Best First Mods To My MS3 - CAI, Downpipe, Exhaust?

[cocktailfruit]

I have had my MS3 for about 3 months (new '08) and I want to do some mods that won't adversely affect the engine life, but will give me a solid +30-+50 WHP. I am tossing around some ideas, and this is what I've come up with: #1) Downpipe & Racepipe (add +40 WHP), then when my disposable income regenerates, #2) Cold Air Intake, then Exhaust.

Does affecting the engine's "breathing" the safest way to increase performance, without killing the engine in the long run. I have heard chips can hurt your car, so I am shying away from messing with those. Anyone have any general help or guidelines in this area?

[yang_jackson]

personally, i started w/cp-e sri and inlet. ive heard dp can lead to smoking turbo. as a total noob, i want to wait and get to know the car more before i mess w/exhaust. ive found a bunch of threads about smoking turbo after dp install. then again, i am a total noob, so this info may be totally wrong. all i know for a fact is im 100% satisfied w/my cpe nano and inlet.

[GQ_WhiteMS3]

I started with Cobb SRI and Forge bpv for the 1st summer i had it.

I just installed the cpe rear mount and su test pipe, I LOVE it. Soon to receive my cobb ap and inlet, denso itv22 plugs and ets TMIC upgrade

[armarine04]

Rear Motor Mount cheap and easy to install!

[2008speed3]

Check out CPe for an intake and don't forget about upgrading your rear motor mount.

[iracer7]

I'm gonna get a CAI to start.

[ptperformance]

Originally Posted by cocktailfruit I have had my MS3 for about 3 months (new '08) and I want to do some mods that won't adversely affect the engine life, but will give me a solid +30-+50 WHP. I am tossing around some ideas, and this is what I've come up with: #1) Downpipe & Racepipe (add +40 WHP), then when my disposable income regenerates, #2) Cold Air Intake, then Exhaust. Does affecting the engine's "breathing" the safest way to increase performance, without killing the engine in the long run. I have heard chips can hurt your car, so I am shying away from messing with those. Anyone have any general help or guidelines in this area?

Get the single pipe option so you dont' have to worry about leaks from running to different pipes (check out or site for a great deal on DP's right now). Next, the CAI should be next on your list, that should give you a nice hit to the butt dyno. Next, I would look into a S1 kit from PTP. Its simple, lets you up the boost, and has proven to be very safe so far. Basicly its a MBC, pump internals, and map clamp. We just played around with the MBC enough now to get it to hold a nice steady boost curve and the clamp allows you to keep the CEL's away. PM me or post up some questions in our section if you want more info, thanks.

[ms3jake]

Sri, short shifter, mm's(essentials IMO). If you want more, tbe and IC will make quite a noticable difference. Do you care about keeping your warranty?

[ptperformance]

Originally Posted by ms3jake Sri, short shifter, mm's(essentials IMO). If you want more, tbe and IC will make quite a noticable difference. Do you care about keeping your warranty?

Good catch on the STS and MM's. Those are essential to the saftey of the motor and to keep the power where it belongs... on the ground.

[serium]

Cobb sf ftmfw....still tryin to get mine...read my sig

[Frequentflyer]

Intake of some sort (Cobb SRI, Nano, Corksport), ETS or SU TMIC, and test pipe. That'll get you 30-40whp for under $1,000.

"...without killing the engine in the long run."

We won't go there... Let's just say, get mods that don't permenantly scar the car and can be easy replaced by stock parts quickly.

[RocketScientist]

Rear motor mount, definately. You could go with a catted DP, CPe makes one. That might help with some of the smoking that's been talked about. That is if in fact it's due to exhaust mods at all.

[cocktailfruit]

whats a nano and whats an inlet? I'm a science guy not mechanical at all...

Originally Posted by yang_jackson personally, i started w/cp-e sri and inlet. ive heard dp can lead to smoking turbo. as a total noob, i want to wait and get to know the car more before i mess w/exhaust. ive found a bunch of threads about smoking turbo after dp install. then again, i am a total noob, so this info may be totally wrong. all i know for a fact is im 100% satisfied w/my cpe nano and inlet.

[Nazarite]

a nano is the product name of one of CPE's intakes, they have the Xcel CAI and Xcel Nano SRI. And an inlet goes from the intake to the turbo (turbo inlet = full name).

[cocktailfruit]

Yeah I do - thats why my inclination is to go with an intake/exhaust system, and rear mount - why do you ask?

Originally Posted by ms3jake Sri, short shifter, mm's(essentials IMO). If you want more, tbe and IC will make quite a noticable difference. Do you care about keeping your warranty?

[Nazarite]

Because that will determine what mods you do obviously.

[fastdreams]

The smoking is supposedly the turbo seals. Theory is that reducing the backpressure of the exhaust makes the weak turbo seals leak oil. A little oil goes a long way to making smoke.
Other folks that have had smoking exhaust take it to the dealer and they replace the turbo.

I run the CP-E catted dp with the stock CBE (no reason IMO to upgrade the CBE unless you go big turbo). I have not had smoking for thousands of miles - some of them very hard miles on the track at constant 100% throttle. As a precaution, I use Rotella T oil, in 5w40 or 15w40 in the summers. This car shears oil too hard too quickly, I don't like to run 30 in it.

[cocktailfruit]

All you guys who sent to CP-E I thank you - they were great I think I'll use them instead of mazdaspeed store.com - I might install here at my dealer (I sell Mazdas) just because its cheaper for me. Are all you guys from the MD/VA/PA area? Do you all go out on weekends searching for STi's and EVO's? Right now I'm killing GTIs and Sis only..

[06Speed6]

I have a full catless 3" exhaust with a original stock turbo, 70k miles, absolutely no smoke, and I beat the piss outa my car.

The key is to use a good oil, change it regularly, and do *not* mess with the factory boost settings.

I am personally a big fan of my ATP catless DP and the Corksport exhaust, it is pretty quiet and it is one of the higher flowing exhaust combos on the market.

I also like the CP-e turbo inlet and the SRI, although I cant knock the COBB either.

Any aftermarket TMIC is crap, none of them are worth the money or add much if any dynoable hp over the factory one if you have the stock turbo.

Get fuel pump internals, I am a big fan of the PTP pump.

The STS is nice, but doesnt add hp.

Get a decent BOV that can hold boost.

[yang_jackson]

Originally Posted by cocktailfruit All you guys who sent to CP-E I thank you - they were great I think I'll use them instead of mazdaspeed store.com - I might install here at my dealer (I sell Mazdas) just because its cheaper for me. Are all you guys from the MD/VA/PA area? Do you all go out on weekends searching for STi's and EVO's? Right now I'm killing GTIs and Sis only..

what did you end up getting?

[Frequentflyer]

Originally Posted by 06Speed6 Any aftermarket TMIC is crap, none of them are worth the money or add much if any dynoable hp over the factory one if you have the stock turbo.

Next to my SRI, the 3.5" ETS TMIC I put on gave a very noticable power gain. In the defense of the TMIC, unless you drive in stop and go traffic everywhere, paying another $300-500 for a FMIC isn't worth the money due to a more lengthy install, blocking the radiator and A/C condensor and adding volume to the intake which decreases throttle response. I can take my ETS off and have the OE IC back on in less than 20 minutes. Definitely not something you can do with a FMIC. With the stock turbo, an aftermarket TMIC is the way to go.

[wassup61]

You really should consider an intake and TMIC, this will give you the power you want, and be completely reversible.

Jeff at PG

[TurboMazda1313]

I went CAI, TBE, and BPV

[Speedstick]

You won't get all of that gain without getting your car tuned. You need to get rid of the stock airbox first before you do the dp and exhaust. They are the cheapest and most useful upgrade since you just got the car. Again that horsepower gain will be near 40-50 after it's tuned, otherwise I'd expect half that maybe less I can't be certain. I have a 2010 ms3 and the cpe Sri with the inlet was an awesome first mod I felt the power right away and for the price you can't beat that for a first mod...I'd also get a rear motor mount before you upgrade the dp to really bring that power to the ground with less wheel hop which will be obnoxious if you jump right to a dp without the rmm

[MS33SM]

Brownie Checklist

Revive 20 month old thread.....check
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Also he didn't just get his car since this thread is 20 months old.

[Speedstick]

Erroneous....sweet remarks--nerd? On my phone so avatar will be done later...get off my nutz

[dizzydtrain]

Originally Posted by Speedstick Erroneous....sweet remarks--nerd? On my phone so avatar will be done later...get off my nutz

I think you should donate and get an avatar.

[scriccs]

Originally Posted by Speedstick You won't get all of that gain without getting your car tuned. You need to get rid of the stock airbox first before you do the dp and exhaust. They are the cheapest and most useful upgrade since you just got the car. Again that horsepower gain will be near 40-50 after it's tuned, otherwise I'd expect half that maybe less I can't be certain. I have a 2010 ms3 and the cpe Sri with the inlet was an awesome first mod I felt the power right away and for the price you can't beat that for a first mod...I'd also get a rear motor mount before you upgrade the dp to really bring that power to the ground with less wheel hop which will be obnoxious if you jump right to a dp without the rmm

How was the stock tune with the SRI and inlet combo? Ill be installing my Cobb SRI any day and hope to install a TIP sometime in the spring. Im hearing rumors that the stock tune doesn't like the SRI/TIP combo. Any boost spikes or sputtering?

Thanks.