CP-E Turbo Inlet installed, impressions

[nickows]

Recently fitted the CP-E Nviscid Turbo Inlet Pipe to my 6MPS. I already have the Mazdaspeed CAI installed. Purchased from therpmstore.com. Ive attached a couple of pics below comparing the CPE inlet to the original. The quality of the CP-E TI, as with most of their products, is first rate.

Installation was a complete PITA. The instructions were vague, however the install itself is pretty straight forward; it's just fitting the thing that takes patience.

The instructions suggest removing the intercooler for better access but I didnt bother, as it is not in the way. You do have to disconnect the battery and take it out, as well as the battery tray. The fitment of the TI is so tight that I had to cut away part of my battery tray so everything would fit properly.

Connection to the Mazdaspeed CAI was also a struggle as it did not line up properly. All up installation took 1.5 hours.

Now, I would have been happy to go through the pain of installation if it provided any noticable results, but in my case it has made very little difference. The turbo starts boosting noticably maybe 100 rpm earlier than before (around 2100rpm), and boost does kick in slightly earlier throughout the rest of the rev range when you bury the loud pedal. But having a look at the attached pics, you would think the CP-E would make more of a difference.

I have read elsewhere that the CP-E TI will quieten a CAI or SRI, but my CAI is just as loud after installation. For some reason my Forge BPV is quieter, by say 20%

So my advice is to save your hard-earned and forego a TI. I'm certainly not experiencing the gains expected, especially after reading overseas impressions of aftermarket TIs. Maybe I was expecting too much, and I admit that my Mazdaspeed CAI may have made the installation more troublesome (although it shouldn't have, as CP-E advertises this product as being compatible with 'all intake systems'). Even if the install goes smoothly for others, the overall gains are not worth the spend in my opinion. In short, I'm very disappointed

I'd be interested to hear other's experiences with installation and performance gains, or lack thereof.

[teedee]

Good honest write up Nickows
been looking at that exact same piece
I wondered if they are worth the price

[racebitz]

Another reason i try to make my own stuff. That would have been an expensive excersise to not be happy with the results. I did my inlet and FMIC at the same time so i dont know if the inlet alone made much of a difference or not. It would have made some difference tho.Any increase im happy with.

One thing thats good bout the silicon ones is the OEM look to it. Def a +

[kblume]

Looking at how restrictive the stock inlet appears, you would think the new inlet would make quite a noticeable difference...

[nickows]

Another reason i try to make my own stuff. That would have been an expensive excersise to not be happy with the results.
One thing thats good bout the silicon ones is the OEM look to it. Def a +

I wish I had the time and skills to make my own car parts I envy you.

[BCMPS]

Nice write up Nick.
I wonder have u reset your ECU after the installation?
I would think you probably expect too much on the TI upgrade that is why you are feeling disappointed. I think the TI will help more if you tune up the ECU and increase more boost.

[Nuliaj]

Interesting comments. I've got a Cobb TI on the way, and while I'm not expecting anything huge, I would've expected something just by the sheer fact the OEM inlet is terribad. I think you do want to drive it slow and wait a bit after you install it to confirm as the ECU needs to make LTFT adjustments based on the changes to you STFTs. Don't forget not all gains are measurable by the butt dyno. If you're saying boost is kicking in sooner it makes a difference across the whole rev range, but you generally won't feel it. Would've been good to have a before and after dyno though. I'll save final judgement for when I get mine, but I think there should be some (seat of pants) improvement.

[EQ]

Having spoken to nick about this I am only tempted by one of the cheaper, aluminum ones...$300 for the CPE is a lot of cash.

Would love a locally manufactured one.

[Nuliaj]

I would only go aluminium over silicon if you wanted your intake to be louder.

[nickows]

Nice write up Nick.
I wonder have u reset your ECU after the installation?
I would think you probably expect too much on the TI upgrade that is why you are feeling disappointed. I think the TI will help more if you tune up the ECU and increase more boost.

Yeah Wes, I had to take the battery out to do the install so ECU was reset. Maybe I was expecting too much

Interesting comments. I've got a Cobb TI on the way, and while I'm not expecting anything huge, I would've expected something just by the sheer fact the OEM inlet is terribad. I think you do want to drive it slow and wait a bit after you install it to confirm as the ECU needs to make LTFT adjustments based on the changes to you STFTs. Don't forget not all gains are measurable by the butt dyno. If you're saying boost is kicking in sooner it makes a difference across the whole rev range, but you generally won't feel it. Would've been good to have a before and after dyno though. I'll save final judgement for when I get mine, but I think there should be some (seat of pants) improvement.

The car has done over 1000km since the install and still no noticable change. I drove it careful for a start and then started driving normally again. I wasn't expecting huge gains from this mod, but was hoping for a greater change than than I'm getting post-install.

Please let us know how you go with your Cobb TI when it's installed

[KRNAGE]

i just ordered the Medieval Turbon Inlet today as it was a lot cheaper then the CP-E, Cobb versions so was happy to make a saving.

Most say turbo kicks in a bit quicker, bov/bpv is quieter, you hear the turbo spool and is louder at WOT more so the metal ones.

Either way its a mod for me and i havent done much to the car in quite awhile

Nickows: have you tried changing springs on your forge - im going to do that once i get my inlet to see if i need to drop down to the yellow from blue.

[kblume]

Let us all know how you go with the Medieval Inlet KRNAGE..

[KRNAGE]

will do - hopefully it will be here before track day so it can get a real test out

[MattMPS3]

I fitted my Nviscid inlet pipe last week, install was roughly 1 - 1.25 hours, a bit of that time was the battle getting my recirc line back onto my BOV due to the other plumbing in the way.

Once the battery & box were removed the install is very simple, it was actually more of a battle getting the old inlet out, than sliding the new one in. There are small clips with wires etc all over the stock piece that need to be unclipped before removing it, I was also very cautious removing the vac hose from the wastegate solenoid, the nipple on the solenoid is only made of plastic, and some over exuberant hose pulling could break this off.
Knowing of the short solenoid vac hose issue, I purchased a metre of 3/16" (~5mm) ID hose from Repco for all of about $3, and used about 6" of it.
I recommend that a pair of 90º needle nose (or circlip) pliers be invested in before starting this project it makes removing the small hose clamps and cable clips a breeze.

After removing the stock inlet (and half the wiring loom, damn cable clips), it becomes immediately apparent how restrictive this thing is, its even more restrictive than it looks in the photos, it resembles something my 3 year old can make with play doh, with bumps and kinks all over it.

I pre assembled the cp-e inlet in the garage, i.e placed the hose clamps, CAI coupler, vac & recirc hose on the inlet before refiting to the car, gave all the relevant areas a quick spray with some silicone spray to aid installation.
A note for anyone doing one of these, the steel joining sections between the silicon inlet & coupler is very thin, DO NOT overtorque the hose clamps or you will crush this piece, many have already in the U.S.

As I held the piece, looking into the engine bay I was expecting to utter a plethora of colourful language for about the next 30 mins, but the new inlet just slid into position, a bit of jiggling to align the hoses etc, torque up the clamp on the turbo, affix the bolt to hold it in place and it was in.
It was then just a case of refitting the solenoid vac line, again a quick dab of silicon spray helped here. Re-fitting the rercirc hose to the BOV, in my case this was an issue due to the other plumbing in the way & re attach the CAI to the new inlet.
Next step is putting the car back together, so the battery box, battery & ecu are reconnected, a few cables are clipped back into place and then hold your breath and turn the key...it worked.

I initially drove the car pretty easily to allow the fuel trims time to settle down due to the battery & ecu removal, the inlet has reduced the general noise of the turbo slightly it has a less shrill note about it now, the bov is a bit quieter as well, but overall it is a bit louder at WOT. Its difficult to explain, times that I have expected it to be louder, it has quietened down, and vice versa.

The performance is noticeable, not mind blowing but there are gains none the less. I felt a much quicker spool up and a lot more breath up top, however I wouldnt buy one of these unless you have proabably 3 of the 4 following mods in place to support the greater flow - Downpipe, I/C (those with aftermarket TMICs will probably notice even larger boost spikes after fitting this), intake, or tune.
I would describe it as more of the last piece of a puzzle mod, than a crucial initial step.

Matt.

[teedee]

Great write up thanks Matt

[EQ]

Lets hope the medievil one turns up, ordered the rear engine mount from them a month ago now....tumbleweed blows past...

[kblume]

Thanks for the feedback Matt.. Might add one of these to my list when $$$ permit.. Along with a CP-E FMIC when/if the exchange rate gets better

[nickows]

Nickows: have you tried changing springs on your forge - im going to do that once i get my inlet to see if i need to drop down to the yellow from blue.

I haven't tried this actually. I'll give it a go. Thanks for the tip

I fitted my Nviscid inlet pipe last week, install was roughly 1 - 1.25 hours, a bit of that time was the battle getting my recirc line back onto my BOV due to the other plumbing in the way.

Once the battery & box were removed the install is very simple, it was actually more of a battle getting the old inlet out, than sliding the new one in. There are small clips with wires etc all over the stock piece that need to be unclipped before removing it, I was also very cautious removing the vac hose from the wastegate solenoid, the nipple on the solenoid is only made of plastic, and some over exuberant hose pulling could break this off.
Knowing of the short solenoid vac hose issue, I purchased a metre of 3/16" (~5mm) ID hose from Repco for all of about $3, and used about 6" of it.
I recommend that a pair of 90º needle nose (or circlip) pliers be invested in before starting this project it makes removing the small hose clamps and cable clips a breeze.

After removing the stock inlet (and half the wiring loom, damn cable clips), it becomes immediately apparent how restrictive this thing is, its even more restrictive than it looks in the photos, it resembles something my 3 year old can make with play doh, with bumps and kinks all over it.

I pre assembled the cp-e inlet in the garage, i.e placed the hose clamps, CAI coupler, vac & recirc hose on the inlet before refiting to the car, gave all the relevant areas a quick spray with some silicone spray to aid installation.
A note for anyone doing one of these, the steel joining sections between the silicon inlet & coupler is very thin, DO NOT overtorque the hose clamps or you will crush this piece, many have already in the U.S.

As I held the piece, looking into the engine bay I was expecting to utter a plethora of colourful language for about the next 30 mins, but the new inlet just slid into position, a bit of jiggling to align the hoses etc, torque up the clamp on the turbo, affix the bolt to hold it in place and it was in.
It was then just a case of refitting the solenoid vac line, again a quick dab of silicon spray helped here. Re-fitting the rercirc hose to the BOV, in my case this was an issue due to the other plumbing in the way & re attach the CAI to the new inlet.
Next step is putting the car back together, so the battery box, battery & ecu are reconnected, a few cables are clipped back into place and then hold your breath and turn the key...it worked.

I initially drove the car pretty easily to allow the fuel trims time to settle down due to the battery & ecu removal, the inlet has reduced the general noise of the turbo slightly it has a less shrill note about it now, the bov is a bit quieter as well, but overall it is a bit louder at WOT. Its difficult to explain, times that I have expected it to be louder, it has quietened down, and vice versa.

The performance is noticeable, not mind blowing but there are gains none the less. I felt a much quicker spool up and a lot more breath up top, however I wouldnt buy one of these unless you have proabably 3 of the 4 following mods in place to support the greater flow - Downpipe, I/C (those with aftermarket TMICs will probably notice even larger boost spikes after fitting this), intake, or tune.
I would describe it as more of the last piece of a puzzle mod, than a crucial initial step.

Matt.

Great, detailed write-up Matt. Using some silicone spray might have sped up my install and cut down on the use of expletives during my install

Prospective buyers please note what Matt has said about buying some extra 3/16" hose, as the original hose is too short and you won't be able to complete the install without a longer length of vacuum hose.

Matt, did you have to trim the battery tray to prevent it and the new turbo inlet rubbing on the wiring that passes between them/near them ?

I've concluded my expectations for this mod were too high and thats why I was disappointed. Sometimes I can hear my turbo spooling up significantly earlier than before, and other times it feels no different.

On a side note, I installed the SU TMIC last week. Review coming soon. In short, I'm very happy with it Maybe it should have been installed before the turbo inlet - gains from TI might be more noticable then.

[MattMPS3]

No clearance issues with mine, but I do recall reading other 6 owners having similar issues regarding the battery tray.

It would have been interesting to have done your IC first, as any aftermarket IC helps the breathing and spool up no end. I also noticed on your install you are required to run the tapered adapter to mate up with your CAI, whereas mine is 3" all the way from the MAF, whether this has any effect on performance is questionable.

[Nuliaj]

What exactly is silicon spray? I'm hoping mine arrives before the weekend so I might pop down to the shops tonight to pick up this spray.