Scarlet's Story

New to the Mazdaspeed scene, but not the Mazda 6 platform! It all started with my first Mazda, a glacier silver 2005 6s (v6) with ATX back in 2009. It didn't take long before finding 6crew and Mazda 6 Club... then the mod bug bit, HARD. The problem was that my appetite was bigger than my wallet and only making minimum wage as a teen at the time made it hard to get on those group buys and new parts interest threads. Once I started seeing bigger paychecks later in life, all the parts support and R&D for new stuff just disappeared (for the 1st gen V6). That hasn't stopped me, though, as I already had tons of hours and upgrades on the 6. Also, I'm stubborn and have to finish what I started. I decided to splurge and pick up a widebody Scatpack to daily so I can focus on the 6, until I found out how expensive a brake and rotor job is lol.

That's when I realized I needed a "more reasonable" daily if I plan to keep working on the 6. I remember always reading, with jealousy, all the parts development going on for the MS3/6 guys on the forums and always wanting a Speed6. Things are financially different now, so I went out in search of one and found this gorgeous 2007 Velocity Red Mica MS6 in Pennsylvania. No rust was one of the biggest selling points for me! So we made a deal for $7k and the previous owner trailered her to me in NYC this past Saturday.

The details:
- Overspeed built engine (80k miles) with 144k miles on everything else
(ARP Headstuds, CP Pistons, Crower Valve Springs, Manley H-Beam Rods, Keyed Crankshaft)
- Garrett GTX3071
- Front Mounted Intercooler
- South Bend stage 3 clutch & flywheel
- AWR Trans Mount (? Duro)
- Corksport Rear Differential Mount
- Corksport Rear Engine Mount
- Corksport Rear Strut Brace
- Corksport Rear Shock Brace
- JBR Passenger Side Engine Mount
- Autotech HPFP
- Tial Q-11R BOV
- Emusa Wastegate
- CP-e Exhaust Manifold
- M2 Performance 3" Downpipe
- Speed Performance Secondary Fuel Injection Kit
- ISC Coilovers
- SPC Ball Joints

Future Mods List
- Corksport Intake Manifold w/ Port Injection
- Corksport Exhaust Manifold
- EGR Delete
- Wiretuck & Engine Bay Clean-up
- BC Coilovers
- Replace all control arms
- RacingBeat Sway bars (F+R)
- Adjustable Endlinks (F+R)
- More to come, need more time to see what's available

 

Looks like a good purchase

Why would you install port injection and meth injection?

 

Before doing ANYTHING here, I wanted to run a compression test. On a cold, dry engine (can't start it right now) I pulled 150-165-160-165 last night. Not sure how to feel about modding further on those numbers. I'll probably replace every fluid on the car and run the car around for a bit and try testing again. The oil that was run on this car was Valvoline VR1 20W-50 but after speaking to Jordan @ Oversport, he said that's way too thick and should be fine running 5W-40. Maybe I can find an oil with more detergents to clean up some carbon around the piston rings, resulting in better readings?

Edit: Just heard back from Jordan who gave the green light on those compression readings. Let the games begin!

 

Thanks! You're a P.E.? I'm in school part-time for that

So I'm hearing what a nightmare it is to keep the valves clean. I never had an FI car before, so this is new to me. Based on my limited knowledge of only 3 days of researching, injecting fuel through the P.I. while also introducing a stream of methanol will help keep them clean. Also, mo' powah lol..

 

you only need one or the other and no one really runs meth on this platform anymore. it was used in the past before there were the parts available to add port injection easily but now has been pretty much replaced. either solution would wash the valves and you can get more than enough power without adding meth as well.

 

Good to know - that should allow me to really clean the engine bay up and keep more coin in the pocket. I appreciate the input!

 

I made a "little" maintenance order, going to be a busy few days. More still on the way lol. When trying to install the CS front plate relocate kit, I discovered I have no front crash bar. Lovely. One of the previous owners chucked it for the FMIC. I have an OEM crash bar en route from eBay. Once that gets here, I'll be dismantling the current IC setup and possibly replacing for the CS FMIC, since it's crash bar-friendly.

My question, though: I was told I have a blow-through MAF setup, where the MAF sensor is right before the TB, and the BOV (not BPV) is right before the MAF. I'm still learning how to identify certain things within the turbo system, but my understanding is that my setup, which was advertised to be VTA, is actually not. I noticed a thin vacuum line above the Tial device leading back to the IM. This isn't setup as VTA, is it? That vacuum line also tees off and sends a line through the firewall grommet.

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Nope it's VTA, the thin line going to the intake manifold is the vacuum source to let your BOV know when to open. If it was recirc, there would be a much larger line running from the BOV to the intake.

The blow through MAF setup is interesting, not super common on this platform.

 

Thanks for the info - after inspecting the car for a while now, I'm starting to understand how this build was put together.
Corksport said the same thing when reviewing those pics.

After speaking with them about the fitment of their FMIC setup on my build, I'll need to replace/upgrade a few things for it all to play nicely together. I'm looking at getting the CS FMIC, CS Throttle Body, and CS Intake Mani w/ PI. That will be one step in the direction of cleaning up the engine bay. I do want to keep the blow-through setup, so I'll probably modify the CS piping to accept the MAF in the same location. Doesn't look like their piping is long/straight enough before the TB to use the same spot, though... maybe the straight length that runs above the intercooler can get a MAF plate welded on? I think I'm going to need the kit installed to be able to figure out ideal locations to make the holes/welds.

All this work and I still have yet to drive the damn car lol

 

I'd say that the custom piping setup you currently have is built around that blow through and getting a long straight run for it, I don't think there will be much in the way of off the shelf piping kits that don't have a bend in up from the bottom to the TB.

Putting it above the CS FMIC might work but i note that this would change your BOV location to be post-MAF compared to current where it is pre-MAF, not sure if this matters on a blow through or not (or would have any impact beyond simply causing a rich condition when shifting under boost, the same as a stock draw through MAF with a VTA BOV), hopefully someone who knows more about blow throughs on this platform can chime in.

 

I may have to use additional fittings and lengths to create a bit of a straight run for the piping as it gets closer to the TB. I also may not even need to, as the plan was to cut & couple (with silicone couplers) a CS MAF housing w/ built-in air straightener right into the straight pipe above the intercooler. As for the BOV, I was planning to install it pre-intercooler, somewhere on the piping in the wheel well.

In theory, it should all work since the MAF is plenty far from the TB, has a 10"+ straight pipe section plus air-straightener, and the BOV would be pre-MAF.

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The order's placed! I went with a fuel rail kit add-on to the CS IM to go PI. I'm sure I'll be posting up when I hit wiring issues lol. The current controller and wiring is a bit messy right now to the 6th port installed. Lucky, I just discovered Harnessed/MS Wiretucks. Unlucky, they have LONG wait-times.

Finally started wrenching yesterday. Left it on jackstands, wheels & liners removed, and gave the underside and wheel wells a good blast with the pressure washer and some snow foam APC. I have a bunch of seeping seams on the engine so this is going to be a busy year lol.

I also ordered a triple mount setup from Damond along with an EGR blockoff since the CS IM deletes that. I have a feeling the PMM is fubared from the abnormally loud NVH in cabin from sitting in idle so I'm hoping they smooth things out a little. I also noticed the RMM had oil all over it and remembered that a leaking rear valve cover on the V6 would cause the RMM rubber to swell and eventually crack over time. Could be the same issue happening here. ORRRR it could have something to do with this strange metal bracket screwed into the top of the trans mount... Stated it was necessary due to the force put out by the Stage 3 clutch. I don't know about that.... See 2 pics attached, tell me what you think? I think the TMM is shot and this was a "quick" fix.

Got half way through the spin-on conversion and it started getting too dark out so I had to call it for the night, but when draining the coolant I noticed it had a bit of an orange color to it. Isn't FL-22 type supposed to be green? I ordered Peak Asian green concentrate to fill up the system but I'm nervous about a negative reaction from "potentially" mixing the wrong coolants so I'll probably do a flush with Liqui Moly and a few drain/fills with distilled water before installing new thermostat and filling with Peak. Anyone run Water Wetter with their coolant? Safe to use here?

Still have to do the PTO, the Rear Diff, the trans, the clutch/brake fluid and SS lines, power steering fluid, and install Rey's shift cables. Also going to have SP63 service the injectors when I get everything torn down to that part and top it all off with a Versatune from PD Tuning. Busy busy! Maybe I'm overdoing it....

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The bracket on the PMM could be to brace the firewall to stop cracking from clutch pedal with a heavier clutch.

 

Never heard of anyone else having to run something like this, although it makes sense. I take it, that's the normal way to handle that? Maybe it wasn't bullshit after all lol

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After a little research, I see that's a common failing point across many 6s so that's legit. I took more of the intake apart to see what was hiding down there and make space for Rey's shift cables which should be shipping by Friday. Probably going to install an eBay short shifter kit since the plates were recommended against with these shift cables.

Corksport ran out of FMIC setups after putting the order through and won't have any til the summer, so I'll be holding onto this intake setup for a while longer. Might go with a Mishimoto CF intercooler and pipe the cold side myself, who knows. The CS intake manifold and TB were in stock, though, so I'll be cutting out the 6th port section and going PI when it all gets here.


Before I make all these changes though, I'm a little worried about getting Versatune working with my car. It originally came with an unknown tune from an AP v2. I don't have access to that device as it's broken. I've heard you need an AP to revert back to stock as required to switch from AP to Versatune. Since I don't have an AP, will I have a problem flashing to Versatune?

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This just keeps getting better...

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Small update: got a replacement SSC on the way so I'm planning to start unsplicing this one from my harness. When tracing all the open/loose wires under the hood, I noticed this blue wire coming out the side of my fuse box. It was spliced to a white wire with blue stripe under the fuse box which leads back to the clutch sensor inside the car. The clutch sensor also has a black wire at the top which goes out the firewall grommet to a connector in the middle of the firewall. Does anyone know why these 2 wires would be loose like that? Doesn't seem factory, seems like some tampering happened here for a mod.

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Haven't posted an update in a long time - a lot has happened lol.

The clutch wire BS will be reverted back to stock. High up, under the dashboard, I found the original W/G wire that one of the 3 previous owners cut from the clutch sensor. Since I installed a WOTbox yesterday, this clutch wiring makes me nervous to leave this way, so everything is being spliced back in to the stock configuration. What I ended up finding is the W/G wire on the bottom of the clutch sensor was extended through the firewall and spliced to a W/B wire under the fuse box (ENG INJ wire, as per wire diagram). The craziest thing is I asked the previous owner about this mod. He knew nothing. I asked him to ask the owner he bought it from. Also knows nothing. Lastly, I asked Jordan if he could ask the first owner of this car, since he has a line of communication with him, but that owner knew nothing, either. No one remembers doing this. No one on the FB groups even has a clue why these 2 wires would be spliced together.....

I'll try to remember to post some work pics of everything I've been up to since March. A quick list of the *more important* upgrades/replacements already done. Anything missing that I should consider?

Damond Motorsports triple street mount package (All existing mounts must've died at least a year ago...)
Damond Double Catch Can (Following their recommended setup that excludes the intake tubing)
Damond PCV Plate
Installed Koyorad Aluminum Radiator
XSpeedfab Upgraded Clutch Slave Cylinder
Tribodyn Oil for Trans/PTO/R.Diff
Uninstalled JBR SSP
Installed Michael Rey Shift Cables and solid shifter bushings
HPFP Rebuild kit (From Michael Rey)
PS Pump Rebuilt (OEM parts)
CS High Pressure Fuel Line
CS Intake Mani
CS Throttle Body
CS Port Injection (returnless for now)
Replaced AEM Failsafe for Innovate Motorsports PSB-1
Replaced seized ISC Coilovers with BC Coilovers (Swift spring upgrade)
Replaced Knockoff (I think) Tial BOV with Turbosmart Supersonic
Replaced Emusa WG w/ Turbosmart Compgate40
WOTbox installed
New SSC for 4 injectors installed
MS Wiretuck Kit installed
All factory wiring de-loomed and re-loomed/heatshrink to match MS Wiretuck kit

 

Finally figured out the clutch wire splice dilemma. I found a cut W/L wire that was tucked under the fusebox, so that whole portion is resoldered back to stock. Doesn't matter though as I don't know if I'll ever get to drive this car. On FB, I came across a thread talking about the Versatuner. I've done a ton of research on the tuning options since this car came with a broken AP2. I saw how Cobb stopped providing access to disable CELs thanks to the EPA, but Versatune was not affected. My research never seemed to find anything stating that the monitors are still going to report "not-ready" and it would've been nice to see that somewhere in the FAQs ...... this damn car is catless, EGR-less, and VTCS-less..... I live in NYC.... How the hell am I going to pass inspections?

Anyone else in the NY area with these mods have any luck?

 

vtcs will not trigger a cel if you leave the black control box plugged in. doesnt have to be connected to anything just zip-tie it out of the way