Chuckie
07-14-2010, 12:44 AM
The story starts with me going to Joe (Flipdady) at MoT to get a KN&N drop-in filter because the 2.0L is slow and pedestrian, I was willing to try anything. That approx. $55 dollar investment in the drop-in made the car a bit more responsive but no noticeable increase in power. Then I thought of something. A while back I remember a thread by Skarbro about using plumbing parts to make an intake to replace the lower resonator.
Here is his thread
http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=18220
So I went to home depot and the three pieces depicted in the version 2 of that thread.
Came home 2x 45 degree elbows and a 3 inch flexible coupling piece.
http://www.homedepot.ca/wcsstore/HomeDepotCanada/images/catalog/1056_33_4.jpg
Came home, to install it and found that the 2.0L at least in the 2010 did not have the restrictive lower intake resonator. Instead of leading to the lower intake resonator from the bottom, the inlet for air is a pipe bending from the air box toward a plastic piece (number 2 in the picture below). Thus Skarbro's design wasn't going to work.
So I looked at the intake system to study how it takes in air.
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t138/ChuckieMz3/DSCF2377.jpg
Basically its a ram air system. Air comes in from one of the ducts in the grill as you travel along, it is directed by piece number 1 and that is connected to piece number 2 which is connected to the stock airbox.
As you can see, piece number 2 is not straight, its bendy, and its SMALL which I'd image isn't good for airflow. I took out piece number 2 and in it's place I attached the flexible coupler to the end of the stock airbox and tightened it.
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t138/ChuckieMz3/ghettointake.jpg
It was a good thing that I got the flexible one as you can see, the after filter intake resonator pushes and depresses the coupler a bit.
The end result: Butt dyno feels like there a improvement. I'd say around 3-5 horsepowers. There is a noticeable difference in the upper revs in terms of power. 1st and 2nd gear is now fun again. The car now also sounds like it has an intake, it gets moderately loud and aggressive in the upper rev range.
And the best part? Its one piece with no modification required. You put that restrictive piece number 2 back and voila, you're stock.
Total cost: $10 dollar coupler from HD + $55 dollar drop in filter.
Although you can get away with just doing it without the KN&N filter, I suspect its freer flowing design will make it work much better.
The only thing Im worried about is the orientation of the intake opening now, but I don't think too much crap will fall in. Rain shouldn't be an issue since its a covered place and there's a drainage hole at the bottom of the airbox.
Here is his thread
http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=18220
So I went to home depot and the three pieces depicted in the version 2 of that thread.
Came home 2x 45 degree elbows and a 3 inch flexible coupling piece.
http://www.homedepot.ca/wcsstore/HomeDepotCanada/images/catalog/1056_33_4.jpg
Came home, to install it and found that the 2.0L at least in the 2010 did not have the restrictive lower intake resonator. Instead of leading to the lower intake resonator from the bottom, the inlet for air is a pipe bending from the air box toward a plastic piece (number 2 in the picture below). Thus Skarbro's design wasn't going to work.
So I looked at the intake system to study how it takes in air.
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t138/ChuckieMz3/DSCF2377.jpg
Basically its a ram air system. Air comes in from one of the ducts in the grill as you travel along, it is directed by piece number 1 and that is connected to piece number 2 which is connected to the stock airbox.
As you can see, piece number 2 is not straight, its bendy, and its SMALL which I'd image isn't good for airflow. I took out piece number 2 and in it's place I attached the flexible coupler to the end of the stock airbox and tightened it.
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t138/ChuckieMz3/ghettointake.jpg
It was a good thing that I got the flexible one as you can see, the after filter intake resonator pushes and depresses the coupler a bit.
The end result: Butt dyno feels like there a improvement. I'd say around 3-5 horsepowers. There is a noticeable difference in the upper revs in terms of power. 1st and 2nd gear is now fun again. The car now also sounds like it has an intake, it gets moderately loud and aggressive in the upper rev range.
And the best part? Its one piece with no modification required. You put that restrictive piece number 2 back and voila, you're stock.
Total cost: $10 dollar coupler from HD + $55 dollar drop in filter.
Although you can get away with just doing it without the KN&N filter, I suspect its freer flowing design will make it work much better.
The only thing Im worried about is the orientation of the intake opening now, but I don't think too much crap will fall in. Rain shouldn't be an issue since its a covered place and there's a drainage hole at the bottom of the airbox.