Protege Garage Turbo Inlet Installed

[TheDoc]

Well, I had a chance to install Protege Garage's new stainless steel turbo inlet over the weekend.

First things first: the inlet is made of 304 stainless, and has a really nice polished finished. I believe they'll also be offering powdercoating options in a variety of colors.


http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/8949/18617489.jpg

Forgive the crappy pictures- cell phone camera sorta sucks, but you can get the idea.

The installation was fairly straightforward; I wrote up a how to here: http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123744441

So, I got it thrown in and I've gotta say... I can't believe the difference this thing makes.

The fitment was perfect. My LTFT and STFT's are perfect, coupled with my Cp-e intake. My BOV recirc hose finally friggin' fits. But the best part, is how much it smooth everything out. The car is silkly smooth through the powerband... I absolutely love it.

IAT's with just my intake were between 6 and 10 degrees above ambient. After installing the inlet and driving hard around for a the evening, I was running between 2 and 4 degrees above ambient... that is a HUGE difference.


http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/3557/78847709.jpg

Looking at the two side-by-side, I can't believe that anyone would spend $200-300+ on an intake only to have it run to such a piece of shit pipe. The Protege Garage piece is 2.5" all the way around, and manages to not interfere with the battery box, or anything else along the way- something that not all of the other options on the market can say. It also mounts up to the stock mounting points, which means that once its in- its in. Not going anywhere.

The difference in material is interesting- seeing as the stock piece is plastic. I've heard people say that the induction sound becomes more muted, but I disagree. I found that the induction noise is actually louder, however, the sound of the BOV into the stainless inlet became more of a "popping" sound instead of the "woosh" that it was. It's a much more endearing noise.


http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/6127/49373415.jpg

I never looked at an inlet as a "required" mod- just something that'd be nice to have... but for the price of the Protege Garage piece combined with the benefits of power and unbelievable driveability-- it's really something you have to have.

I'd like to thank Ken for supplying me with this awesome piece... its definitely something to check out.

[SPEED305]

nice piece.

[Mistersix]

thanks for this write up. i'm still a lil on the fence about this. but at such a reasonable price i guess ya cant go wrong.

[Captain KRM P5]

thanks for the review justin

[amilliems6]

thanks for this write up. i'm still a lil on the fence about this. but at such a reasonable price i guess ya cant go wrong.

yea and not to bash on medieval but PG TIP looks like it has better fitment but we will see after install

[Mistersix]

yeah not bashin either but medieval's looks incomplete like its missing a bend. this one looks more like the HTP, which is the one i actually wanted. but not at that price.
its tough to spend nearly 2 hundred bucks on a pipe. Naw mean!!!!!!

[mikesul]

I have one on order from Ken and a CPE CAI to go on at the same time. This should give a nice sotp gain. SW catted DP shipping today also and will be installed asap. Would like to get a before and after dyno number, will look around for this. I expect somewhere around 50 whp from these 3 items.

[Mistersix]

50 hp! i dunno, maybe with a tune. do you have some sort of engine management? you'd have to be able to turn up the boost a nudge and massage those a/f's to get that sort of gain out of and intake and dp.

[Circle9]

I think 50 whp is possible with those 3 modifications.

[ElGaspo]

I have one on order from Ken and a CPE CAI to go on at the same time. This should give a nice sotp gain. SW catted DP shipping today also and will be installed asap. Would like to get a before and after dyno number, will look around for this. I expect somewhere around 50 whp from these 3 items.



50 hp! i dunno, maybe with a tune. do you have some sort of engine management? you'd have to be able to turn up the boost a nudge and massage those a/f's to get that sort of gain out of and intake and dp.

1 way to find out....do the before/after dyno. this should be interesting. subscribing. (thumb)

[mazdaspeedster3]

You dont think you would need a BPV to hold that power?

[Captain KRM P5]

i'd recommend a BPV. the HKS sounds pretty wicked with the inlet.

[Mistersix]

DSPORT magazine just did a test and tune on a ms3. intake and tbe. all from cpe. IIRC, they freed up 33 hp. very impressive IMO. consider the cat back prolly did very little and the bulk of the gains were prolly made with the intake and downpipe.

i'd love to think we'd get fitty ponies outta the turbo mzr with those mods but it just seems a bit lofty to me.

the stock intercooler, 2nd cat are still restrictions. i dont believe that with my mods in my sig plus a dp would net 50 solid. you gotta have some EMU with a good tune to take advantage of the good flow.

[chief_wiggum]

I never looked at an inlet as a "required" mod- just something that'd be nice to have... but for the price of the Protege Garage piece combined with the benefits of power and unbelievable driveability-- it's really something you have to have.


Well, I blame you for pushing me over the edge and pulling the trigger on this (thanks!).

[I`m Batman]

I'm going to get a turbo sticker and I should get around 80 more hp out of that one. If I get a red one, I should get 90 hp... as we all know, red is the fastest! J/K

Nice piece... I think I'm going have to get one after I saw the stock piece.

[Captain KRM P5]

thanks for the compliments. they are going fast.

[mrjoshyman]

hmmm...the PG is stainless whereas CPE & cobbs are silicone...i imagine the silicone is better temp wise. is it a substantial difference (other than the price)?

[Captain KRM P5]

hmmm...the PG is stainless whereas CPE & cobbs are silicone...i imagine the silicone is better temp wise. is it a substantial difference (other than the price)?

honestly, in practice, it makes no difference. we datalogged temps of 6 or more degrees cooler with our inlet. frankly for an inlet of any kind thats impressive. you are not going to see a substantial difference with a silicone inlet.

[TheDoc]

Well, I blame you for pushing me over the edge and pulling the trigger on this (thanks!).

Glad I could help!
Hope you like it as much as I do!

[Mid_Life_Crisis]

I`ve always thought this was mostly a pretty piece. All you guys that are claiming smoother response, if not actual gains, had better not be suffering from a placebo effect.

[TheDoc]

There is plenty of logical backing that supports every positive thing being said about this part.

[I`m Batman]

I just ordered mine last night... CAN'T WAIT!!!!!! I hope it's good.

[Captain KRM P5]

I just ordered mine last night... CAN'T WAIT!!!!!! I hope it's good.

oh it is :)

[Mistersix]

its good, just got mine. good fitment, nice sound. def worth the price.

Nice work PG!!!!!!!

[MS3 GT]

just installed mine...gotta love that sound,it totally changed after inlet installed....great product!!!

[Mz3Hatch]

installed mine and my new cp-e nano at the same time and everything sounds amazing! install went so easy and quickly! only thing is that there is kind of a whistle sound that i didnt have before. checked all my hoses and clamps and couplers and everything is tight! no its not that i can hear the turbo spooling now either! might just be me but im not sure.

[Captain KRM P5]

thanks for all the kind remarks guys

[Speedkid]

Nice mod.

[I`m Batman]

I got mine over the weekend, very excited... after I took old pipe off, right before I installed the new pipe... I looked inside and noticed that it had all kinds of gunk and dirt inside the pipe. It even has a 1 to 1.5 inch long melted piece of metal hanging inside that pipe, probably from the weld of the recir tube. I tried to break it off by pushing it with a screw driver (the only thing that can reach it) but it didn't budge so I left it there and cleaned everything the best that I can and installed it. That hanging piece of metal probably won't come off but it's not comforting knowing that it's there... it probably won't affect the airflow much but it's still not very comforting... so I was a little disappointed in that department.

As far as the performance goes, I didn't have too much time to test it yet but first impression... It's louder, it's boost quicker and harder and shift smoother. I think I heard my bpv opening while under high boost too so I think I need to adjust it to make it stiffer. More testing still needed.

Still not very comforting knowing that there's a piece of metal hanging in my inlet pipe very close to the turbo...

[Hank3]

Didn't have a chance to take pics? I'm sure Ken would want to see it and would probably offer you a new piece if it's defective.

[I`m Batman]

No, sorry... I didn't take any pix... :( I should have... but it's kind of too late now... it sure was a lot of work to put in a little pipe.

[Silver Ecstasy]

Damn no pics of that. Well i'll have to look at mine before I install it.

[Hank3]

Damn no pics of that. Well i'll have to look at mine before I install it.

Ditto

[Captain KRM P5]

if you want, i have no problem sending out a replacement

[I`m Batman]

if you want, i have no problem sending out a replacement


Sure, that would be great!. Thank you! I'll PM you my order info. :)

[john blutarski]

I got mine over the weekend, very excited... after I took old pipe off, right before I installed the new pipe... I looked inside and noticed that it had all kinds of gunk and dirt inside the pipe. It even has a 1 to 1.5 inch long melted piece of metal hanging inside that pipe, probably from the weld of the recir tube. I tried to break it off by pushing it with a screw driver (the only thing that can reach it) but it didn't budge so I left it there and cleaned everything the best that I can and installed it. That hanging piece of metal probably won't come off but it's not comforting knowing that it's there... it probably won't affect the airflow much but it's still not very comforting... so I was a little disappointed in that department.

As far as the performance goes, I didn't have too much time to test it yet but first impression... It's louder, it's boost quicker and harder and shift smoother. I think I heard my bpv opening while under high boost too so I think I need to adjust it to make it stiffer. More testing still needed.

Still not very comforting knowing that there's a piece of metal hanging in my inlet pipe very close to the turbo...

Mine has the same problems. I already cleaned out all of the dirt/gunk whatever it was as best I could with water. Now I still have a piece of metal or weld dangling inside where the recirc pipe weld is.

[Hank3]

Hmmm...that's two of them. Any idea if this was the first batch Ken? I'm still waiting for Randy to ship mine once he gets the shipment from you. Hopefully it won't have this gunk and extra metal.

[Mid_Life_Crisis]

Here`s hoping that the ones that are anodized get thoroughly cleaned and inspected extra close as part of the process. After waiting this long, I would hate to have to send it back when it finally arrives. (long wait is not Ken`s fault).

[Captain KRM P5]

i'm going to go through what i have left and clean out any of them if its needed

[Hank3]

Ken - Any ETA on when the batch of black PC TIPs and intake pipes will be shipped to Randy?

[Mistersix]

i'd just like to add that i thoroughly inspected my upon arrival and found none of whats stated above. the weld inside was fair as well as the weld on the out side. and no gunk or anything inside.
i'm sure ken will make it right with any defects that pop up.

[mazdaspeedster3]

I also did not see anything inside. I even wiped mine out and had nothing noticeable...

[john blutarski]

Ken's already making it right by sending me a replacement... no worries.

[amilliems6]

ken came out to my house to give me my replacement. Great guy.
I have not dealt with a vendor that helpful, that quick then Ken. Once again thanks Ken for a great product and all i have to say is keep em coming (rockon)

[motomike239]

Just installed mine today, wasnt bad getting the old pipe out i just had problems putting the new one in.. my pipe doesnt fit as flush as i thought it would it rubs against my battery box.. that wont hurt anything will it?

[Captain KRM P5]

Just installed mine today, wasnt bad getting the old pipe out i just had problems putting the new one in.. my pipe doesnt fit as flush as i thought it would it rubs against my battery box.. that wont hurt anything will it?

it won't cause any issues. PM me, i might be able to give you a tip or two as to how to adjust it if need be

[RuZec]

im soooo debating right now if I want to order this! Im just trying to find some other parts to get for my car! any ideas. other than tmic or cobb app?

also if I place my order tonight. when would I receive this? and its being shipped to ND

[Captain KRM P5]

im soooo debating right now if I want to order this! Im just trying to find some other parts to get for my car! any ideas. other than tmic or cobb app?

also if I place my order tonight. when would I receive this? and its being shipped to ND

its ready to go, you'd have it this weekend

[240ka]

ken, are you still selling inlets?

[mazdaspeedster3]

Wierd, mine is no where near the battery box. Even with the factory grommet and mount yours is still near the box?

[I`m Batman]

Just installed mine today, wasnt bad getting the old pipe out i just had problems putting the new one in.. my pipe doesnt fit as flush as i thought it would it rubs against my battery box.. that wont hurt anything will it?

Sounds like you might not have it in all the way. I had the same problem then I figured I'd put the silicone tube on the turbo first as far as it will go in and then put in the pipe, you may need to put some soap on the silicone tube so it would go in easier. It seems to fit better, even the mounting point lined up, no rubbing or clearance issues.

[240ka]

thats what i had to do to install mine as well

[Captain KRM P5]

ken, are you still selling inlets?

yes sir, i have them in hand ready to go.

i PMed motomike with some install tips. anyone who needs advice feel free to let me know!

[240ka]

sweet, im sending a guy named Angel your way. he will email you

[Captain KRM P5]

sweet, im sending a guy named Angel your way. he will email you

thanks man, i appreciate it. i'll take care of him for you

[Darth Vader]

Installed mine. No problems. Seems to smooth the car out a little; this not being the smoothest running engine ever made, that's good. No real output change but, I wasn't expecting that.

Sunuvabitch stock pipe came off with only the tiniest tug, even with the hose clamp full tight...gee, I wonder if that was leaking?(dunno) Excellent work by Mazda's assembly plant; I've had a number of small issues with leaking hoses from the factory so far. I'm not particularly impressed by that. What if I didn't have 25 years of experience and I had to take this thing into a shop every time one of these little gremlins hits? Retards.

I also fixed the busted off bracket from the Cobb I used to have, drilled out the spot weld and put in a screw to hold it down.

All in all, dealt with a number of little things and added something shiney under the hood...it's all good

[Captain KRM P5]

Sunuvabitch stock pipe came off with only the tiniest tug, even with the hose clamp full tight...gee, I wonder if that was leaking?(dunno) Excellent work by Mazda's assembly plant; I've had a number of small issues with leaking hoses from the factory so far. I'm not particularly impressed by that. What if I didn't have 25 years of experience and I had to take this thing into a shop every time one of these little gremlins hits? Retards.


its pretty disenheartening to keep hearing the factory one falls off so easily for most people :(

[Silver Ecstasy]

I got mine, only to find out the coupler is missing. My buddy also ordered on and his silicone hose was missing. Thankfully, Ken is on top of it. And yes, mine was dirty on the inside.

[boosted1]

Installed mine. No problems. Seems to smooth the car out a little; this not being the smoothest running engine ever made, that's good. No real output change but, I wasn't expecting that.

Sunuvabitch stock pipe came off with only the tiniest tug, even with the hose clamp full tight...gee, I wonder if that was leaking?(dunno) Excellent work by Mazda's assembly plant; I've had a number of small issues with leaking hoses from the factory so far. I'm not particularly impressed by that. What if I didn't have 25 years of experience and I had to take this thing into a shop every time one of these little gremlins hits? Retards.

I also fixed the busted off bracket from the Cobb I used to have, drilled out the spot weld and put in a screw to hold it down.

All in all, dealt with a number of little things and added something shiney under the hood...it's all goodWhen I installed my Cobb TIP, the clamp on the turbo was tight.(2thumbs) I guess my MS3 was assembled on a Tuesday.

[treedspeed]

my inlet was loose

[nypz]

hmmmm mine didnt come with a silicone hose either?

[Silver Ecstasy]

hmmmm mine didnt come with a silicone hose either?

Hmm. Well it's an $0.89 piece of silicone, just run up to the store before you do the install.

The rubber coupler missing, that's another problem...

[treedspeed]

silicon hose for inlet to wastegate solenoid???
what companies are sending that with inlets?

[nypz]

No idea, i just read the post and looked in my box and didnt see a hose. No problem at all, cheap piece of rubber.

[Captain KRM P5]

every box should have had a short length of silicone line in there. sorry if it was not :( i've been spending time checking the inlets for soot and blasting them out as i send them now.

[john blutarski]

I don't see why you couldn't even just reuse the stock solenoid hose?

[Darth Vader]

too short for the different location of the hose barb.

[Saskatchewan17]

Yeah, the stock hose is too short.
Also, my stock inlet was on there freaking tight! Took a lot of coaxing to take that sucker off.
As for the PG inlet. This thing is a great little piece. Even with the stock intake (for now) I can feel the turbo spool up quicker, the power delivery was smoother and more even throughout the powerband. I can't wait to get my intake in there, then it will be mean sounding. On that note, the intake noise as of now is virtually unchanged.

[Silver Ecstasy]

So we installed PG Turbo Inlet pipes on both my car with the MSCAI and CWPspeed3's car with the Cobb SRI. After installing both and driving both, CWPspeed3's car with the SRI has a very loud resemblence to a supercharger whine when the turbo spools. I read on MSF that someone had a boost leak that sounded like a supercharger whine. Any ideas?

[Mid_Life_Crisis]

I couldn`t get to the clamp on the stock unit. Fortunately, when I gave it a firm tug, it just came off in my hand. (eyeballs)
Fitting the thick adapter that comes with the MSCAI was a bit of a PITA, but it all went together. The stock vacuum hose was on so tight I had to cut it off. I made the mistake of trying to take it off at the inlet end and broke off the factory hose nipple. A simple install that with nearly 40,000 miles turned into a pain in the neck.

[mazdaspeedster3]

Wow, bummer. Today makes 3 of these that I have installed or helped install. That center mounting point seems to be the biggest deal. If you can leave it untouched till the end (recirc and intake mounted correctly) do it...

[Silver Ecstasy]

I can say I love the inlet though! This makes a huge difference in the way the car spools, and it's not just an imaginative way either. The car literally is on boost instantly where as before, there'd be the slightest lag as the car spun.

Huge thanks to Bill (mazdaspeedster3) for helping with the install today!

[Captain KRM P5]

I can say I love the inlet though! This makes a huge difference in the way the car spools, and it's not just an imaginative way either. The car literally is on boost instantly where as before, there'd be the slightest lag as the car spun.

Huge thanks to Bill (mazdaspeedster3) for helping with the install today!

cool, good news and thanks mike

[Mid_Life_Crisis]

Finally got to go for a little ride this morning and I`m not convinced that it makes more power, but the claims about it making the motor smoother are definitely true. I recently put on a new rear motor mount and the vibrations were brutal. They are still there, but so reduced that the difference is amazing. We`ll see if it stays like that after the ECU learns about the change.
I don`t see this last as reasonable, because the ECU should have this set to a particular value, but my idle speed is noticeably lower also. Unless of course the idle was so rough that it wouldn`t run properly at the target.

Edit: I was just looking at the torque steer thread and realized that maybe the car is a little stronger down low after all. I stepped on the gas at one point and felt the wheel tug, which I no longer notice, normally.

[Silver Ecstasy]

Anyone else have their PG TIP installed with an SRI? Mine with a CAI sounds virtually the same until you get on it and the BPV pops upon release. The other car we installed it on had the Cobb SRI and it sounds like a supercharger now instead of his turbo whoosh.

[Captain KRM P5]

Anyone else have their PG TIP installed with an SRI? Mine with a CAI sounds virtually the same until you get on it and the BPV pops upon release. The other car we installed it on had the Cobb SRI and it sounds like a supercharger now instead of his turbo whoosh.

all but one i have installed was with an SRI

[Mid_Life_Crisis]

Anyone else have their PG TIP installed with an SRI? Mine with a CAI sounds virtually the same until you get on it and the BPV pops upon release. The other car we installed it on had the Cobb SRI and it sounds like a supercharger now instead of his turbo whoosh.

I have an MSCAI and mostly it is the same sounds, just louder. Today on the way home, I must have hit just the right load, boost, throttle opening, etc and I heard a definite sound, although not very loud, that sounded just like a supercharger, varying in pitch with the throttle.

[mazdaspeedster3]

i am wondering about that SC whine some are hearing. I would almost bet money that the outside coupler (to the TIP) has a leak. the very bottom of that end (TIP side) is hard to get on all the way and when tightened down is prone to come off and you wont even know it. I have installed 3 now and the 3rd one was a real problem and the 2nd one we now beleive to be leaking and am about 100% convinced that is why...

[Darth Vader]

Mine's on an AEM CAI and the sound is just lots of the usual whooshing-psshing sounds. It's definitely a tight angle into the turbo, not ideal for sealing metal to metal pipe as the opening is now heading for oval from round but, it appears to be tight. I just checked it and retorqued the worm clamps and all seems allright. Granted, there's no way to be totally certain without disassembly but, it sounds normal.

[ChazSpeed]

Got a link to this on the PTG store? (IM me if needed) I looked around, but didn't see it... I might be blind though :)

[Silver Ecstasy]

Yeah Bill, we should take Matt's down again and check for the bottom of the inlet coupler that attaches to the turbo. It's gotta be the culprit. It does such a tight turn, and remember how I made such a big fuss about making sure it's as deep as it possibly can be on there? It was a PITA to do!

[MADTIG]

I installed mine about a week ago with my MS cai....haha, wasn't as cake as I expected do to alignment issues. It's in and works GREAT!! but I couldn't manage to tighten the nut all the way thats closest to the tmic. Owell I'll mess with it again when I have time. Overall great piece for a great price! Thanks ken!

Impressions:
*Sounds the same but a little louder. The suction sounds great!
*Turbo def comes on faster than it use to. Most noticeable in 1st and 2nd.
*I get a loud flutter depending on how I ease of the gas. Was actually going to ask you guys if this is normal. I'm using a combo of PG turbo inlet + MS cai + Turbosmart bpv. Bpv tuning??

[Silver Ecstasy]

BPV tuning for sure. The Inlet will allow for more boost more often. I'd loosen up the bpv spring a lil more.

[MADTIG]

BPV tuning for sure. The Inlet will allow for more boost more often. I'd loosen up the bpv spring a lil more.

Thanks for the quick response! I'll give it a try tomorrow. Is the flutter normal though?

[Silver Ecstasy]

Flutter is normal under part throttle boosting then releasing the throttle slowly. If you're releasing under full throttle/boost, then that is NOT a good thing. The BPV is not releasing the pressure fast enough which causes the turbine to spin backwards, causing the flutter sound. Not good.

If it's fluttering as you're letting off partial boost, that's just your bpv having a hard time deciding what position it should be in lol, best description I could come up with.

[Captain KRM P5]

Got a link to this on the PTG store? (IM me if needed) I looked around, but didn't see it... I might be blind though :)

http://siteground207.com/~protegeg/product_info.php?products_id=1644

[Silver Ecstasy]

Since a majority of you guys are people who have the PG Inlet installed, I have a couple questions regarding my install:

1) The turbo coupler doesn't sit right.
Basically, it kinks when you attach the inlet pipe to it, tighten the clamps down, and bolt up to the engine. The bend puts so much strain on the coupler that it kinks. Anyone else notice this problem? If you feel around the coupler, it's the area near the front that has the kink in it.

2) It rubs against a particular hose that runs from the engine to the firewall.
So once you fit the coupler on, this hose sits almost directly in the path of the inlet pipe. After having it installed for a few days, I decided to check everything out and ended up finding some burn marks from the hose on the inlet pipe. I don't know if this is an issue or a potential issue, but I'm not sure I like it much.

Not my picture but used for as an example.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y206/silverecstasy/DSC_0015.jpg

Climate changes a lot here and I don't want my hose blowing up in the middle of winter because of engine heat and whatever that hose is doing for the interior since it connects to the firewall.

[Mid_Life_Crisis]

It rubs against a particular hose that runs from the engine to the firewall.
So once you fit the coupler on, this hose sits almost directly in the path of the inlet pipe. After having it installed for a few days, I decided to check everything out and ended up finding some burn marks from the hose on the inlet pipe. I don't know if this is an issue or a potential issue, but I'm not sure I like it much.


I had to push that same hose out of the way as well. I`ll be taking it all out again this weekend to get access to put in an MBC and aftermarket wastegate actuator. I`ll inspect everything then and see how it all looks.

[Captain KRM P5]

FYI, feel free to write a review of your inlet here

http://siteground207.com/~protegeg/product_reviews.php?products_id=1644

[H3br3w_Ham3r]

FYI, feel free to write a review of your inlet here

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=120436854634&sellerpreview=true&sspagename=STRK:MESE:IT#ht_500wt_1088

Nice advertising!

[TheDoc]

Since a majority of you guys are people who have the PG Inlet installed, I have a couple questions regarding my install:

1) The turbo coupler doesn't sit right.
Basically, it kinks when you attach the inlet pipe to it, tighten the clamps down, and bolt up to the engine. The bend puts so much strain on the coupler that it kinks. Anyone else notice this problem? If you feel around the coupler, it's the area near the front that has the kink in it.

2) It rubs against a particular hose that runs from the engine to the firewall.
So once you fit the coupler on, this hose sits almost directly in the path of the inlet pipe. After having it installed for a few days, I decided to check everything out and ended up finding some burn marks from the hose on the inlet pipe. I don't know if this is an issue or a potential issue, but I'm not sure I like it much.

...

Climate changes a lot here and I don't want my hose blowing up in the middle of winter because of engine heat and whatever that hose is doing for the interior since it connects to the firewall.

I've installed about half a dozen of these now and haven't encountered either of those problems.

My immediate thought is that the two are related- the coupler being kinked and the contact with the hose could both be a direct result of the pipe not being seated properly in the coupler.

The hose you're talking about does not come in contact with the stock inlet, and while this part is a little wider, every one that I've put in has cleared the hose, if not by a very slight margin.

My advice would be to try and reseat the pipe inside the coupler. Despite the grommet up top dictating the pipe's position, there is a bit of play to be had.

The coupler is likely kinked because of the angle that the pipe is cut on the turbo-end- it's fairly sharp. Just remember that the longer end (the side closest to the firewall) should be inserted as far into the coupler as possible. The one I put on my car actually makes slight contact with the turbo.

I hope this helps.

- Justin

[Captain KRM P5]

Nice advertising!

edited, wrong link haha

[mazdaspeedster3]

I've installed about half a dozen of these now and haven't encountered either of those problems.

My immediate thought is that the two are related- the coupler being kinked and the contact with the hose could both be a direct result of the pipe not being seated properly in the coupler.

The hose you're talking about does not come in contact with the stock inlet, and while this part is a little wider, every one that I've put in has cleared the hose, if not by a very slight margin.

My advice would be to try and reseat the pipe inside the coupler. Despite the grommet up top dictating the pipe's position, there is a bit of play to be had.

The coupler is likely kinked because of the angle that the pipe is cut on the turbo-end- it's fairly sharp. Just remember that the longer end (the side closest to the firewall) should be inserted as far into the coupler as possible. The one I put on my car actually makes slight contact with the turbo.

I hope this helps.

- Justin

I have now installed 3 and uninstalled all 3 and reinstalled them. There is contact no matter what. The one on my car being the least of those contacts. I have also noticed that every inlet is different in some way or another. They are not completely uniform. The cuts on the turbo end are all different. Some more angled than others. Also, the couplers are different lengths. The coupler length and angle cut at the turbo end is dictating the crimp in the coupler because it isnt filling the coupler out. Also, the black tube that runs below the inlet is going to rub no matter what. If that bothers anyone (doesnt bother me) then heat tape or exhaust tape (header wrap) can be added and cure the problem of the hose rubbing on the inlet and leaving black marks. Dont want to and am not bashing anything, I love my inlet and am happy with the performance gains but the quality control on uniformity could be a bit better. Also, there seems to be some cut metal or punched metal left on the inside of some of these. I have seen one this way. There is no way a back yard mechanic would be able to get it out and it doesnt seem like it would come loose but worry about what would happen if it did...
Other wise a very affordable and noticeable mod, I am happy thus far.

[Silver Ecstasy]

I'm hoping to take a 2nd stab at re-installing my Inlet once I get my replacement and coupler from Ken. I do not like how the coupler is kinked and don't want to develop any problems with cracking the coupler over time, especially in the colder climates.

I almost wonder if I should have gotten the Cobb TIP instead...(but I love the PG inlet!!....damnit!!)

[Silver Ecstasy]

I've installed about half a dozen of these now and haven't encountered either of those problems.

My immediate thought is that the two are related- the coupler being kinked and the contact with the hose could both be a direct result of the pipe not being seated properly in the coupler.

The hose you're talking about does not come in contact with the stock inlet, and while this part is a little wider, every one that I've put in has cleared the hose, if not by a very slight margin.

My advice would be to try and reseat the pipe inside the coupler. Despite the grommet up top dictating the pipe's position, there is a bit of play to be had.

The coupler is likely kinked because of the angle that the pipe is cut on the turbo-end- it's fairly sharp. Just remember that the longer end (the side closest to the firewall) should be inserted as far into the coupler as possible. The one I put on my car actually makes slight contact with the turbo.

I hope this helps.

- Justin

Thanks for the help Justin.

When I got mine in the mail, it seemed like it had such an awkward angle cut to it. Almost like it was too short to the point where one angle would not seat fully into the coupler, but the other side would.

I guess I don't know just exactly how deep the inlet is supposed to go into the coupler, to know if it's appropriately installed, but I know that everytime I tried seating the inlet into the coupler, then bolting it onto the engine, it would kink the coupler in a bad way.

I almost want to unplug everything and bolt the inlet to the mounting point and see how everything lines up visually, without the coupler onto the turbo and with the MSCAI out of the way.

Hopefully my replacement will come soon and i'll get a chance to re-install this and hopefully not have it sit ontop of that hose either.

Thanks again Justin!

[Saskatchewan17]

Are there any proven power gains from having an inlet? The drivability and smoothness are awesome, but are there any real gains? Just wonderin.

[kendon]

curious about actual numbers from an intake and inlet myself. anybody? i haven't seen any and it seems like it may be a bit of a waste of dyno run to the average person. ken, do you guys have a dyno at your shop?

if anyone is on the fence about purchasing this product, just buy it. buy it. enjoy it. if you have a speed 6 be thankful the engine bay is roomier than the 3's. live life. be happy. play some gta or betray a ton of people in halo 3 to the point you can't rank up any higher than 1 due to the fact you went so in the negative from killing team mates. (teammates? one word or two?)

[boosted1]

I'm hoping to take a 2nd stab at re-installing my Inlet once I get my replacement and coupler from Ken. I do not like how the coupler is kinked and don't want to develop any problems with cracking the coupler over time, especially in the colder climates.

I almost wonder if I should have gotten the Cobb TIP instead...(but I love the PG inlet!!....damnit!!)I went with the Cobb TIP and the install was a breeze.

[Captain KRM P5]

i do not have a dyno but i do have several shops locally i have worked with who do have one.

[Wurf]

I thought I'd seen some numbers previously that a similar inlet made by another company added about 5hp.

[Captain KRM P5]

i have not and do not plan on dynoing the inlet honestly. its more a drivability improvement and turbo spooling improvement, and that is hard to register on a graph.

[Wurf]

I went with the Cobb TIP and the install was a breeze.

Congratulations on your purchase from Cobb.

Personally I'm not buying anything made by them for my car no matter how well it works, looks, or how big the words "cobb" are painted on it. To each his own, but I'm not a Cobb fanboy and would rather support smaller, more dedicated vendors who make their own stuff like PG or Corksport ( not Midieval though ).

[boosted1]

Congratulations on your purchase from Cobb.

Personally I'm not buying anything made by them for my car no matter how well it works, looks, or how big the words "cobb" are painted on it. To each his own, but I'm not a Cobb fanboy and would rather support smaller, more dedicated vendors who make their own stuff like PG or Corksport ( not Midieval though ).Thanks for your comment on my Cobb purchase. Support whomever you choose and may I personally offer my condolences, for horrible experience with Cobb products. Have a wonderful life and don't be anyone's "FANBOY"!(thumb)

[Captain KRM P5]

lets keep this thread clean and focused, folks. we all have a right to our opinion, and you know what they say about opinions ;)

[Wurf]

I'll be the first to apologize - sorry. I sensed an asshole contest and I hate to loose, so I digress.

[fastdreams]

I'll be the first to apologize - sorry. I sensed an asshole contest and I hate to loose, so I digress.

Sir, you won the a-hole contest hands down. (lol2) (not a fanboy, nor a haterboy such as you (shrug) )

On topic - Ken, I've been wavering between the PG TIP and other options. I see no reason not to buy the PG TIP and save $60, as long as they are good to go.

Is there a fitment issue to be worried about (kinking, miscut coupler?) or is that straightened out? Is the excess material on the inside worked out also?

If so I'll be placing my order today along with some other goodness.

Thanks for your time Ken.

[Captain KRM P5]

Sir, you won the a-hole contest hands down. (lol2) (not a fanboy, nor a haterboy such as you (shrug) )

On topic - Ken, I've been wavering between the PG TIP and other options. I see no reason not to buy the PG TIP and save $60, as long as they are good to go.

Is there a fitment issue to be worried about (kinking, miscut coupler?) or is that straightened out? Is the excess material on the inside worked out also?

If so I'll be placing my order today along with some other goodness.

Thanks for your time Ken.

we have a new batch being made right now. there will be no excess material issue and all inlets will henceforth be cleaned as thorougly as possible before sending them out.

[RC08MS3]

my CP-E inlet rubs on the hose that was mentioned before also, its not just the PG TIP, but nothing to worry about either.

[fastdreams]

we have a new batch being made right now. there will be no excess material issue and all inlets will henceforth be cleaned as thorougly as possible before sending them out.

thank you! What is the ETA for ship time for an order as of today?

I'll just call in...I don't like to order over the intarwebs anymore.

[Captain KRM P5]

it will be about two weeks until we have more, so i would call then

[Captain KRM P5]

my CP-E inlet rubs on the hose that was mentioned before also, its not just the PG TIP, but nothing to worry about either.

i think if you look at the amount of room we don't have back there, it would be nigh impossible to make an inlet which does not rub at least a little

[fastdreams]

it will be about two weeks until we have more, so i would call then

ok thank you.

[RC08MS3]

i think if you look at the amount of room we don't have back there, it would be nigh impossible to make an inlet which does not rub at least a little

the one that did fit without touching was the POS inlet they included with my Corksport front mount kit lol, man that thing was pewny, i ended up pulling it off and fitting the CP-E to the kit with a couple fab parts.

[Wurf]

Sir, you won the a-hole contest hands down. (lol2) (not a fanboy, nor a haterboy such as you (shrug) )

On topic - Ken, I've been wavering between the PG TIP and other options. I see no reason not to buy the PG TIP and save $60, as long as they are good to go.

Is there a fitment issue to be worried about (kinking, miscut coupler?) or is that straightened out? Is the excess material on the inside worked out also?

If so I'll be placing my order today along with some other goodness.

Thanks for your time Ken.

Check my new sig. (eekfu)

[Captain KRM P5]

Check my new sig. (eekfu)

ouch

[fastdreams]

Check my new sig. (eekfu)

lol ouch indeed!

In that case I think you should try to get every brand on your car so you can be all zen like and what-not.
(boobs)

[Wurf]

Just kiddin'.
I'm not the hater type. It's not healthy. Admittedly I can be an asshole but I try not to be one too often.

Got my PG TIP today and it's at home waiting for me to check it out.
I can only hope it's as easy to install as a Cobb TIP.
That's the audacity of hope I suppose :D

[Captain KRM P5]

That's the audacity of hope I suppose :D

if you need help, PM me and you'll be baracking that install in no time

[RuZec]

I just ordered mine today! When can I expect it?

[Captain KRM P5]

I just ordered mine today! When can I expect it?

we're working on the next batch right now

[Wurf]

Still haven't had time to install mine, however I did take some time with it using my grinder, a drill, some sanding rolls, a carbide burr, and a good washing.

I know Ken has been blasting these out to remove any dust or debris inside. That is very helpful but it's my opinion you should still double check before you put it on the car. I can tell you there was only a slight amount of dust inside mine upon initial inspection.

I looked inside with a flashlight and saw some dark areas in the middle, then I took a 2.5" dia scotchbrite type stripping / sanding wheel to the inside of it. You can get these at Menards or Home Depot or wherever. It barely fits the inside diameter but it compresses easily. I mounted it in a flex drill attachment which gives me the ability to use a smaller hand piece with a chuck on the end of it and access the inside the inlet all the way through. I connected this to my drill press and cranked up the speed.

I removed rust patches near the weld where the two halves of the pipe come together. This is not too surprising even though it's stainless tubing. I believe it's just part of the welding process and cannot be avoided. I also used a very long, tree shaped burr and some sanding rolls on a long mandrel to hit some of the rust patches and try to take down a slight mismatch between the two pieces of pipe where they come together. The stainless is very hard and difficult material to remove. This was probably totally unimportant in regards to flow but I tried anyway because it was there. Probably 40% was inaccessible with my tools so I quit.

If you ask me, the most important thing you can do is wash the inside of your inlet thoroughly before you put it on the car. Take a scrubbing sponge and soap with hot water and thoroughly clean the inside of the pipe along with the short BPV recirculating tube. Anything in the way of abrasive grit that could come loose and be taken into the engine is BAD. Washing it by hand is good insurance. Once it was dry, I wiped mine down inside with a light coating of WD40. I would do the same with any metal inlet or component going on the intake system of any car.

This is similar to what you would do when building an engine. You want everything meticulously clean and that's how I approached it.

Otherwise this looks like a quality piece and I can't wait to get it on the motor. Hopeful I can get it done tomorrow night.

[RuZec]

so it should be about a week to receive mine?

[Mid_Life_Crisis]

Still haven't had time to install mine, however I did take some time with it using my grinder, a drill, some sanding rolls, a carbide burr, and a good washing.



This should not be necessary. I have never seen so many people wanting so much to like a substandard piece of merchandise that they will make any excuse for it.
I know of what I speak, because I am one of them.
Seriously, since when is it acceptable to pay for a part and have to do this much work on it before you can use it on your car? If I picked this up locally I would never have walked out of the store with it and neither would most of you.

[Captain KRM P5]

This should not be necessary. I have never seen so many people wanting so much to like a substandard piece of merchandise that they will make any excuse for it.
I know of what I speak, because I am one of them.
Seriously, since when is it acceptable to pay for a part and have to do this much work on it before you can use it on your car? If I picked this up locally I would never have walked out of the store with it and neither would most of you.

anyone who is not satisfied with the product was and is free to return it. i realize these could have been and should have been cleaned thoroughly by the time half the shipment was out the door. it was not something done when we had them manufactured and should have been done there or through us. we've got 100 more of these coming in, are well on our way to selling through those as well and they will all be examined and cleaned as needed by us before they leave my hands. its as simple as that. its been brought up and recovered multiple times now. i wish i had seen that sooner and would have taken the time to go through that had i done so. if there is something else i am missing or something else i need to do here, something else i need to say or offer, feel free to tell me.

that said, when its installed properly and run on the car, it does the same thing as every other inlet out there for far less cash. if cleaning it out is a blunder i made on my end which relegates the product as a whole as substandard somehow - well, i can't say i agree with that.

if you don't like it or it doesn't do what we advertise it as, take it off and send it back no questions asked. my goal with this and everything else were working on is happy customers, nothing less.

[Mid_Life_Crisis]

if cleaning it out is a blunder i made on my end which relegates the product as a whole as substandard somehow - well, i can't say i agree with that.

if you don't like it or it doesn't do what we advertise it as, take it off and send it back no questions asked. my goal with this and everything else were working on is happy customers, nothing less.

I have always had excellent results (quick delivery, reasonable prices) when ordering items that PG did not have responsibility for the build quality of and will continue to purchase items through the company that it is reselling.
.
Any item that requires that much work is substandard. It should be ready to go in upon delivery. It wasn`t billed as a finish it yourself kit. The dirt isn`t even the major issue. This is a component that sits immediately before a turbocharger, an expensive piece of equipment, and it needed to be cleared of potentially engine threatening loose pieces.
You are absolutely right, I had the option of shoving it back in the box and returning it as soon as I saw it, but after waiting all that time, anticipating putting it in the car, human nature is not going to let that happen.

[Silver Ecstasy]

I have to agree with Mid's mentality, however, I will say that in the world of aftermarket, hardly everything just "bolts on". From body kits to bolt-ons, they'll all typically require some extra working to make sure it's perfect.

I just think the expectation was the same as the rest of the aftermarket parts out there - quality control already applied, parts investigated and checked thoroughly. Had it been mentioned it was an initial test run, people might have known more of what to expect.

That's all it boils down to in proper business ethics. Setting the right expectations go a LONG way for the customer as well as future interactions.

[Fenrir]

You are absolutely right, I had the option of shoving it back in the box and returning it as soon as I saw it, but after waiting all that time, anticipating putting it in the car, human nature is not going to let that happen.

So stop bitching? :)

[Wurf]

This should not be necessary. I have never seen so many people wanting so much to like a substandard piece of merchandise that they will make any excuse for it.
I know of what I speak, because I am one of them.
Seriously, since when is it acceptable to pay for a part and have to do this much work on it before you can use it on your car? If I picked this up locally I would never have walked out of the store with it and neither would most of you.

I was afraid this sort of conclusion might have been drawn from my post.

Not only do I NOT consider this piece "substandard" as there is no such standard for an aftermarket TIP, I also don't let my expectations become unrealistic. It's a welded steel pipe assembly for $99 guys.

Case in point, some of you would send this part back if it had a scratch on it. Nothing short of perfection will satisfy your expectations for $99.00.

What I did was at my own option and was not required in any way and if I had bought for example a silicone TIP from another mfg I would have washed the inside of that before putting it on my car as well. Washing out the inside is the only strong suggestion I'm making regarding this part. All the other crap I did was completely my own ideas and optional.

So I guess I'll publicly apologize to Ken for saying anything about my fiddling around with sanding the inside of the TIP and potentially fucking up future business, all because of follow up comments by others with unrealistic expectations.

I've built engines, and I built an entire car loaded with over ten thousand dollars in aftermarket parts from various manufacturers. I've done all sorts of shit to parts that likely weren't needed, and some things that were required to get things to fit right or work right. This is kids stuff.

Think objectively about any part you're buying and don't ever assume anything before you put it on your car. If you don't like it when it comes out of the box and you're not willing to do anything with it but bolt on and go, then send it back and continue your quest for the perfect, out of the box piece.

[Darth Vader]

Amen brother. I come from the time when we had to MAKE OUR OWN own parts for hotrodding cars, there was no convenient aftermarket to shop from online. I haven't seen a "bolt on" part that I haven't had to fiddle with somehow. It's still WAY easier now.

[Mid_Life_Crisis]

Not only do I NOT consider this piece "substandard" as there is no such standard for an aftermarket TIP, I also don't let my expectations become unrealistic. It's a welded steel pipe assembly for $99 guys.

Case in point, some of you would send this part back if it had a scratch on it. Nothing short of perfection will satisfy your expectations for $99.00.

Think objectively about any part you're buying and don't ever assume anything before you put it on your car. If you don't like it when it comes out of the box and you're not willing to do anything with it but bolt on and go, then send it back and continue your quest for the perfect, out of the box piece.

The substandard is in reference to how much finish work was required. The piece fits and works. No complaints there. For this much money I was not expecting a beautiful piece with perfect, uniform welds, etc. I was expecting considering that we are car enthusiasts buying from a car enthusiast, a piece that was done, and SAFE to install, even if it was perhaps a little dirty. Having to remove potentially dangerous shavings that are clinging to the inside is not acceptable by any standards.
The first batch having these issues is one thing. Your supplier screws up, you jump on them and after that the workmanship is better.
Your (Wurf`s) piece is not in the first group. This should be done with by now. I brought it up (again) because it seems as if (in spite of Ken`s efforts) the workmanship has not improved from one batch to the next, and guys should consider that fact before buying something that requires work on their part to make it safe to put on their car.
For this price, do I expect perfection? Hell no. Do I expect function as delivered? Hell yes.
When this batch is sold out and the next batch is shipping, if I see more posts indicating the problem has not been solved, will I bring it to people`s attention again? You bet your ass. There`s a difference between tweaking something to make it exactly as you want it and having to do basic work to make it functional. The second is simply not acceptable.

[Captain KRM P5]

The first batch having these issues is one thing. Your supplier screws up, you jump on them and after that the workmanship is better.
Your (Wurf`s) piece is not in the first group. This should be done with by now. I brought it up (again) because it seems as if (in spite of Ken`s efforts) the workmanship has not improved from one batch to the next, and guys should consider that fact before buying something that requires work on their part to make it safe to put on their car.
For this price, do I expect perfection? Hell no. Do I expect function as delivered? Hell yes.
When this batch is sold out and the next batch is shipping, if I see more posts indicating the problem has not been solved, will I bring it to people`s attention again? You bet your ass. There`s a difference between tweaking something to make it exactly as you want it and having to do basic work to make it functional. The second is simply not acceptable.

there was only one batch of these, and nothing was said until well after half of that batch was sold, shipped and gone. there was no second batch until the batch we're presently having made now. wurf actually ordered his long ago (as he posted) and just now got around to installing it. so realistically there was nothing to be done at that point on my end.

[Mid_Life_Crisis]

there was only one batch of these, and nothing was said until well after half of that batch was sold, shipped and gone. there was no second batch until the batch we're presently having made now. wurf actually ordered his long ago (as he posted) and just now got around to installing it. so realistically there was nothing to be done at that point on my end.

If you read this entire thread, it looks like there have already been two manufacturing runs and a third is in process now. If this is incorrect and it is just a question of timing regarding delivery and posts being made, then I stand corrected.
If this new batch has no problems regarding drilling slivers, or loose welding slag, or whatever the dangerous crud is, then more power to you for taking the bull by the horns and getting your supplier`s act together. As I stated before, one bad run might be understood, but after that...
It appears then that my concerns are unfounded. This is one time when I`m glad to be wrong if that turns out to be the case.
Remember, I`ve said before that I will continue to be a customer for what you resell, as delivery is usually very good and the prices are reasonable. It just looked to me like your custom pieces needed to be watched carefully (at least this one). Maybe the trick there is to not be one of the first and wait for the kinks in the process to be ironed out. Of course, if everyone felt that way, nothing new would ever get sold...

[RuZec]

bleeeeh! not even three days and im already being impatient for my TIP! lol

im just really anxious for it and I just want to see how it performs!!!!!!!!!

[Wehrmacht]

I like the look of the product, I'll be cautious it's nice and tidy before install. Thanks Ken! Paid.

[Wehrmacht]

Ouch... won't ship till end of month...

[Captain KRM P5]

Ouch... won't ship till end of month...

we're burning through these at a rate of 100/month (wrc) definitely trying to keep these on the shelf for everyone!

[coyfish]

How does the non turbine side of the inlet fit with aftermarket stainless intakes like aem, injen, cpe, etc. Im returning my CPE inlet because it doesn't fit very well with my injen intake. The metal "connector" piece between the two elongates my intake which messes up the CAI bracket that bolts it to the car. The bracket is no longer lined up with the bolt and ive spend 2 hours trying to mess with it to get it to fit. Instead of this extra metal adaptor flange they should have just made the silicon end a bit smaller so you can stick any intake in there and clamp it down. What a PITA. Hopefully if the PG inlet fits better ill be purchasing this one.

thx for any help

[Captain KRM P5]

How does the non turbine side of the inlet fit with aftermarket stainless intakes like aem, injen, cpe, etc. Im returning my CPE inlet because it doesn't fit very well with my injen intake. The metal "connector" piece between the two elongates my intake which messes up the CAI bracket that bolts it to the car. The bracket is no longer lined up with the bolt and ive spend 2 hours trying to mess with it to get it to fit. Instead of this extra metal adaptor flange they should have just made the silicon end a bit smaller so you can stick any intake in there and clamp it down. What a PITA. Hopefully if the PG inlet fits better ill be purchasing this one.

thx for any help

i have installed this inlet with a fujita intake, an injen intake, a CPe nano and full length as well as Cobb intakes. the Cobb is very snug fit but otherwise fine. the CAI brackets fit in the stock location as they do with the factory inlet.

[coyfish]

Thanks Ken. As soon as you get them Ill be purchasing one. I want to drive my car so bad!

[RuZec]

soo long of a wait! =(

[ericrapp]

Hello Ken and folks. I finally had some time to install my inlet today. I was reviewing this thread thing yesterday and decided i was ready. I would, add some more details on the how to as there are some little things not covered. most of them are probably assumed to be part of the routine, i suppose. The install took me about an hour and a half. i was also cleaning as i went and trying to figure out how to install the tranny mount upgrade. And only 1 beer. That means it went well i think. It is neat that the battery tray has a feature that allows you to remove a side and slide it out. I did not figure that out till after i removed the battery though. doh! I have an MSCAI, so ithink for those of you who do too, you should break that free early on, from its mounting point to the body. Just loosening it will help. And make it the last thing you tighten. The next to last to tighten might be the only intake mount point that way you will not be fighting to tie the two silicone hoses together. Its no big deal just a thought. Something occured that i did not like though. As i was wiggling the stock inlet to remove the recirc hose the thing pulled off the turbo. mmm.. the turbo. did not think i was horsing it very hard. Any ways all back together. I started her up. Just fine. so i guess i hooked everything back up ok. No real difference in sound. drive it nicely to the store to get more beer. The store that is further away. I get into it a little, there is the turbo sounding. not bad. Start playing with the throttle response. that i really notice, but i am still mostly listening. I get to the store and it is idling rough, not misfire and the tach says around seven hundred. ok. Come out and restart. #2, idling the same. So i need to clean out the plugs, if you know what i mean. I got some misfires and then she knew we were going to run. This Ecu is something else. Throttle response is quicker. noticably. maybe alot. That part i am really liking. I had to come home so that is as far as i have gotten. I think by the next two start cycles the computer will settle in. And i will wind her up and see what i see. I think my mods have begged for this piece, even more so after looking closely at the stocker inlet chambering. I will probably lose some low end but i hope to get more mid and maybe more at the top. I am pleased so far and cannot wait to get up tomorrow morning and let it run. Thanks Ken..I LIKE IT

[coyfish]

Why would you lose low end ?

[SBSPEED3]

so ken, are you going to offer any type of turbo inlet and PG intake package?

[Captain KRM P5]

so ken, are you going to offer any type of turbo inlet and PG intake package?

http://siteground207.com/~protegeg/product_info.php?products_id=1648

[coyfish]

any update on inlets ken

[Mistersix]

http://siteground207.com/~protegeg/product_info.php?products_id=1648

wow! cant beat that!!

[Cataphract_40]

wow! cant beat that!!

+1 That is the most incredible deal you will ever see for the intake side of this car

[ericrapp]

Is the K&N filter a oiled unit? Can you offer a dryflow filter too? such as the AEM unit or similar. What diameter is the air intake tubing at the filter, please. good deal.

[Captain KRM P5]

Is the K&N filter a oiled unit? Can you offer a dryflow filter too? such as the AEM unit or similar. What diameter is the air intake tubing at the filter, please. good deal.

its 2.75 inch diameter MAF housing. the K&N is oiled. i can offer a dry flow upgrade for a little more.


any update on inlets ken

this coming friday they should be here!

[coyfish]

yay

[fastdreams]

http://siteground207.com/~protegeg/product_info.php?products_id=1648

That is a great deal! Nice work Ken. I'm sad to think of the extra money I've spent on the mscai and cobb tip. Would have paid for a track day!

[RuZec]

OMG I waaant thiiiis turbo inleeet!

[Saskatchewan17]

^Jeez man, don't worry it'll come eventually.

[viking40]

Ok, the price for that package sealed it. How do i order with the dryflow upgrade. (shocked)

[Captain KRM P5]

Ok, the price for that package sealed it. How do i order with the dryflow upgrade. (shocked)

place the order on the site and indicate in the comments box you want the dry flow filter

thanks!

ken

[RuZec]

haha I know.. Im just impatient and I want to do some work on my car!!!!

[GoSpeed3]

well at least you can count on getting youre parts from Protege Garage, RuZec. i paid medieval months ago for one and never recieved it. goddamnit i am gonna commit my first violent felony in 10 years if i ever run into the owner or someone asociated with that douch bag. lol.

[Captain KRM P5]

well at least you can count on getting youre parts from Protege Garage, RuZec. i paid medieval months ago for one and never recieved it. goddamnit i am gonna commit my first violent felony in 10 years if i ever run into the owner or someone asociated with that douch bag. lol.

sorry to hear that. i've had years of bad dealings with that guy under various business names.

[RuZec]

did you get them in yet?!?!?!

[coyfish]

^^^^^^^^ +1

[Captain KRM P5]

not yet guys, i'll let you know. as eager as anyone to get these in and out to you all!

[Saskatchewan17]

Guys, I can assure you that this inlet is well worth the wait, such a great piece and a good upgrade to any intake system. I only wish PG had offered the full intake set when I had bought mine... I would have taken one coated in black.

[SBSPEED3]

ordered

[RuZec]

the wait is killing mee! lol

[JCurry]

lol i messed up when i put my corksport full intake kit on, i put it on with a downpipe, tbe, and alot of other stuff so i cant really say what kinda gains i achieved from just the tip, and intake lol. but for like 210 buck for a full intake with the aem dryflow and perfect fittment its another option besides the pg one. Not saying the pg one isnt awsome but there around the same price and i got mine in 3 days after ordering....

[coyfish]

still not in :( ??

[Captain KRM P5]

they're arriving today or tomorrow :) crate upon crate of them from ups!

[ericrapp]

I wanted to mention i have picked up a full mile per gallon on average since install and a reset. Sitting at 25.1. that is a nice little bonus. Car is still running nice. At first she was a little jumpy at throttle tip in but seems to have smoothed out power delivery a bit. I suppose the ecu has figured out what happened. It definitely increases the intake and turbo sound volume. I am glad to have it.

[Captain KRM P5]

I wanted to mention i have picked up a full mile per gallon on average since install and a reset. Sitting at 25.1. that is a nice little bonus. Car is still running nice. At first she was a little jumpy at throttle tip in but seems to have smoothed out power delivery a bit. I suppose the ecu has figured out what happened. It definitely increases the intake and turbo sound volume. I am glad to have it.

what is that small pic in your sig if you dont mind me asking?

[Speedkid]

Looks like a side mount.

[Mid_Life_Crisis]

It has to be a coincidence of timing, but since I put this on the car, I have had an intermittent cel. I finally got it read tonight and it is "Insufficient EGR flow".
My mpg improvement was all in my head, 24.5.

[ericrapp]

what is that small pic in your sig if you dont mind me asking?That picture is the Top Speed passenger mount before i reinstalled the coolant reservoir. I took a couple of pics as i went in case anyone else was doing a passenger mount. They would help me to recall the process for a how to. And i really like the paint job on it. Nice sparkly blue. Of course now it is hard to see unless you are looking for it, much like the inlet! By the way i did throw a code about a week or so after reconnecting the battery. I did not bother to check it though because the car was still learning. Again. All better. I did reset the avg. mpg. to see if it changed, i was about 24 for most of this summer. As i mentioned, as per the computer it has moved up to 25.1 as of today. I have been hanging out in the higher rpms too. Oh well. The Mazdaspeed 3 seems quite happy as it is now.

[Captain KRM P5]

It has to be a coincidence of timing, but since I put this on the car, I have had an intermittent cel. I finally got it read tonight and it is "Insufficient EGR flow".
My mpg improvement was all in my head, 24.5.

you may want to have this looked at by a dealer. the EGR valve may be stuck or broken, but the inlet really wouldn't affect that as they're independent of the other. should be a warranty issue.

[RuZec]

if ytou do get them tommorow when should we expect them?

[Captain KRM P5]

i'm shipping them out as soon as they are boxed up and in my hands. i've got a dyno day tomorrow to attend and some personal things going on sunday but i will do what i can.

[RuZec]

^^ thanks you for the updates!

[RuZec]

updates?!?!?!

[Saskatchewan17]

I'm sure he's shipping them out today.

[mr_mazda329]

updates?!?!?!

Make sure you grab the Denso ITV-22 colder plugs when you do this mod. I got increased KR from the TIP. well worth it.

[RuZec]

hmm.. for those spark plugs everytime I just so happen to read a post about it people have problems.. and whats KR?

[qwerty4550]

hmm.. for those spark plugs everytime I just so happen to read a post about it people have problems.. and whats KR?

KR= knock retard.

[RuZec]

^ thank you!

[Wehrmacht]

Make sure you grab the Denso ITV-22 colder plugs when you do this mod. I got increased KR from the TIP. well worth it.


You really need one step colder plugs just for a properly efficient turbo intake ?

[mr_mazda329]

You really need one step colder plugs just for a properly efficient turbo intake ?

The more bolt-ons you have..the more you will need them. The turbo spools a lot quicker with this TIP. Its amazing and feels great. But with the quicker spool, especially at lower revs, you are more prone to KR. I noticed this when i put TIP on. 3rd and 4 th gear pulls had more KR around 4.5 and 5.7 at most. I bought the plugs and put them in, bam!...the highest KR i saw then was 0.4-1.4.

[ericrapp]

I must agree, even though i do not datalog as you do, and you are wise to do so, i went through three sets of plugs while playing with gapping. The Denso out of the box have been the best so far with my mods. What gap are you set to mr.?

[mr_mazda329]

I must agree, even though i do not datalog as you do, and you are wise to do so, i went through three sets of plugs while playing with gapping. The Denso out of the box have been the best so far with my mods. What gap are you set to mr.?


I'm set right at 30-32 since i'm not boosting more than stock and still no TBE. If i had the Cobb AP and a TBE, would have set them all to 28-30

[Captain KRM P5]

I'm sure he's shipping them out today.

that is/was correct (cheers2)

[hugador]

Cool. And thanks for the heads up mr_mazda329.

[RuZec]

that is/was correct (cheers2)\I hope I get it by friday!!!

[coyfish]

Wait are these in yet?? IF they are ken pleez send me a PM since your website doesn't work on my comp. Ill purchase one asap.

[ericrapp]

I'm set right at 30-32 since i'm not boosting more than stock and still no TBE. If i had the Cobb AP and a TBE, would have set them all to 28-30Thanks i settled in at about .028 and seems good with my bolt ons. I have not pulled the plugs too look at their condition since spring as the car is running as well as it ever has.

[Captain KRM P5]

Wait are these in yet?? IF they are ken pleez send me a PM since your website doesn't work on my comp. Ill purchase one asap.

they're in and shipping all week long

[ericrapp]

Now up to 25.4mpg per computer. so much for the dirty air filter theory because my mileage had dropped before the inlet. And, i did not seem to lose much power on the bottm if any. Everyone who wants increased flow and can tolerate some more turbo spool noise ( music) should have their inlet upgraded.

[RuZec]

can I run the TIP with out the one step colder plugs for a bit?

[Saskatchewan17]

What are your other mods?

[RuZec]

race pipe.. sri... forge bpv

[Saskatchewan17]

Umm... I think you'll be okay without the plugs for sure. But before you move on to a DP/FMIC or whatever, plugs should come first. I'm running SRI/Inlet and soon BPV. I'm not gonna upgrade plugs, nor do I need to, untill I increase airflow a bit more (TP, DP or other)

[RuZec]

ahh alright! thanks man

[coyfish]

Im not going to upgrade plugs until I get my AP

[ericrapp]

Hey, i just wanted to mention that the Forge bpv should have no effect on the plugs you run. The reason we run the colder plugs in to combat more heat in the cylinder, usually from running a higher boost or running the car very hard and some other stuff. These plugs will reduce detonation as temperatures rise. And from what i hear that is agood idea. IMHO you have nothing to worry about at this stage. Sas17 sounds spot on to me. Happy Motoring

[ericrapp]

Im not going to upgrade plugs until I get my APThey are not cheap, so its a good idea to wait till you need them. good thing we do not have eight cylinders!

[SBSPEED3]

hey ken,
any update?

[Captain KRM P5]

polished ones have been going out all week, powdercoated ones have been going out as they leave the ovens. i've been taking a little more time on each one with the "powerball" to clean them out

[mr_mazda329]

polished ones have been going out all week, powdercoated ones have been going out as they leave the ovens. i've been taking a little more time on each one with the "powerball" to clean them out


Way to go Ken. PG FTW!

[SBSPEED3]

Thanks Ken

[RuZec]

=)

[hugador]

I sense mine is on its way.(alright)

[Captain KRM P5]

i sense you're right to think so

[RuZec]

I Just installed my PG TIP and went for a test drive. When my car accelerates it is soo smooth! also I can now drive my car at 15 mph on base in first gear with out it being so rough! But over all it was well worth the money! Oh yeah also my Forge BPV doesnt make that high of a pinging noise when I let off the throttle its more subtle now!

[Captain KRM P5]

I Just installed my PG TIP and went for a test drive. When my car accelerates it is soo smooth! also I can now drive my car at 15 mph on base in first gear with out it being so rough! But over all it was well worth the money! Oh yeah also my Forge BPV doesnt make that high of a pinging noise when I let off the throttle its more subtle now!

glad you like it. (yes)

[RuZec]

throttle isnt so touchy any more either

[GoSpeed3]

hey Ken i was gonna order one last night but couldnt figure out how to use paypal on the protege garage site when i was checking out.

[Captain KRM P5]

hey Ken i was gonna order one last night but couldnt figure out how to use paypal on the protege garage site when i was checking out.

send me a private message to arrange this. i presently have paypal disabled through the main site.

[mr_mazda329]

throttle isnt so touchy any more either

your boost response should have increased!

[coyfish]

^^^^ Ya I agree. It should be even more rough and ready to take off in first. Maybe your ECU is still resetting. My car is always very slow / smooth after I unplug the battery.

[RuZec]

how long should it be for my ECU to adjust?

[mr_mazda329]

how long should it be for my ECU to adjust?

About 70-100miles or so.. Go easy on it.

[khoney]

Got mine today. Amazing, because it was in Chicago yesterday. I washed it out real good (there were some contaminants inside), but other than that it looked real good. Ken's powerball is very effective ;)

Install was pretty easy. I wasn't too thrilled that I was able to remove my old inlet without loosening the clamp. After I got it off, I checked the screw, and it hadn't even been tightened. This was not from the factory, mind you, but from the dealership when I had the engine replaced.

The toughest part of the install is figuring out the best orientation for the clamps. I found the best access for the one closest to the turbo was pointing down towards the rear at about a 45 degree angle. You can get a nut driver back there end get pretty good torque. The one that holds the inlet pipe to the coupler worked best pointing straight up. Put it on so it's closest to the firewall. Also, MAKE SURE you replace the original vac hose (small diameter one) with the hose Ken sent. The original won't reach, so put the new one on the engine-side nipple BEFORE you try to attach the inlet.

Here are a couple of pics of it installed. I like the way it sounds - my intake noise went down, and the forge is a little less harsh. Performance-wise, I'll wait 100 miles and see. So far i'd say it's money well spent. Thanks, Ken!

P.S. - I highly recommend a reticulating socket adapter for the two clamps by the turbo.
P.P.S. - Ken - that vac hose could be about 1/2" longer. Mine was a pretty tight reach.

[Captain KRM P5]

thanks for the review!

[mr_mazda329]

Dang..why is everyones Intakes and BPV getting quiter? All mine got louder

[khoney]

In my case, I could've been getting leaking around the turbo inlet clamp. To be honest, I only gave it a few runs and pulled it back in the garage. After that, I decided to clean my MAF and reset the ECU, so I'll report back in another 100 miles or so. Maybe I'll have a different opinion. But one opinion won't change... that is a very nice piece for the price, Ken!

[hugador]

Installed mine today. I do get a smoother launch from first gear. Will reset the ecu again and give it a proper test drive tomorrow. So far so good. Thanks Ken you guys made a good product. Here are some pics.

Hello turbo

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk108/hugador/100_0536.jpg

PG Turbo Inlet

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk108/hugador/100_0546.jpg

one more

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk108/hugador/100_0547.jpg

Now I can't wait for my CP-e nano SRI to get here.

[chief_wiggum]

Now I can't wait for my CP-e nano SRI to get here.

CP-e SRI + PG TIP is a fantastic combination -- trust me, you'll love it.

[hugador]

CP-e SRI + PG TIP is a fantastic combination -- trust me, you'll love it.

Yeah, I order one from PG like a week and a half ago and it's killing me lol .

[chief_wiggum]

Yeah, I order one from PG like a week and a half ago and it's killing me lol .

I just sent Ken more money so I can add a little Forge ping to my zing; as Tom Petty once said, waiting is the hardest part.

[hugador]

P.P.S. - Ken - that vac hose could be about 1/2" longer. Mine was a pretty tight reach.

Really, vac hose fitted just fine with mine. Maybe it was how you install the inlet. I slid the inlet into the coupler straight in until I can feel the tip of the inlet touch the turbo then I rotated the inlet counter clockwise as further down and that gave me a perfect fit. Anyways good to hear you like the TIP.

[CnoTataymo]

Installed mine today. I do get a smoother launch from first gear. Will reset the ecu again and give it a proper test drive tomorrow. So far so good. Thanks Ken you guys made a good product. Here are some pics.

PG Turbo Inlet

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk108/hugador/100_0546.jpg

How is the turbo inlet with the stock intake?

[hugador]

What do you mean? I decided to install the TIP since I got that first than the SRI. The picture is not showing the whole connection between TIP and the stock air box but it connects just like the stock inlet. Nothing different was done.

[mr_mazda329]

What do you mean? I decided to install the TIP since I got that first than the SRI. The picture is not showing the whole connection between TIP and the stock air box but it connects just like the stock inlet. Nothing different was done.

He means the performance/sound?

[hugador]

Oh my bad. Yes you will notice some performance because, the stock inlet is as restricted as the stock air box. That's why we recommend replacing the stock inlet if you're doing an after market intake. There is no sound coming from the PG TIP with just the stock intake. But like some people say I have to drive more so that the ecu can do some adjustments and I should get that ready to go feel. Everything PG claims it to do on their web site, it does it. I'm a believer.

[SBSPEED3]

pm sent...

[RuZec]

ohhh go easy on it! eeek! is it ok that I would do random fast accelerations?!?! other than that I drive normal..

I wish they had a dyno nearby where I live, the closet one is in south dakota!!!!! I jsut want to know how much my little engine is pushing out! any guesstimates?!?!

[Nutari]

any update on order #8510?
if it is possible i would like to change the shipping address. i didnt realize this would take so long to ship.

Not the right place for this post. Please pm myself or captain KRM for updates.

I will look into this order for you.

[mr_mazda329]

I wish they had a dyno nearby where I live, the closet one is in south dakota!!!!! I jsut want to know how much my little engine is pushing out! any guesstimates?!?!

What mods?

[RuZec]

sri. PG TIP...race pipe...forge bpv

[09mazspeed]

just installed the pg inlet like 20 min ago and was not expecting that much from it but i was very wrong :) the car runs so much smoother im runnin a turbosmart dual port with a aem cold air and it just made the dual port sound like sex its more of a woooosh now all in intall was straight forward took me like 45 min all in all 10 of 10 for simplicity and sound and thanks ken for the part

[mr_mazda329]

sri. PG TIP...race pipe...forge bpv

i'm guessing around 250/264, cuz i put down 252/274 with same mods cept RP for CBE and running a TMIC.

[RuZec]

oh ok.. and thats to the wheel? what kind of TMIC do you have? how do you think it is to the crank?

[mr_mazda329]

oh ok.. and thats to the wheel? what kind of TMIC do you have? how do you think it is to the crank?


ETS 3.25. And crank HP is nothing unless you can get it to the ground. so yea.. WHP on a mustang dyno..so theres some loss on it for numbers but it is the most realistic on what your putting down.

[RuZec]

^^ alright thanks for the info man!!

[coyfish]

I put down 274 awhp on a mustang dyno with my mods listed.

[mr_mazda329]

I put down 274 awhp on a mustang dyno with my mods listed.

cool. I know the guy here loads the dyno down to get people to come back. imma dyno jet mine next time.

[Captain KRM P5]

just installed the pg inlet like 20 min ago and was not expecting that much from it but i was very wrong :) the car runs so much smoother im runnin a turbosmart dual port with a aem cold air and it just made the dual port sound like sex its more of a woooosh now all in intall was straight forward took me like 45 min all in all 10 of 10 for simplicity and sound and thanks ken for the part

thanks for the review. glad to exceed your expectations!

[coyfish]

Well FINALLY got my inlet and just finished the install. There can never be enough reviews I guess so here is mine.

Pro's - fits better than CPE inlet with non cpe intake. It is smaller so you don't have to squeeze it in there so hard. If you don't have the appropriate cobb intake / inlet or cpe intake / inlet than definately get the PG one.

Con's - was sooo dirty. Spent a good 30 minutes wiping off tar goop and using a toothbrush to clean it out. Good thing I had some acetone. Annoying but not too much trouble.

1st drive - Its hard to judge the power gains after I reset my ECU. My car is always sluggish for at least 30 miles or so until it relearns. Feels even smoother than after I had installed my CAI. Intake sound became a bit louder / different. My forge is less abnoxious. Its more of a distinct "pop" than a prolonged "shhhiiinnnnnkkk." It also doesn't go off as loud after normal driving if you hit 1 pound of boost or so. As power goes its hard to tell at this point but I don't feel any difference. 5 hp is just too little to feel but after examining the stock inlet I know it gained some power.

[mr_mazda329]

As power goes its hard to tell at this point but I don't feel any difference. 5 hp is just too little to feel but after examining the stock inlet I know it gained some power.


Its not about how much more power you gained, its about how much sooner and smoother it comes on.

[RuZec]

^agreed!

[elvis]

How do you reset the ECU???

and ...damn if my turbo was dirty so i think it is the smoking turbo issue.. I hope mazda has a fix soon and all on only a CAI!

[nypz]

^ disconnect the neg terminal from the battery.

[Silver Ecstasy]

Anyone had any knock issues after installing the PG inlet? I've been hitting 5-6* of constant knock at partial throttle lately. Can't figure out if it's weather related or not.

[wassup61]

Anyone had any knock issues after installing the PG inlet? I've been hitting 5-6* of constant knock at partial throttle lately. Can't figure out if it's weather related or not.

make sure your inlet clamps are on tightly.