08 RX8 LS1 swap and build
 

08 Rx8 gonna do the swap, I found a killer deal local, that i just could not pass up. My first build thread so bare with me.

So far gonna order a bunch of parts so stay tuned!






http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k...psbq5rmgxu.jpg


Picked up this motor 2 weeks ago, here's the donor car 01 Trans Am WS6

http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k...psraokheyx.jpg

http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k...psgbwtvuzj.jpg

http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k...psxuzoizmd.jpg

Finally got it home ready to be worked on. haha

http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k...pshw5zgtn9.jpg

Next couple of days I got a Engine stand at harbor freight And started tearing and cleaning parts alot of scrubbing :(

http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k...ps57myy14u.jpg


I also painted the valve cover and front timing cover wrinkle black, Looks clean! and scrubbed alot of caked on oil and grease, I found out that"Mineral Spirits" is great at dissolving it.

http://i324.photobucket.com/albums/k...ps2ck2hzv0.jpg

Great photo at the top, reminds me why I love the shape of the RX8 so much, and why I might spend a completely inadvisable amount of money putting an LS2 in one. :D:

Thanks! that photo was taken near the border of Mexico, :lol2: I'm happy with the LS1 more then enough power for me on the street and at the track. Gonna be a little drift event car, nothing crazy. And yup no one expects a Japanese car with a V8 rolling up at the light Cammed. :evil_laug

I'm just trying to stay emissions legal, which means 2006+ motors, so LS2 it would be.

Great work! :)

Your pics in the original post are gone :( I am Sheldon in the FB group btw :yesnod:

Thanks Sheldon! Imma try reuploading the pics. I got the transmission working and it shifts flawlessly especially with the mgm shifter. Still need a oil catch can and a overflow tank.

Those exhaust headers look sweet! What is the clearance like?

Nice work. What part of Texas are you in?

Huge cam? Idle seems pretty rough.

Clearance isnt too bad, it pretty much tucked up in the subframe, the vbands barely passes the subframe.

McAllen Tx border town lol

Open headers will do that, especially first start when pcm is trying readjust it self. after I got the exhaust put on and y pipe made, it idles hella better still needs a dyno tune, Texas Speed MS4 cam

intake exhaust @ 111.5 LSA
.651 .608
239 240

Nice build, good parts, S2 is clean!

Curious as to why you stayed with the stock diff? V8R sells a really nice kit for an 8.8 and utilizes the stock knuckles and hubs without offsetting stock track width. Watch out when you slam gears; that diff will torque enough to hit the front part of the rear subframe. Mine is torque-stressed to the point to where I have to put the 8.8 in.

Thanks! its actually a S1, the reason I stayed with the stock diff, because i have a Tomei 2 Way differential inside, great lock up for drifting. I'm also using Stephens revised front mount, i may need the steel mount to replace the OEM aluminum. So far theirs three mounts holding this differential, front mount, top oem with whiteline bushings and rear ring mount to subframe. what mount do you have??? also i don't think they make 2 way differentials for the 8.8.

Looks really good, too bad you had to spend all that extra $$$ to rebuild engine and trans.

Thanks! yeah but at least its all fresh and ready for years of abuse with out breaking a sweat. :ylsuper: not running spray/boost so even better on reliability. Stage 2 trans should hold up what ever i throw at it too. stock t56 usually 3rd to 4th always gives out and broken fork,pads and keys.

I'm amazed how fast you built this man. You started like a year after me and are already driving it lol. Its been 2 years for me in April.

This is Dakota on FB group.
Car looks very well done and clean AF.

Lol thanks man, i gathered all my parts planned everything out, and went crazy in a month and 1 week, thats with a/c and radiator mocked up and working, couldn't have done it with out my friend, he's a GM specialist for 15+ years. ive drove 500 miles dumped the oil and waiting on my 1000mile mark, then trailer and off to houston for a dyno tune. most def a dyno video will be made lol ill post my engine bay pics, but i need more BLING!

what you did to the mazda ecu? which are the wires you only used from the oem harness? I'm planning on doing a swap next year but is going to be different engine 4g63 to be exact. I will appreciate your help, nice build btw.

Poeple keep asking me the same question on why the 4g63, well I been working around DSM cars for 15 years now and many people think that this are the sane as the rotary engine by not been reliable. But to be hones is not about the engines is just about the owners not taking the time to fix little problems here and there and at the end they turn into big problems. Plus I already have a forge engine built, rx7 fd tranny and now Im haunting for the mazda 2600 tranny housing. But my main concern is bout the cluster working with the engine swap, the rest of the brackets and custom fabrication I can take care. Thank you and I hope to hear from you on the cluster signals to make it work.

Im doing FE3 swap and I'm using G6 aka B2600 bellhousing bolted to JDM/EU 5 speed trans(same as FD) but tail housing is for RX8. That way I'm keeping PPF and driveshaft.

4G63 is an awesome powerplant and should be easy to fit. Good luck! If you keep all the wiring aforementioned along with the Mazda ECU your cluster will work aside from few extra lights... There is a lot of info on this forum.

So the rx8 tail housing will fit on the fd tranny? Btw I'm also what to use the 87-88 mazda b2600 bell housing.

Thank you Pistonized, I will be looking forward for all the info on the forum. I will be using the 4g63 ecu (Ecmlink V3 Full)inside the car. I want to do this as clean as possible. I also have an idea for the turbo setup, I was thinking on using a complete turbo setup from the Evo 9, this setup is bolt on on the 6 bolt engine and it will be facing the opposite side which now it will be facing to the front of the rx8. I do have a gt35r and a JMF t3 manifold but the turbo is facing to the firewall on the rx8 and that is not good, I was thinking on using a top mount manifold so I can turn the turbo 180 degrees to face the front of the car. The top mount manifold looks like it will take to much space abd hit with the chassis, but not sure untill I get the monifold with me.

Not from a 6-speed, you need 5 speed trans from RX8, I got one from JDM supplier for $400+shipping. I hear that 5 speed is stronger and better gear ratio for boost.

new to this.. but you said McAllen, Tx?
 

im from Mercedes... im doing a swap on mine as well. whats your IG or FB. i need to ask you a few questions on the wiring.. like asap. thanks!