Archive for the ‘Mazdaspeed 3 Reviews’ Category
Review of SURE Motorsports TIG
First of, I did some stat logging from my COBB AP Tuner. I watched my boost temperatures for about 2 days. Here is what I logged:
Pre Installation:
Day 1:
Morning: 68 degrees. At 65mph+ I stayed between 85 and 92 degrees. At idle I was around 115 degrees. This was a 20 minute drive with no traffic on 95 south. I data logged a third gear pull and went from 100 degrees at 3500 rpm to 87.8 at 6077 rpm back to 96.8 at 6700 rpms.
Afternoon: 80 degrees. Did a couple 3rd gear pulls as I was fine tuning my COBB AccessPort. My Boost Air Temp was at 129 degrees at idle and down to 114.8 degrees under boost.
Day 2:
Morning: 70 degrees. At highway speeds it was reading a steady 91 degrees. At Idle it was reading at 120 degrees. I did a 3rd gear datalog again and temps ranged from 96 to 102 during the pull from 3000 to 6700 RPMs.
Afternoon: 82 degrees. Did a couple 3rd gear pulls while monitoring with the COBB AccessPort. My Boost Air Temp was at 131 degrees at idle and down to 116 degrees under boost on average.
Post Installation:
After the install of the SURE Motorsports’ TIG I did notice a drop in boost temperatures. It was not drastic but it did drop a bit. The TIG installation I did was the single intake manifold TIG and Throttle Body TIG, as well as, the coolant bypass on the throttle body.
Day 1:
Morning: 72 degrees. This morning I drove the car normal with my typical commute to work. Under normal throttle, barely entering closed loop or going Wide-Open-Throttle (WOT). My temperatures stayed around 85-90 degrees. At idle my temperatures stayed at about 106 degrees.
Afternoon: 86 degrees. I logged a couple pulls in 2nd and 3rd gear. Both times the temperatures stayed between 98 and 104 degrees.
Day 2:
Believe it or not the temperatures were exactly the same and with my logs and watching my COBB AccessPort, the readings were the same within a degree or 2 of variation.
Conclusion:
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This modification has lowered my boost temperatures by about 15 degrees at Idle and 10 degrees under normal driving conditions and about 5 degrees at WOT. It also reduced Knocking in my engine from 3000-4000 RPMs without adjusting my tune. You may be asking, “Why so little at WOT”? Think about how fast the air is moving through your engine at this point. The only way to lower temperatures drastically at WOT is via an upgraded Top-Mounted Inter Cooler (TMIC) or Front-Mount Inter Cooler (FMIC). However, the TIGs will help keep the air cooler throughout it’s travels!
Rating:
5 of 5
Even though the temperature didn’t significantly reduce in WOT I still give this product a 5 of 5 because of 2 things. First, The quality is top notch. The SURE TIGs are virgin grade PTFE -400°F up to 500°F and is a reusable gasket. Re-usability is a bonus! Second, Temperatures did reduce. It did exactly what it was suppose to do and if I were to add the second gasket to the intake manifold it would be even more significant. Also, you do not need a lift to do the installation. If you are mechanically inclined this installation should take no more than 2-3 hours max. If you don’t include engine cool down time!
Fuel Injection Cleaner with the Mazdaspeed 3
So being the driving enthusiast I am, In 1.5 years I have put 35,000 miles on my car. During my driving I noticed my gas mileage started to decrease. I cleaned the air filter religiously so that wasn’t the case, I change the oil every 5,000 miles with the recommended synthetic blend and only have a few bolt on mods at this point which increase airflow and should help with gas mileage, in theory.
With all this considered, when I went in for my latest oil change it was recommended that I get the fuel injection cleaning service for $75 dollars… Took me all of 1 second to respond NO! But this triggered a thought… clean the fuel injectors, dummy! So I went to Advance Autoparts and purchased a bottle of STP fuel injection cleaner. I asked the man behind the counter if this stuff really works or should I get the service done. He responded, “It works just fine and that service that is offered has the potential to make things worse because the blow air through the injectors and it could damage the pin”. Good enough reason to try it out for me!
When my tank was very low on fuel (1 to 2 bars) I added the fuel injection cleaner before filling up with 93 octane. Then I crossed my fingers. I drove it for 3/4th a tank of gas with the fuel injection cleaning additive. I did notice that the car ran a little funny. Nothing severe but it felt chunky and a little hesitant. I also did not beat up the car. I drove it like a granny. I didn’t accelerate to hard and didn’t go much over the speed limit during this time.
With this tank I did not notice any real improvements in my gas mileage. So after I got down to a 1/4th of a tank I filled up again with 93 octane. During the second tank of gas the car felt much smoother and had no hesitation. I also started to notice an increase in gas mileage. However, being that my driving is not the same every week I chalked it up to the increase in highway miles that week. So I tracked my gas mileage again on the third tank and the fourth and the fifth.
At about 8 tanks later and I had been averaging a steady 26.5 miles per gallon or greater for my routine driving. The best was 28 miles per gallon and the worst was 25 miles per gallon. But most of the time my computer read right around 26.3-8 miles per gallon now.
I am now at 38,000 miles and I am still pulling the same averages which leads me to believe that fuel injector cleaner is worth every penny! Just don’t go and add it to the fuel before you hit the track!
TVS Caps By SURE Motorsports
So when I first heard this term I was a little more than confused. What the hell is a TVS cap? The answer is so simple I am embarrassed to say it took me a few minutes to put it together… The TVS Caps are Tire Valve Stem Caps. Yes, fancy caps to go over the tire valve stems on your tires.
These caps are a way to enhance the final touches of your look because of the sleek look of the aluminum, laser etched caps. They are a great compliment to my rims as well as your ride, the icing on the cake if you will. They have a good solid feel to them and fit nice and snug over the valve stems.
They are available in SURE Blue, Stealth Black and Ignition Red as well. I chose the blue to see how they would look. However, I was severely conflicted between black or blue, stealth or show. A little show never hurt anyone!
Installation Instructions
Please don’t make me slap you. If you need a DIY to install the TVS Caps please sign the back of your title and send it to me along with your car. Thank you!
Review for the Mazdaspeed 3 BC Racing Coilover Suspension
Overview
I have been running my BC Racing coilover suspension for my Mazdaspeed 3 for well over 2,000 miles now. I have run the suspension dampening at 16 and 32 with a ride height set at 1 inch during my testing. The BC Racing coilover suspension for the mazdaspeed 3 allows you to easily adjust the ride height and dampening of the struts with over 32 points of adjustment with position 1 being the softest setting and position 32 being the firmest setting. For my installation I did not completely slam it due to the fact that I contend with speed bumps, potholes, and iffy winters where I live. I also did not want to roll the rear fenders, which you will have to do if you lower the suspension all the way.
Installation
The installation for this suspension system is not for the faint of heart. It will take a pro about 2 hours and a DIY-er such as myself, about 4 hours. The front suspension is the hardest to install, however, the rear is easy and quick. You can see the DIY for installing the BC Racing suspension here.
Tuning
The BC Racing coilover suspension turns out to be a very well made and functional system and it is not just for show, although it shows nicely! It is built for the track, whether you are auto crossing or hitting the drag strip the easy access dampening controls can get you fine tuned for either, quickly. However, at no fault to BC Racing, the 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 makes it difficult to access the rear dampening controls. You must remove the side panels within the trunk to access them. I have heard it is much easier to access on earlier models though.
Handling and Ride
So how does all this translate to handling and ride? It translates very nicely, indeed. Stability and stickiness to the road or track are increased ten-fold. Depending on your settings, body roll is nearly eliminated around S-turns keeping all 4 wheels firmly planted on the road. The stock suspension of the 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 can handle 0.96g’s in the skid pad. I have a very strong feeling that this suspension system will crush that number and go side by side with a Porsche Carrera in handling. But that is just my personal opinion and is not tested to my knowledge.
The ride is a lot stiffer as to be expected. You feel every bump, hump, groove and crack in the road. More so the harder you set the dampening. 32 is bone jarring, however, I found that at 16, about half way, it is a very comfortable ride even though it is more aggressive than the stock suspension.
Rating:
5 of 5
As you can see you really can’t go wrong with the BC Racing coilover suspension and just when you think it can’t get any better… yet another plus to the BC Racing coilover suspension is the price. A completely new suspension system can be purchased for as low as $999.00. I would personally be willing to pay $1,500 for this system! The amount of control, custom tuning and increase to handling and stability all packaged for perfect fitment makes this product one of the biggest bangs for the buck I have yet to see for the Mazdaspeed 3.
Review for SURE Motorsports’ Rear Engine Mount
In this review I will discuss my findings and personal opinion on the 2 types of urethane bushing as well as the engine mount. I drove a total of 3,500 miles with the rear engine mount installed at the time of this review. 1,500 Miles with the 90 durometer and 2,000+ with the 70 durometer bushings. You can also see how easy it is to install from my DIY installation of the SURE Motorsports’ rear engine mount post.
For the first 1,500 miles, I installed the 90 durometer bushings. They are the hardest ones offered by SURE Motorsports and they come in blue. These bushings provided excellent results. Power and responsiveness was drastically increased, wheel hop was completely eliminated and engine vibration was bearable.
At idle without the air conditioner on you could barely notice it. There was a slight vibration in the steering. However, in a low gear or with the air conditioner on the vibration was much more noticeable. When accelerating in 5th and 6th gear at low RPMs you really noticed the vibrations of the engine. Although this may sound bad, it isn’t. It is doing exactly what it should do.
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90 durometer bushings wear and tear after 1500 miles. As you can see to the right, just some dirt and minor scratches. With all that vibration and weight, this picture shows quality more so than any words I put down here.
After 1,500 miles with the 90 durometer I switched over to the 70 durometer which is the black bushing provided by SURE Motorsports. This bushing is much smoother and barely noticeable at the wheel. There is almost no vibration at idle and in low gears. Yet, it keeps the tires from hopping and power where it should be, to the wheels! I do notice that on some surfaces there is a slight wheel hop from time to time but it is minimal and rare as compared to the stock engine mount.
My car is a daily driver that I drive to work, stores, road trips, etc. The versatility of the Mazdaspeed 3 makes it a very practical car for those of us that love to drive spiritedly yet need function as well. With this in mind I chose to stay with the 70 durometer urethane bushings. I only track my car for about 4-5 months a year and in that time I only race about 5-6 weekends. I will possible switch back to the 90 durometer bushing during those months since the install is quick and painless.
Rating:
5 of 5
The SURE Motorsports’ rear engine mount is a quality piece that is a must have for all enthusiasts. The hardcore enthusiast would want to install the 90 durometer while the occasional track runners needing a more practical and versatile car would want to stick with the 70 durometer bushings. Or like me… why not get both! 30 minute install and off to the track you go in full force!
2010 Mazdaspeed 3 v4-FI vs. Hyundia Genesis coupe v6-NA
Normally I would have some big explanation on why the 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 is a much better car than the 2010 Hyundia Genesis coupe but this article below says it better than I ever could. When reading this article, remember, it is a v4 versus a v6, normal disc brakes versus Brembo brakes and most importantly it is a difference of 6 thousand dollars. Hope you all enjoy this article as much as I did! I can’t wait to find one of these at the track!!!
SURE Motorsports’ Short-RAM and Turbo Inlet Pipe for the 2010 Mazdaspeed 3
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SURE Motorsports sent me the Aeros short-ram intake and the Sidewinder turbo inlet pipe. I installed these parts as soon as I got them in. The install was relatively simple as you will see in my DIY. After the install I had to wait a few days for the ECU to relearn the Air/fuel ratios and get the true power out of the aftermarket parts. So after driving the car for 2 weeks I finally have something to report. (Right image: Stock engine bay of the 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 [Before])
SURE Motorsports’ Sidewinder Turbo inlet Pipe
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Even though I had to wait for a little bit to let the ECU relearn, I instantly felt the change. When I first started the car it was a little shaky and struggled to idle for few seconds. It quickly smoothed out and all you heard was this wonderful sound coming from the engine bay. It sounded like a Jet about to take off as the Aeros short-ram intake sucked in massive amounts of air. Eventually the choke set in and it quieted down to a nice smooth idle. After the initial start, every time thereafter, I never felt the jittery startup again.
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To give you a sense of the way this new intake system sounds, image what a semi-truck sounds like when it accelerates. The hi-pitch hissing the massive turbos and intakes produce as they take in air. When accelerating normally you hear a vortex of air being pulled into the turbo. It’s a hollow, steady, powerful sound that makes you want to mash the gas pedal all the time! Under full throttle it produces a hi-pitched hiss similar to what the movies think a Raptor sounds like. Either way it sounds like Power!
When you release the gas and the throttle body valve closes all that air gets recirculated through the bypass valve. The stock air intake setup of the 2010 mazdaspeed 3 usually does not make a noticeable noise when this happens. With this new setup it sounds as though you have a modestly set blow-off valve. As of this installation, I do not have a aftermarket blow-off valve. However, I bet most people think I do now!
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As for the power of this simple, inexpensive modification… Instant gratification. These 2 simple modifications allow much more air to pass directly to the turbo and have created a very noticeable increase to my torque. Air is quickly, and much more efficiently, inducted to the turbo creating a higher air ratio for a larger combustion. This instant power creates a “stick to your seat” feeling you can’t get enough of. Second and third gear pulls are amazingly strong, and more importantly, steady and smooth all the way through the powerband.
SURE Motorsports offers the Aeros short-ram Intake and the Sidewinder turbo inlet pipe in a variety of colors as well. I chose black for a clean stealthy look and as you can see from the picture to the right, all parts fit perfectly within the confines of the original 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 engine. All sensors are accounted for so there is no annoying check engine light and all plastic fits back with no modifications as well. Nice, simple and clean!
Rating:
5 of 5
After driving the car for 2 weeks in a variety of fashions, overall the Aeros and Sidewinder are top notch products. Under normal driving it increased fuel economy due to the better mixture of air to fuel. More air and less fuel to create equal power always adds up to good! Under “assertive” driving conditions the direct and increased torque lend well to quicker 60 foot times or just an overall better, spirited drive. The price is right, installation is a breeze and the gains are amazing! These products come highly recommended if you are looking for an inexpensive and safe way to add more noticeable power to your 2010 Mazdaspeed 3.
SURE Motorsports’ CounterShift weight
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I received my SURE Motorsports’ CounterShift weight in August of 2010. It is the small, sleek and clean weight in the picture to the right. The stock counter-shift weight for the 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 weighs-in at a hefty 19.7 oz. That is 1.37 lbs. The new SURE Motorsports’ CounterShift weight weighs 7.6 oz (less than half a pound). Also the design (cast) allows for a nice center of gravity on the linkage extension. Installation instructions for the SURE Motorsports’ CounterShift weight.
The purpose of this “shift weight” is to increase the speed of your shifts while keeping it smooth between gears. You may be asking yourself…”Why not remove the whole weight or machine down the stock counter-shift weight?”… and rightfully so. If you remove the weight all together your shifting will become extremely harsh and clunky. There is a reason the techs at Mazda added this weight. They probably spent tens of thousands on R&D to get it just right for the average consumer. However, if you are reading this article you may not be the average consumer and you expect things to be quick and smooth to help shave every possible millisecond of your quarter mile. After all, most times the difference between first and second could be a millisecond!
To answer the second part of this question, you can do that if… You have the tools to do it, don’t care about retaining your stock parts for resell value and have a few spares in case you mess up. Although you must also consider the fact that you may have an unbalanced weight at this point. SURE Motorsports’ CounterShift weight adds just the right amount of weight in a concise and balanced mass.
Rating:
5 of 5
After driving the car for a week and looking for anything that I could find, I found only good news. To tell you the truth, all I noticed was quicker shifting. I expected to miss a shift or for it to be clunky due to the drastic difference in weight. After 2 days I said to myself, other than the stick feeling lighter I don’t feel a difference. That is when I knew I had a quality product in my possession. SURE Motorsports’ CounterShift weight was the perfect mash-up of form and function and I could not be more pleased with it. Especially for the price!