Post your free mod ideas for the MS3

[fourthmeal]

This thread is for ideas for improving the MS3 for free.

 

[zoom-zoomhatch]

I would be interested in this, does anyone else wonder how much more air the intercooler would get it we were to remove that ugly plastic thing? I'm doing it anyway just pointing out to people that haven't thought of it.

 

[redms3gt]

airbox mod....

simple as that..take out the bottom of the airbox and cut to your hearts content.. I cut away the parts away from the engine heat.. Just dont just the part which supports the filter...I was also thinking one could cap off the line which runs from the turbo to wastegate and run it from the wastegate to the bov..this should in theory raise boost by whatever the pressuredrop of the intercooler and piping is..should be 1-2 psi..

here is some pics of the airbox modd I did....

This is what I cut the holes with...a holesaw..

 

[redms3gt]

you can hear the turbo spool and BOv now..not CAI loud though..I ordered the KnN for the mz3..part its 2293 I think..same size..Hopefull some more sound and power will be had..Guess I could also cut some more out of the from of the box...(shocked) (shocked) (poke)

 

[redms3gt]

I had it done for 3500 miles and no problems. Put the KnN for the mz3 in and is a perfect fit. Cut some more of the box to. Bov and turbo sounds are increased..You can hear turbo spool through the whole RPM range now not just on spool up..Almost CAI loud..and its factory to the filter so there should be no losses from intake length harmonic changes.

 

[NorCal_MP3]

Did the Airbox mod...

Did the airbox mod...
took about 30 mins with a dremel (includes removal and reinstall)...

Noticable performance increase...probably about 3-5HP, and the top end really pulls hard now...

No CELs as of 2 days of use...

You can now sort of hear the turbo/intake/BPV but not too bad...

So I confer on the results so far...

Now if someone would do a few dyno before and afters to prove this...

Jordan

 

[Bakrauf]

Getting the K&N Tomorrow and will try this mod.

 

[zoom-zoomhatch]

I actually removed the whole lower intake piece and zip-tied the filter to the top piece, sounds and feels really good.

 

[Kansei]

I would be interested in this, does anyone else wonder how much more air the intercooler would get it we were to remove that ugly plastic thing? I'm doing it anyway just pointing out to people that haven't thought of it.

my guess is that the intercooler would pretty much get no air at all if you removed the ducting.. that's precisely why it's there.

 

[shark77]

^^^ I think he is talking about the plastic mesh shroud over the IC, not the hood stuff.

 

[Kansei]

It's a part of the ducting still last I checked.. it promotes a seal from the hood ducting to the intercooler.

 

[Bakrauf]

ya it fits in the ducting under the hood. If you remove it the air flow would not be forced directly onto the IC.

 

[benzo]

Did the airbox mod...
took about 30 mins with a dremel (includes removal and reinstall)...

Noticable performance increase...probably about 3-5HP, and the top end really pulls hard now....

Sorry to say, but I really dont think you can feel 3-5 hp increase. More than likely it is the sound that makes you seem like there is an increase,(enguard)

 

[Kansei]

^^ agreed. my car felt a lot slower to me after I turboed it.. just because it was so much quieter.

 

[matsuda]

That thin plastic piece just in front of the factory box tube opening was likely blocking the intake when the engine shifted on its mounts as the engine was off-throttle in between shifts. This might have been there stock to quell the stock BOV sounds, since the only time the BOV activates is when the engine is in an off-throttle position. That position is usually forward in the motor mounts, thanks to inertia and all that, so with the plastic cover blocking the only intake opening while the engine is in that position, the BOV sounds coming through the intake would be muffled. Think of this as like blocking a yawn with your hands. Of course, putting your hands over your mouth also can cause asphyxiation, and since engines and turbos are always pulling air in, unlike our human lungs, it would stand to reason that blocking the intake in any way at ANY time would be a bad idea.

Perhaps some NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) committee said that the BOV sounds freaked them out or something like that, so the Mazda engineers listened a little too much to the above mentioned people and not enough to their own kind. Who knows, but by whittling away at the airbox, all is forgiven.

You have a fertile imagination indeed!

Why is that piece of plastic there? If you think about it carefully, it should be obvious. I'll give you a hint:

In which direction is the air intake pointing?

BTW, it has nothing whatsoever to do with noise.

 

[zoom-zoomhatch]

It may have been some sort of lame attempt at keeping water from getting in the intake from dripping under the hood when driving in the rain, but there is still 100 better ways they could have done it without making the thing so restrictive.

 

[redms3gt]

Here is the stock inlet.

That a pretty small hold for 263hp worth of air to be flowing through.
The airbox mod worked 4 me..

 

[matsuda]

It may have been some sort of lame attempt at keeping water from getting in the intake.

Ding ding ding... We have a winner.
Don't forget the car wash!

 

[matsuda]

okie dokie bud.

I'll go grab a pic sometime and show you what kind of restriction we are talking about here. The mod works, its simple, and its reversable (with the purchase of a Mazda airbox)

And, next time, I suggest you try it before you mock it.

Sorry...

My point was that it's best to fully understand the function of something before attempting to alter or remove it.

 

[Antoine]

Let's stay focused on the topic at hand...I've stickied the thread because it could prove to be quite interesting...Thanks!