Installed a Corksport Downpipe today...

[Element]

Had some time today to attempt the downpipe install, and I must say it was an interesting experience. Corksport customer service is awesome. Shipping was quick, especially to Canada, and price was resonable.

Anyways got the install done in about 4 hours. I was worried about breaking the O2 sensors, but they both came out nicely. Just use the right tools and you will be fine. The only thing that I was concerned with in the end was the loss of the heat shield from the stock downpipe, but I'm sure everything will be fine.

On first start up after the install, there was some smoke, however it dissipated quickly. I believe the smoke was just crap burning off from the new pipe. I took the car for a quick rip and WOW the cars pulls so much harder now. You can feel the torque and power boost on the butt dyno for sure. It's the middle of winter here so traction is obviously an issue at stock power levels, but once the car hooks it just pulls and pulls and pulls. I took a friend for a rip without telling him what was done, and he was like "WTF did you do to your car?!?"

Now a huge plus is the sound the car makes. You notice a little more cabin noise, but it is not overbearing at all. The turbo also noticeably spools up quicker. With the windows down, you can hear the turbo spool up much clearly, and the car has a nice rumble to it. It also made my BPV sound louder.

I'm going to keep an eye out for smoke, but I think that because I still have my midpipe cat I wont see any. Also I don't have any CEL. I think I'm going to get the Corksport Midpipe, and have a Cat welded in. Next up Corksport FMIC.

[kgb]

Good to hear

I have a corksport mid-pipe; love it AND the sound.

I plan on a CS down-pipe very soon. And yes...the right tools is the key!

Let us know how the mid-pipe works for ya and I will let ya know about my DP...plus the AP, stage 2!

[PCspeed3]

nice job man, yeah you might notice some funny smell at first with the pipe being broken in. One thing I would check, when I did mine the top 02 sensor wire was resting on the DP itself so I just got some insulating metal tape and taped it to the firewall just to be safe and make sure nothing melted. With that heat shield gone the wire may get pretty hot resting directly on the DP.

[Element]

nice job man, yeah you might notice some funny smell at first with the pipe being broken in. One thing I would check, when I did mine the top 02 sensor wire was resting on the DP itself so I just got some insulating metal tape and taped it to the firewall just to be safe and make sure nothing melted. With that heat shield gone the wire may get pretty hot resting directly on the DP.

I noticed the o2 sensor wire right away when I finished up the install and secured it against the firewall as well. There is plenty of space around it so I don't think it will melt anytime soon.

I do notice a little bit of a weird smell in the cabin, but it is very faint. I assume this will go away after a while.

[mazdaspeed32007]

wierd smells for a little is normal. i secured my o2 wire with a screw and bolt to the heat shield against the fire wall with the stock wire holder screw thingy. lol. im scientific i know. i love the increase in power. i couldnt believe it. although i forgot long ago what it was like before. thats why im buying an ap.

MORE POWER!!!! AHR AHR AHR!!!!! (all rights to that saying go to Tim the tools man Taylor)

[ChrisK]

Be careful when installing these corksport DPs. I'm having to take mine off this weekend to bend part of the dp. It hits the wastegate and keeps it from opening all the way. Causing a boost spike. Mine spikes to 19-20psi. Here's some pics.

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u85/maniacmav/csdpms3.jpg

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u85/maniacmav/DPrub2.jpg

You can see on the last pic that the wastegate is hitting this piece.

[Element]

Was it just the boost spike that alerted you to this problem? Also I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be seeing in the second pic, is it the Silver looking portion?

[mazdaspeed32007]

thats what i though. i havent noticed any real boost spikes in mine and hell, if i did i wouldnt want to take the whole damn thing apart again anyways. once i get it in i hate doing rework. makes for a very unpleasant experience. lol.

[ChrisK]

Was it just the boost spike that alerted you to this problem? Also I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be seeing in the second pic, is it the Silver looking portion?

Yes the spike alerted someone else to the problem. Just so happens that I have the same spike. I will be checking mine this weekend. And yes it's the silver looking part where the wastegate flapper has been hitting it.


thats what i though. i havent noticed any real boost spikes in mine and hell, if i did i wouldnt want to take the whole damn thing apart again anyways. once i get it in i hate doing rework. makes for a very unpleasant experience. lol.

Yeah doing the work over again sucks. I'm not looking forward to it.

Most people do not have this problem. But alot do and do not know that it could be the DP causing it.

[SPEED3TYPE2]

how is the install on a scale of 1 - 10 ?

[Captain KRM P5]

newer pipes have the problem with the boost spike eliminated through a redesign of that troublesome section

[mr_mazda329]

I think I'm going to get the Corksport Midpipe, and have a Cat welded in. Next up Corksport FMIC.

Here's one for sale I believe:

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123731266

[ChrisK]

how is the install on a scale of 1 - 10 ?

1 being the hardest, mine was a 3. It sucked. But if I had to do it over again I could do it in 3-4 hours tops. Both of my sensors stripped out. Yeah. One costs $400, the other was around $200ish (if I remember right). Then the corksport dp, the holes weren't drilled out right. So I had to drill out one of the holes more to get it to fit.

It wasn't a pleasant experience.

[kgb]

Had some time today to attempt the downpipe install, and I must say it was an interesting experience. Corksport customer service is awesome. Shipping was quick, especially to Canada, and price was resonable.

Anyways got the install done in about 4 hours. I was worried about breaking the O2 sensors, but they both came out nicely. Just use the right tools and you will be fine. The only thing that I was concerned with in the end was the loss of the heat shield from the stock downpipe, but I'm sure everything will be fine.

On first start up after the install, there was some smoke, however it dissipated quickly. I believe the smoke was just crap burning off from the new pipe. I took the car for a quick rip and WOW the cars pulls so much harder now. You can feel the torque and power boost on the butt dyno for sure. It's the middle of winter here so traction is obviously an issue at stock power levels, but once the car hooks it just pulls and pulls and pulls. I took a friend for a rip without telling him what was done, and he was like "WTF did you do to your car?!?"

Now a huge plus is the sound the car makes. You notice a little more cabin noise, but it is not overbearing at all. The turbo also noticeably spools up quicker. With the windows down, you can hear the turbo spool up much clearly, and the car has a nice rumble to it. It also made my BPV sound louder.

I'm going to keep an eye out for smoke, but I think that because I still have my midpipe cat I wont see any. Also I don't have any CEL. I think I'm going to get the Corksport Midpipe, and have a Cat welded in. Next up Corksport FMIC.

Well, I installed this PITA this past weekend. The easiest part was removing the DP bolts and O2 sensor...the hardest part was deciding on the right parts to connect the DP to the CS because Corksport sent bolts that were to short...

Long short of it is I get a lot of smoke for the first 5 minutes but only when I am idle for those 5 minutes.

I also get a lot of rattle from something that sounds like is under my passenger side floor but I can't find the freak'n source. It fuckn sucks...kinda of like having a loud sub but because of the rattle it causes, you'd rather not have it...

I boost spike to almost 22psi...with stock bpv...also TBE now :)

I do notice good power but with the smoke and rattle...it aint worth it as of now...I will get a OCC but if that doesn't work, I may revert back to stock.

The smoking is killing me though...why would having a CS DP cause smoking?

[Captain KRM P5]

The smoking is killing me though...why would having a CS DP cause smoking?

you have no cats

[kgb]

you have no cats


Sorry everybody has smoke going into the stock DP but the dp will burn it off? So, would a high flow cat DP from CPE or COBB eliminate most/all of that smoke?

[mazdasp33d]

newer pipes have the problem with the boost spike eliminated through a redesign of that troublesome section

so newer pipes should be fine? and what about the wastegate hitting? does it happen to all of them?

[ChrisK]

so newer pipes should be fine? and what about the wastegate hitting? does it happen to all of them?

I don't think it happens to all of them. I've only seen a few cases, including mine.

[AutoEuphoria]

Mine was hitting, also. I saw it when I took it off to heat wrap it. I used a file and ground down that piece of metal...hopefully I took off enough to where it's not hitting anymore.

[ChrisK]

Mine was hitting, also. I saw it when I took it off to heat wrap it. I used a file and ground down that piece of metal...hopefully I took off enough to where it's not hitting anymore.

Are you still getting a spike? Because I bent mine pretty good and the spike went away completely. It hits 16.5 and stays.

[AutoEuphoria]

I honestly can't tell. Weather has been so cold lately that I haven't had a chance to really test that.

[mazdaspeed32007]

i know right now running the stock map i get a spike at around 16-17 and it holds around 15.5 until the inevitable rpm/up boost/down. once i get my fuel pump and run the stage 2 map ill see what my true boost spike will be. i hope my wg isnt hitting the dp ill be pissed if i need to take it off again. not that its all that difficult....i just dont want to do it a 2nd time. i wonder if that was the problem in the tock dp? has anyone ever checked it? i know i used to get crazy boost spike when i ran close to stock.

[ChrisK]

Honestly, I haven't looked at the stock pipe, just took it off and put it in storage.

But my spike was up to 21psi at times.

And everyone I asked about it on the forums said it was just because I had free flowing exhaust, but I just felt like there was more to it. I've owned 4 turbo cars, and none of them did that when I added exhaust and DPs.

[kgb]

I called corksport before I bought my dp and they chuckled and said that is not a problem and sent me to this link...


http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123727433

[AutoEuphoria]

EDIT...nevermind LOL. I guess there wasn't an issue afterall. Strange :\

[destrux]

Going from a non-divorced style downpipe to a divorced style can cause boost creep like that... not because the flapper hits the wall.... but because the exhaust coming out of the wastegate does. Look at the picture corksport posted of the turbo without the downpipe bolted on. The exhaust has the most open flow path out of the wastegate on the side that's wide open where it merges with the main exhaust path. If you put a wall right there to divorce the wastegate flow, it is going to somewhat block the wastegate flow. It's common on mitsubishi turbo's that have divorced wastegate flow from the factory to port out the turbine housing around the wastegate flap, and to slightly open the wategate hole (not too much!) to improve wastegate flow to prevent boost creep. When I first ditched the tiny stock 2 1/8" exhaust on my eclipse for a 2.5" system I couldn't get the car to run less than 16psi of boost above 5000 rpm at WOT (which normally isn't a problem, but I had a variable boost setup to run 11psi in first and second gear and this boost creep prevented that from working).

Divorced downpipes are better for power though... the wastegate flow bumping into the main flow causes turbulence (which is usually bad for power). Not a big gain... but maybe 4hp over a poorly designed non-divorced DP.

[ChrisK]

Well I can 100% guarantee that my wastegate flapper was hitting the dp. Also 2 of the bolt holes on my dp were not drilled big enough. Causing another issue.

[martyxcore]

just bought a used cs dp. can i just cut the wall off where the the flapper is hitting for people with issues. dont see how this would cause any problems.