{"id":11375,"date":"2019-06-13T05:00:16","date_gmt":"2019-06-13T13:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/corksport.com\/blog\/?p=11375"},"modified":"2019-07-10T16:11:28","modified_gmt":"2019-07-11T00:11:28","slug":"testing-validation-corksport-2-5l-skyactiv-race-header","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corksport.com\/blog\/testing-validation-corksport-2-5l-skyactiv-race-header\/","title":{"rendered":"Testing & Validation: CorkSport 2.5L SkyActiv Race Header"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Over the past few months, we\u2019ve been teasing you with tidbits of info on the CorkSport Race Header for the Mazda 3 2.5L SkyActiv-G in the GEN3\u2019s. Today\u2019s blog is a big one as we go through the testing we performed on the header and share some results, including power! Before we get too deep though, be sure to get up to speed with a breakdown of the OEM header<\/a> and our design goals for the CS header<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2014+ Mazda 3 Header Installed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Addressing Underhood Heat<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In our previous blog, some of you keen-eyed individuals were asking about underhood temperatures with the ram-horn style CorkSport header. Well, we went through testing to ensure everything will function as before when the new header is added. We\u2019re happy to let you know that we saw very similar under the hood temperatures as the OEM header. As a double check, we applied some temperature sensitive stickers to some areas near to the CS header, as shown below. These stickers will fill in with color if a temperature listed is reached. While these ended up reaching higher temps than with the OEM header, no areas are at risk of damage or malfunction. Furthermore, both the CorkSport racecar and our beta tester have run the 2014+ Mazda 3 race header at the track with no issues with overheating, power losses, or engine bay damage!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2.5l SkyActive Race Header testing with temperature sensitive stickers <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How Does The Header Sound?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before we get into the really good stuff, let\u2019s go through a side effect of freeing up the headers on any engine: volume. We tested the Mazda 3 SkyActiv race header with multiple different setups: OEM cat back, CS 60mm cat back<\/a>, CS 80mm cat back<\/a>, and straight pipe. The race header on an OEM cat back is something that will not likely be used often (who runs a racecar with a stock exhaust?) but offers some nice growl and extra volume over the OEM exhaust. Both the CS 60mm and 80mm exhausts sound fantastic, with the 80mm being louder and having higher power potential than the 60mm. Even so, the 80mm is not uncomfortably loud and could be daily driven if full catalytic converter deletes are street legal in your area. We cannot recommend the straight pipe though. It is extremely loud and very uncomfortable. If you want a tease of sound with the 80mm cat back, check out our feature on our beta tester\u2019s car in the video below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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