horn at people and making my son wave back…like he knows them.
Owner: Luke Year/Model: 2009 Mazdaspeed 3 GT Mileage: 124,000
Modifications: Full bolted, built engine, CS prototype turbo, methanol injection. Too many CorkSport Parts.
Luke’s Comments: Car has been through stock turbo/stock block, CS turbo/stock block, CS turbo/built block, 35r/built block, and now CS prototype turbo/built block. Fun fact: my girlfriend went faster in my car than I did when I first bought it. Stock turbo went 12.8 @ 110mph in the 1320.
Owner: Daniel Year/Model: 2007 Mazdaspeed 6 Mileage: 68,000
Modifications: Custom front license plate delete, CS Interior LED Kit, daily driver dirt.
Daniel’s Comments: Just bought the Mazdaspeed6 a few weeks ago, doing a ton of maintenance before mods. This er fleet vehicle (whatever that means). Bought it from a guy who owned it the past ~9 years. Hoping to sneak some new Mazdaspeed 6 parts into the CS catalog and feed the zoom-zoom obsession!
Modifications: Virtually everything in the CS catalog for MS3. Plus a few prototype parts that never made their way to the market.
Comments: Affectionately called “Whitey”. On its 2nd built engine (we use and abuse this thing). This was one of Vincent’s first projects when he arrived at CS: rebuild Whitey’s engine. He just got done rebuilding it for the second time and is now breaking it in.
Modifications: Manley internals, L19 head studs, CS cams, bowl work & porting, all the bolt-ons, 28gph methanol injection, prototype CS turbo, 330mm BBK, other suspension bits.
Barett’s Comments: More info on the engine build here. Made ~465whp at the 2017 CS dyno day. My car hates me and is a constant work in progress. (Check out all the updates for Barett’s Mazdaspeed 3)
Modifications: Full CS bolt-ons, big turbo, meth injection, making 430whp 385ft-lbs. BC coilovers w/ custom rated Swift springs, BMSPEC front splitter, Varis rear diffuser, custom side skirt extensions, Volk TE37SL: front 18×11 rear 18×10, paint matched 240Z flares, 330mm Mazdaspeed3 Big Brake Kit.
Brett’s Comments: I’ve had the Mazdaspeed3 for about 4 years now. It has every CS bolt on in the catalog. Helps that I work here now. This MS3 makes ~430 WHP, and is a stock block for now; built block soon to come. I take more pictures of this car than I do anything else.
The GEN 3’s
Ready to mod your Mazda 3? You will be after you read this!
Owner: Jennifer Year/Model: 2014 Mazda 3 2.5L Hatch Mileage: 100,000
Jennifer’s Comments: The car has been used for the majority of the Mazda3 research and design at CS. This Mazda 3 is daily driven ~80miles each day to torture test CorkSport parts, it helps that the commute to my house is that far round trip. Basically, my daily drive is a perfect example of “running up a hill both ways” for this Mazda 3.
Collin’s Comments: Aside from the performance parts available at CS, I chose this car due to the extra ~30HP compared to most commuter cars. I still get 42MPG on my freeway commute. This is my first New Car I bought myself and I have loved learning how to modify on it.
Rich’s Comments: I drove around the same B2300 for many years while we built CorkSport from the ground up. I finally decided to treat myself and picked this Mazda6 up in 2014. Big shift, and I’ve loved having the luxuries of this Mazda 6.
Owner: Derrick Year/Model: 2014 Mazda 3 2.5L Sedan
Modifications: Caged, stripped, CS SRI, straight pipe to CS axleback, bunch of custom adjustable suspension, Big Brake Kit (sometimes), custom racetrack-modified bodywork.
Derrick’s Comments: This Mazda3 could not be sold as a road legal car, so I don’t drive it on the road. There are a TON of track hours on this Mazda 3 and all of it’s modifications. We basically TRY to break our test parts before we let them hit the market, which is good for me because I love to go fast.
Comments: Mainly stock so far, big things to come to the “CBR” (CorkSport Branded Ride). Brett, who has been dailying the CBR, somehow only is getting 23mpg. Expect more parts for facelifted GEN3’s with the CBR’s arrival.
The Others
Just because you may not have seen much about them and they don’t get their own category does not mean they’re not special. For me, some of the most interesting cars are down below.
Modifications:Sweet stickers for extra HP, tire shop wheels, custom faded paint
Comments: Vincent used to own this truck before selling it to be the “new” CS shop truck. He notes that it was involved in 3 accidents, each time the insurance company did not total the truck, leaving Vincent with more money than he spent to buy the truck. No power steering provides an arm workout for those lucky enough to drive this beast.
Derrick’s Comments: The ND is an interesting car for me as being a lifelong Mazda enthusiast I had never owned a Miata before. When the ND was announced I had already converted the Mazda 2 into a B-Spec car so I stopped street driving it and went back to my Rx7 turbo as my daily driver so I had gotten used to driving a car with “issues” again. When I got into the ND for the first time and drove it home it was very surreal expecting some weird sound or smelling hydrocarbons (the Rx7 is old and catless) and the car handled incredible right out of the box. Of course that lasted all of 3 months until we have Kenton Koch behind the wheel helping us out with the suspension development. It is one of those cars that I warn people, if you drive it you will want to buy one.
Owner: Vincent Year/Model: 2010 Mazda RX-8 R3 Mileage: 60,000 (original engine, no issues)
Vincent’s Comments: I had been wanting a 2nd gen RX-8 since high school. This thing revs out to 9400RPM and is super fun to drive. Just recently sold (hi Aaron) but too good to not include in this blog.
Owner: Derrick Year/Model: 1993 Spec Miata Mileage: “Lots and lots” (this car has run 25hours of Thunderhill a few times on top of all its other racing)
Modifications: Spec Miata Bilstein shock package, Eibach swaybars, illegal plunge cut cylinder head (lookup spec Miata plunge gate 2014), GLoc brakes, 949 6ul Spec Miata wheels, AIM dash & datalog system, ESR drive side drop floor, Really big radiator.
Derrick’s Comments: I took the advice of all the spec miata people and bought a built car so I didn’t have to spend 6 months building one myself. The local car was raced for a long time in the northwest and was a front running car before it was parked for a few years. I picked it up for ~6k with some extra spares and was immediately able to get on the track and go racing after the installation of the drop floor and new seatbelts. The big question I have people ask me is why did you get a SM? The real answer is the level of drivers in the class. At any sanctioned race event weekend there are always SM and someone to race against and I have personally known several drivers go into SM a novice and come out the other side in pro racing. To win at SM you have to have your shit together. To be the best you need to compete against and beat the best so here I am.
Owner: Barett Model: Mazda B2600i Mileage: ?
Modifications: Solid axle swap with Toyota running gear, 4.88:1 axle gears, rear locker, 3 feet of articulation, 8000lb winch, high bolstered seats, 35×14.5R15 Super Swamper Bogger Tires, “lots of f*ckery fabrication.”
Barett’s Comments: This was my first real vehicle, and it taught me lots about owning a vehicle, modifying a vehicle and I have more memories with this beast than I can come up with right now. I beat the SH*T out of this truck and it’s always put away wet.
Owner: Rich Model: 1988 Mazda Rx- CONVERTIBLE
Modifications: Turbo engine swap, Apexi Power FC, CS Border Style body kit, CS front mount intercooler, CS turbo back exhaust, many other mods.
Rich’s Comments: The Rx-7 is kept in the garage and it’s mainly a fair weather/weekend car except during the summer. I take it out for special occasions or to just show off every once in a while. It’s a nostalgia piece for me.
Not Pictured:
2016 Mazda 3 Sedan. Derrick’s 2nd racecar. Caged, stripped, 2.0L AT converted to 2.5L MT.
Mazda RX-7 FC. Owned by Derrick.
NA Mazda Miata. Parts car for Derrick’s Spec Miata
For those keeping score, that’s 22 Mazdas in the CorkSport garage. The cars have come and gone over the years but one thing will always stay true: our cars will be fun to drive because they are Mazdas. Here’s to more Mazdas finding their way into the CS (and your) garage.
Oh and if you have any questions on the above cars, please let us know down below, we’ll be sure to pass on your question to the car’s owner.
We at CorkSport hope all of you are staying safe, warm, and happy during this winter season. As the weather changes, so do components in your Mazda. Making sure to take the time to properly do some maintenance on your Mazda will go a long way. Whether you own a Mazdaspeed or an NA Mazda, I wanted to make sure and take a little bit of time for you guys to explain how to service your CorkSport oil catch can, and why that is important as the weather starts to become colder.
Why Use an Oil Catch Can
Having an oil catch can on your Mazda is always a good idea. Over time, the engines will start to wear down allowing oil to blow by the piston rings. Due to this, you can have oil pass back into your intake causing unwanted smoke to come out of the tailpipe. Keeping that oil from contaminating the engine will result in a much cleaner engine over time.
Also, having an OCC on your car is a good way to tell if you have internal engine issues, or if you have a bad PCV. We recommend draining your catch can every oil change. If you see a bunch of oil in your catch can, then you know, it’s time to start looking into why the can is filling up with oil.
Servicing Your Catch Can for Winter
Making sure to catch all the nasty vapors an engine puts off is an important thing to do in regards to longevity of the engine. However, making sure the CorkSport OCC is working properly is just as important. The reason why this is important is that you want to make sure your oil catch can continue to filter out the nasty vapors otherwise you will dirty up your engine faster than you want. However, it is very easy to maintain a good working oil catch can.
Follow these couple steps below on getting that catch can back up to a new status:
Remove top dipstick
Remove bottom plug
Spray Brakleen through dipstick hole
Allow draining
Repeat a couple of times to ensure your can is clean
Check all rubber hoses. Make sure none of them are cracked or look dry
Why You Should Service Your Oil Catch Can
Even though oil/gas takes really cold temperatures to freeze, water vapors still make it into the system which most definitely can freeze. The last thing you want is to have your oil catch can no longer able to catch the nasty vapors the engine puts off.
If you have a frozen can, those will pass by the baffle and make it into the intake. Make sure to drain that OCC, and continue to drain it every time you change your oil. As long as you do that, there should be no problem with having your catch can freeze, or getting too dirty.
Be sure to check in with us and see other tips and tricks for your Mazda.
Keep on driving Mazda fam!
Cheers,
Luke
Servicing Your CorkSport Oil Catch Can for Winter February 22nd, 2018CorkSport
