I know little about SBCs and carbs. If I ever did such a swap it would be an LSx EFI engine swap. with at least 450hp/450tq. I'd be much more likely to do a 13b-rew FD swap, though.

Well, that just shows my ignorance. I assumed all of the modern pushrod chevy V8s were "smallblocks". But that seems to only apply to one series.

Anyway- sorry to tangent your thread.

On topic.

Doesn't the auto RX8 have smaller brakes?
Any suspension differences?

The base model 04-05 At had the smaller brakes. The Sport model has the larger brake setup like the 6Mt 8.

Also the Sport model (any year) AT has the better suspension the 6MT starts with.

yeah, mine was one of the "sport" auto versions with bigger brakes and 18" wheels. The shitty auto models had those little 16" wheels and such.

Hey- I just learned something on an internet forum. Is that even allowed? lol.

I really didn't know the auto RX8 could be had with the same hardware as the 6 speed manual. I figured it was like the V6 and V8 Mustangs... though that's not even a good example since I think you can order a V6 Mustang with all the V8 hardware other than the engine.

I actually like the 16" wheels... but not on the RX8. Maybe on a Mazda3i sedan...

And just a guess here- but I bet you premix (*even with the metering pump still there*). What are you using, and why?

(crap- another tangent. Just refer me to a premix thread if you have already answered that)

so ballpark estimate how much did the whole swap thing cost

It not a bad idea to read the other posts in a thread you also post in :spank:

Check out post #14.

"i told you so" lol.

More than you can afford, pal....









MANUAL

https://www.premiere.com/var/ezflow_...ff_quote_x.jpg

lol - nice

Hi,
I have read this post from start to finish and this question is original....(i think)

Is the A/T engine bare block (or short motor) identical to the M/T bare block (or short motor)
as in DSCF1539.jpg

http://www.rotaryresurrection.com/kl...p/DSCF1539.JPG

For the US market, the 04-05 automatics were 4 port, which is totally different from the 04-08 manual 6 port. The 06-08 automatics were 6 port, but the rear iron was different from the manual 6 port, to accomodate the wierd automatic starter that bolts on from the side. So there are actually 3 different engines for USDM 04-08 cars...early auto 4 port, late auto 6 port, and manual 6 port.

Did u use the motor mounts from the auto or did u have to buy transmission specific

Visually I could tell no difference between auto and manual, but I used the lowest mile set I had anyway which happened to be the manual set. I am not convinced there is any actual difference between them.

Fantastic thread.

I have one simple question. You said that the drive shafts are dimensionally and mechanically identical. Would the carbon fiber drive shaft fit into a 4port A/T ? Do you think there is any conceivable performance gain from doing so?

I have not test fit them both on an auto so I cannot say for sure, but I can think of no reason it wouldn't swap.

It'd kinda be like putting running shoes on a fat man and expecting him to be faster, though.

Wouldn't the reduced weight improve power delivery? Just a thought :)

Sorry one more question; how hard is to do this drive-train swap? I plan on having it done at a workshop if possible and I'd like to know how long it would take, what all will have to be opened up.

Thanks again

The auto trans eats up most of the power...but yes you might gain an extra coupe of hp at the rear wheels on a good day.

well this question is sorta on topic
but since the 5 speed jdm 8 used a 4 port engine about how much work would be needed to swap that in?

not something i'd do but i've been curious about it for a while

since I havent seen that trans, I have no idea. I would imagine the same amount of work.

doesn't even seem worth the trouble...

hey guys ok so i did the conversion it works beautifully i just cant get the car started on the manual pcm i get it started on the auto ecm no problem it drives perfect but i just brought car to mazda today they programmed my keys to the manual pcm and it was cranking but not turning over any ideas? plz i wanna be able to drive the car properly

You're right. Days browsing and negotiating at dealerships and several thousand in losses from a trade are less trouble than spending a weekend working with a friend and a couple grand on parts for the swap.

hey guys ok so i did the conversion it works beautifully i just cant get the car started on the manual pcm i get it started on the auto ecm no problem it drives perfect but i just brought car to mazda today they programmed my keys to the manual pcm and it was cranking but not turning over any ideas? plz i wanna be able to drive the car properly

RotaryRessurection,

This is off topic but I opened a thread about a 4AT to 6AT swap, I would like your input on it since you are very experienced with this car.

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-specific-performance-mods-97/4at-6at-upgrade-205690/

Thank you

while doing the conversion is it necessary to change tcm or no?

The AT TCM gets replaced with the MT TCM...otherwise known as the human operator's right hand and left foot. :rollingla

is your price of 2500-2800 with an engine or without?
If you can find a manual tranny for 1500 and already have a 6port AT engine, all that is necessary is a tranny swap, guage cluster, pcm, and clutch kit?
how hard would it be for a local place to do this? Like pretty much swap the tranny and clutch kit. Is it an average joe job to install a guage cluster and pcm?

I swapped my engine, so that cost included the used engine, but not the rebuild of that used engine.


and other small bits, yes.


Other than possible PCM programming issues which MUST BE DONE BY A DEALER, everything else is simple plug and play, bolt in install.

thanks a lot for the reply
any problems with the car after the conversion?

thank you,you have spent a lot of time to inform us . levi

Before you say anything yes i have read this thread, several times actually...
I need to know if the MT brake pedal works direct bolt on with a AT setup without problems. Im aware the unit splits into two halves and the MT pedal will pug into the upper half of the AT's bracket, but i wanted to be sure the MT pedal will work on a AT setup (brake lights, etc). I dont care about the steel cable used to keep from shifting out of park without pressing on the brake first, i just need to know if it will work. Thanks

Isn't it a little presumptuous of you to come into this thread and start barking out orders toward someone while at the same time hoping to extract information that you need from that same person? That is normally not the best way to get what you're after in life.

What's to stop you from finding out the same way that I did...try it and see what happens?

With that said, define "work on a AT setup". Are we talking about a bone stock AT car? A car with a mix and match of certain AT and MT parts? I don't understand what you are trying to do yet. My best guess at this point is that you want to put an MT brake pedal onto an otherwise stock AT car (for some reason).

Obviously I put MT pedals into my AT car, using the stock AT brake booster etc. so clearly there is no problem there. The original AT dash wiring was left in place and all the lights still worked, so obviously there's no problem with that.

So, in light of all of this restated information, I see no reason that the pedal wouldn't work for whatever it is you're trying to do. No new information has been presented in this post, simply logical conclusions drawn from information that already existed in this thread.

The only new piece of information that I can offer is that each pedal has it's own bracket and they bolt individually to the firewall. There is no changing pedals onto different brackets to worry about...you bolt the entire thing right into the car and you're done.

if i came off as ordering or demanding anything, my apologies. i did not intended to come off as such.

nothing is stopping me at the moment, and i wanted to just make sure i was clear on my understanding that the brake would still function as intended. despite peoples suggestions i am slowly working my way to completing this swap as well, for reasons of undergoing a learning experience. you have already underwent the learning process and have much knowledge in the troubles i will face doing the same thing you did, so i came to ask you for assistance in answering my question. so again, if i did in fact come off as demanding or giving orders, know that was not the intended tone of my statement. thank you however for properly addressing my concern.

i just read all of this and am exhausted... however i am undergoing the extreme.... 13b-REW swap and my car was in fact an 05 AT :( sooo... RR you just recieved a PM... hope you can give me some time and advice and maybe a little more details in some areas... i wish you lived in NY right now tho or vise versa and that i lived in TN id gladly pay to have you set up my pedals, SM, MC etc.

ive already started little bits and pieces..so far its actually not hard at all. understand i havent pulled engine or trans yet but everything else has been a breeze.

You didn't. It's more about him and the way he is, not you.

Ain't that the pot calling the kettle black? :lol:

you really need to be careful how you talk about me on the forum, i dont appreciate it. tone down the disrespect, i dont know where you're from but where i am from, we dont tolerate that. dont even reply to this, just keep your mouth shut. consider yourself warned.

I am many things and have no problem admitting it. Your reply above clarifies what i posted earlier and have experienced and known with you. I read what he posted and then saw your reply and wa like "WTF" because he didn't do any of what you went off ranting over. Just like when I tried to explain to you about attaching your pictures rather than linking them in extra large size in the thread body, which BTW the forum requires this in the DIY area just for the same reason I informed you about back then. As you have made clear, nobody can ask or do anything that brings what you have or haven't done into question without you taking offense to it. There are no logical conclusions in a thread like this. If it is not stated then there are only assumptions or guesses or asking the question, which is all he did. I can only conclude that your always being offended if anyone questions your posting is that you have some kind of superiority complex that somehow leads you to believe you can never be wrong so how he dare ask you a question about it. And before you go calling me the kettle I am wrong more times than I care to admit, but I will admit it just the same. I have no similar expectation from you, neither in your previous reply to him or elsewhere. You are no better of a person than anyone else here and certainly not a God in the eyes of other men.

Otherwise take your pathetic warning and shove it up your arrogant ass. I know who you are and where you are. If you need to know the same about me then just let me know. You disrespect yourself making such idiotic remarks publicly.

RR;
for the two different clutch switches, you did not install the top switch you noted, does it only control cruise? i cannot seem to find that piece of information. the starter switch wont need to be installed either if i go with a remote start system since it will have to be bypassed anyways, correct? Thank you

Well, it's been long enough since I did it that I don't recall exactly, and since I don't have the car anymore, I honestly don't know. I don't recall hooking up any clutch switch whatsoever. Normally one is for the starter interlock (the one that gets pushed when the pedal is down) and the other is for the ecu/pcm and also cruise. However as noted above, my cruise still worked 100% fine without this hookup on the clutch pedal after the swap (because I was still using an automatic dash harness which lacked that provision). Pretty much any manufacturer provision for the computer to monitor the clutch pedal isn't significant enough to warrant worrying about it and it should not change the way the car runs, however I am sure the engineers had some minor little reason to do it although I do not know what it was.

The PCM pinout chart does identify which wire the clutch switch was ultimately hooked up to, if you really want to try and run your own wire to it.

I plan on bypassing the starter interlock unless i can get that switch for cheap. I truthfully dont see it as a necessity. I also do not care enough for cruise to wire that in, in the event that function does not carry over. However i will get some extra wire in the event i do need to run a line for that switch if i need it for the pcm.

So far ive gotten everything besides engine (dressed), transmission (with shifter), clutch reinforcement bracket (getting to be pro-active), and pcm. The parts i have gotten only ran me $250 :) (i know where to look. the additional oil cooler has already been installed in time for summer)

Thanks again for all your help thus far. I will also try to take some photos once i finally get to performing this task to add to this thread.

There's nothing to bypass, because it's not there on your auto dash harness to begin with. IT will only work if you wire it up manually.



I didn't either, but I'm not a person who parks my MT in gear unless it's an exceptionally steep hill. Besides, a rotary won't really give you much engine braking to stop/slow the car even if the e-brake did let it roll.



My cruise worked as-is without "wiring anything in".

at mt swap
 

Is this a joke lol or do you really

It was and still is a joke, but 4 years ago when I made this thread I really did have it if someone wanted it. :rollingla

I later sold the auto components one by one on ebay and it's all long since gone.

I'm new to rx8 club and Frist up nice job on the swap i'm doing this swap rite now and was wanting to know if the wiring that goes from the battery terminal, to fusebox, to starter, and the engine harness is that all I need? The tec at mazda was tryin to tell me that I need the whole front car harness part # fe06-67-010f that includes the fuse box Is this true or was this guy tryin to con me into spendin $2700 bc im not made of money

As indicated in the first post of the thread, I replaced the engine/emissions/fuel injection harness as well as the starter/alternator/battery harness. I did not change any of the body harness/wiring native to the car itself.

IF you had access to ALL of the manual wiring from a donor car or something, and the time/inclination to remove the dash and carpet to change it all out, then sure, you could have a 100% seamless perfect swap. Obviously it is not necessary to do it that way, as I proved with my swap.