The New CorkSport Adjustable Short Shifter

The Mazdaspeed platform is a pretty well-supported car in the engine performance and suspension market, but it seems to be lacking in some of the markets that truly allow you, as the driver, to connect to the car. This is especially true for the GenWon owners. Well, CorkSport has decided to help the forgotten GenWon owners become more intimately connected to their Speed3. So what are the components of a car that the driver is most intimate with? I would have to say the pedals, seat, steering wheel, and, of course, the shifter.

So which of those did we release? It’s not pedals. (Autozone has that covered.) Unfortunately, it’s not a seat, but that would be awesome. It’s not a steering wheel…yet. (Oops. Did I say that out loud?) I’m happy to say it’s a short shifter, and not the kind that goes under the hood. Sure, there are a few options out there, but they leave a lot on the table and the price seems ridiculous.

Introducing, the all-new CorkSport Adjustable Short Shifter for the 2007-2009 Mazdaspeed 3.

Manufactured from high-grade 6061-T6 aluminum, this precision machined double adjustable short shifter is sure to give you that intimate connection and control with your Speed3. Plus, it’s 100% designed and manufactured right here in the Pacific NW, USA.

So what sets the CorkSport Short Shifter apart from the competition? This short shifter is double-adjustable, but not in the way the competition defines it. First, there are four throw positions ranging from OEM throw distance to the 35% shorter throw distance. Second, the shift knob height is adjustable from 11.75 to 9.5 inches tall with the OEM height being 11.125 inches. Lastly, just look at it: It’s gorgeous. It’s a shame it gets hidden under the shift boot.

Take a look at the comparison images below:

This image shows the forward, neutral, and back positions of the OEM shifter.

This image shows the forward, neutral, and back positions of the CorkSport Short Shifter in its shortest height and shortest throws position.

Of course, a product like this doesn’t come to life overnight. There were many hours of design, testing, and revision done to verify that the product you receive is the best it can be. Below are a couple images of 3D-printed prototype we made on our 3D printer to help speed up the R&D.

In addition to the prototype testing, we also perform FEA (Finite Element Analysis) on all applicable components to verify they’re strong enough to last for many, many years. Below is a complete CAD model and the FEA for the throw adjustment arm with 50 lbf applied to the shortest throw position. This is the worst case scenario, so if it doesn’t fail here it won’t fail in the other positions.

With the 50 lbf applied to the arm, the maximum stress was ~10k psi which is great news. This component alone is 4 times stronger than it needs to be if you were able to apply 50 lbf to the arm.

I have personally been using this shifter in my 2009 Speed3 for a month now and have nothing but great things to say. Don’t take it from me, though. Here is a quote from a beta tester:

I’m taking a spirited drive today to get a better feel for it. So far I’m enthusiastic about the (extreme) difference. When shifting with the OEM shifter the throw was so long that I spent a lot of effort synchronizing the clutch with the motion of shifting—essentially slipping the clutch while completing the motion of going into gear. With your short throw shifter the entire motion has changed dramatically and all I have to concentrate on is the clutch, and that’s been reduced by ~50%. I just throw it into gear and pop the clutch. It’s so stiff anyway and really likes to engage/disengage near the end when releasing pressure on the pedal that the motion becomes much more fluid. The shifter motion has gotten much tighter and requires (what feels like) more pressure to move between gears, but the motion itself has been reduced so much that it creates a sense of precision and removes (what felt like) sloppiness when using the OEM shifter. I’m sure that adjusting the height & throw from such an extreme position would reduce what I would describe as the rigidity of the shifts, although I intend to continue using it in the position we installed it.

My 2 cents so far. Overall I’d highly recommend.

Hope all is well,

Michael

So what are you waiting for? Take the leap, you won’t be disappointed!

-Barett, CS Engineering

November 21, 2014

The End of the Mazda Rotary RX

R.I.P Mazda RX Rotary

We received some sad news a few days ago about the much loved Rotary RX-7, RX-8 and other RX series. The official word according to the Mazda CEO Masamichi Kogai is that “we don’t have that kind of vehicle in our future product plan.” when asked about a future RX.

Honestly I’d love to pontificate about this more, but there isn’t much to say. It sounds like the final word from the current CEO. When pushed further he gave some reasoning that honestly makes perfect sense, “If you increase the number of segments, then the resources we can allocate to each will decline and that will prevent us from developing truly good products.” Also stated was the fact that “It’s difficult for us at present to further expand our lineup. The company is still in the process of improving its financial structure. We want to focus our limited resources on the Skyactiv products that we have today”

Though this probably makes the most sense from a stability standpoint, it certainly doesn’t make us excited or want to say “Zoom-Zoom”. What happened to the Mazda passion? All that racing knowledge and development? Did they just give up on pushing the bar? Honestly, I don’t think so, I just think they are changing focus. The Rotary is off the board in the foreseeable future, but that doesn’t mean their current lineup won’t see some improvements…. after all, what about that Mazdaspeed 3 and MX-5?

Nonetheless, let us all take a moment of silence and mourn the passing of the RX series, for now.

Cheers

Spencer@CorkSport

Written by Spencer Carson. Spencer is a car enthusiast and Mazda fan at heart. Whether enjoying the power of a modified Mazdaspeed 3, or driving top down in his 1992 MX5, he always enjoys getting behind the wheel. As much as Spencer loves driving, he loves helping out other Mazda owners even more. Whether helping at a local install day or heading to a car meet across the country, he loves chatting about Mazda and giving advice on how to get more Zoom-Zoom out of any car.

August 19, 2014December 18, 2017

2016 Diesel Mazdaspeed 3 Rumors

Is the Next Mazdaspeed already under our Noses?

We talk a lot about the next Mazdaspeed, will it be AWD, will it be FWD, will it be a 3? the 6? a 2? Though little is known or confirmed, I want to point out a few things we DO know as a fact.

Mazda has been working on their SkyActiv D engines for a few years. They have already shown their SkyActiv D engines, they even race them. What many people fail to realize it that the SkyActiv D runs in the Mazda 6 with a two-stage turbocharger.

The two-stage turbocharger gives you the best of both worlds, it will run a smaller turbo in the low RPM range in order to give you more power and cut emissions, then at higher RPM ranges it flips a lever and runs the bigger turbo to produce more power with no noticeable lag between the two. According to Mazda’s own website “SKYACTIV-D utilizes a two-stage turbocharger in which one small and one large turbo are selectively operated according to driving conditions.” (Source)

What else do we know? Well, Mazda has been actively racing the SkyActiv D engines in several endurance races. This is a mildly modified version of the SkyActiv D that is known to put down about 400hp.

So why would Mazda try and rework a new regular gas powered engine with a turbocharger for the next speed? Why not take the 400 hp Two-Stage turbo diesel that they already have, and pull a little power from it, and release it as a street legal vehicle?

More questions: Why has the SkyActiv D release been delayed? Is it emissions related? According to Mazda their engines pass with flying colors, no treatment necessary. So it can’t be that. In fact when the SkyActiv D was delayed Mazda spokesman Jeremy Barnes was quoted as saying: Skyactiv technology can meet it [emissions] — and it can — but the challenge is engineering a car that delivers the kind of performance that a Mazda needs to have and we’re unable to do that given where we are right now.”

Wait a minute. So what you are saying is that the 2.2L passes emissions, (source) but doesn’t have enough performance? If Mazda has already passed the emissions testing for the engine then why delay it. We know they have released it in the CX-5 in other markets, they even confirmed they will be releasing it in the Mazda 3 in Australia come September. (Source) Along with this the CX-5 has been selling in Japan at a rate of “four 2.2L SKYACTIV-D purchases for every one 2.0L SKYACTIV-G.” (Source) So why would they work on a turbo gasoline variant when the Diesels (which already have a turbo) are already clearly being sold at such a significantly greater rate? My answer? I don’t think they will.

So what’s the delay. My guess is that they plan on announcing the SkyActiv D release date at the same time as the performance oriented version, the Mazdaspeed SkyActiv D which may be a variant of the engine seen above. Even the SkyActiv D that is currently running in the CX-5 pushes 310 lb ft of torque and 173 hp. Still impressive, especially that torque! Imagine bumping the hp by even 100 and the torque would be incredible!

Last but not least, check out these two videos from Mazda that were released almost 2 years ago. Starting at minute 2 they say some interesting things.

https://youtu.be/cK5SQkEUBdo?t=2m

“An exceptionally high redline or 5200rpm. When we were done we had created a beast … delivers the driving performance of a 4.0L V8.”

A 4.0L V8!! Just do a quick google search for standard HP from common 4.0L V8s and you should be more than impressed with the results. Is this Mazda teasing us and we just failed to notice?

In the long run, whether we get a Mazdaspeed version of the SkyActiv D or not, I can’t wait until it hits our shores for good. Let’s hope it’s soon!

Until next Time,

-Spencer@CorkSport

August 5, 2014February 7, 2019

Why You Need Injector Seals – Part 1

Why You Need Injector Seals Part 1

If you’re a car enthusiast that wants performance, reliability, and of course cost effective upgrades, then injector seals should be on your wish list…wait doesn’t everybody want that for their Mazda? I think so; let me tell you why…

As car enthusiasts we all ultimately seek more power. It starts with an air intake, and then we need more fuel, which leads to the high flow pump internals, but that only scratches the surface. Oh then, Mr. Cobb finds himself plugged into your OBD II port and you’re running 20+ psi grinning ear-to-ear. It’s OK, we are all guilty; some more than others, but something has to give and so it does. What that is that gives, well it’s easy to miss, because your car is smart and compensates for it, but it’s happening. You’ve got bad injector seals! Don’t believe me? I’ll prove it!

You have probably run across injector seals while shopping for various other parts, but didn’t pay attention to them. Essentially, they are fancy little cups that fit over the nozzle of the injector. Now for the real question: have you ever seen an OEM injector seal? Doubtful. They are tiny steel washers designed to crush and seal…the stock ones are pitiful.

What happens when a seal doesn’t seal? All of your hard earned power escapes around it, making a mess of the injector and fuel rail. Look below you’ll see that the injector ports in the cylinder head are filthy.

Starting on the left, the injector port is clean and shiny like freshly machined aluminum. Now look at the port farthest to right; black as night and a bit gritty. That seal gave up before the rest and I have a sneaking suspicion that it has to do with the EGR going through mainly that cylinder, but we will save that for another day. Here is a close up of the dirty injector before and after a scotchbrite rub down.

Now that is a big difference huh! Do you believe me yet? Maybe? Let’s compare the seals…

Look at that picture below and let that sink in…

New Seals:

OEM Seals:

Are you flabbergasted like I am? Huge difference! So, why do the differences matter? First off, it’s no longer just a washer with one sealing surface. It’s a cup, so it seals in the OEM location AND along the side of the cup. That’s not all! The secret is in the design (which is all thanks to @Tokay444; from MazdaSpeedForums.org). Here is how it works. The lip at the bottom of the cup is flared just a bit so that it crushes down tight against the cylinder head, and as it crushes down it also crushes outward, pushing against the wall of the port much like an O-ring.

These four little beryllium copper cups are cheap and reliable, but how do they improve performance? Let’s go back to our power hungry example running 20+ psi; with blow-by around the injector seal. That leak has now disappeared, which means if it’s not escaping there then it must be doing “something”. That “something” is more power to your wheels and a happy MZR. Our previous dyno testing with the OEM seals and 21psi were never consistent, declining with each consecutive run. Our new seals restore that decline, each dyno pull now falls on the previous line perfectly and that was in 90+ degree weather.

Have I convinced you yet? Stay tuned for part 2; we are going to put some hard miles on the MS3 and then inspect the seals.

-Barett

June 12, 2014April 8, 2019

Customer Collaboration – Adjustable Short Shifter & Shifter Bushings

If I were to make a list of OEM parts that I dislike, in the number one spot would be the shifter. I hate feeling like I am stirring a large pot of soup when I am putting my car into gear. Any auto enthusiast wants a solid shift when they are driving.

When I was given the opportunity to test out the Corksport short throw shifter, I was so excited. Not only was I testing for a high quality company, but I was finally able to get rid of the sloppiness from my OEM shifter. The install went smooth, it was the first time I have installed a short shifter on my own, but it was a piece of cake with the step by step instructions that came with it.

Once it was installed my car felt so much different. The shift felt smoother, and much more solid than the stock shifter my car had in it. Not only am I able to adjust the length of the throw but I can adjust the height, which comes in handy since every driver is different and will have a different on throw and height.

With the short throw shifter alone it took 85-90% of the slip from my shifter, but there was still that slight movement when I pushed the shifter into gear, especially when shifting aggressively. Being as picky as I am it did frustrate me – so when Rich contacted me to see if I wanted to test out some shifter bushings my eyes lit up like the fourth of July. Of course I said yes, and the install took all of 15 minutes. The bushings took the remaining movement out of the shifter and I am SO happy with the quality of the parts that Corksport sent me.

I am honestly happy that I received the short shifter prior to receiving the shifter bushings instead of installing them together. Now I know what part changes what movement in the shifter. I can definitely say that pairing these two products together in your car is in your best interest and that each part does have a dramatic change. These products are well worth their money and I would recommend them to any car fiend that is looking for a more responsive and solid feeling shift.

Kaylee

kaylee

Don’t have an adjustable shifter yet? Check them out: Mazdaspeed or Skyactive.