Big brakes, Megasquirt or turbo swap, have to decide...

[VKLR]

Pull both together. I did mine all by myself, out and in. Use the "load leveler" on the hoist.

[Pharaohabq]

Yeah pull both out at once, It's really easy that way. Trying to separate a tranny and engine on the car is really a pain, but much worse is trying to mate the two IN the car that would just be asking for pain. The stock tranny is only about 100 lbs and will give you a good chance to clean it up and inspect it before dropping it back in. Don't forget to pull out the shift boot before pulling it though, you don't want to have to buy another. If you can find an 82-83' zx tranny, it'll have better gear ratios.

 

It's awesome to see you're still doing the project. it'll go quickly once you get into it. Especially if you have some buds and beer over to help. Guess you've got this years' Bday $$$ to help...

[FricFrac]

In the year since I started this thread I continued to buy the parts needed

for the swap. I think I am about at a point where I do not need anything

other than to just start.

 

I've made my stub harnesses for the coils, fuel injectors and have documented

with Excel what wires go where.

 

I was planning to pull the original motor and leave the transmission, but the FSM

recommends against it. The new motor would be going in without manifolds and

benefit from an adjustable tilt sling. Do I bite the bullet and pull the transmission

at the same time?

 

 

 

 

Congrats on getting everything together. Sometimes it takes that year to get everything in place within the budget. Sounds like you got a good deal on the motor and that's the way I'd do the build - get the turbo swap in there first. I would defniately go with a MS set up though as your next performance purchase as it will effect everthing from here on out. Take some serious though about putting that Chinese turbo in as that's a good way to finish off your engine - too many horror stories.

[Gollum]

Yeah pull both out at once, It's really easy that way. Trying to separate a tranny and engine on the car is really a pain, but much worse is trying to mate the two IN the car that would just be asking for pain.

 

Haha, try installing a tranny with the motor already in with the car on a good 30+ degree inclined driveway. That's pain. It's like wrestling pigs raining from the sky! No fun.

 

Doing it on nice smooth level ground is no big deal. Same as any other RWD car except the tranny is actually pretty light considering. I'd take it over a FWD tranny swap any day. That said, pulling both is no big deal and makes clutch/flywheel work almost pleasant.

[Dan_Austin]

I bought a house since starting the project, so this years budget did not exist.

I have managed to sell bits that I did not need to cover the bits I do. It cetainly

helped that I scored a massive deal on the ECU. I think I need an airfilter and

maybe a bit of solder. That and to figure out how to mate the aeromotive

A1000-6 FPR I bought used to the Pallnet rail and return line. It seems this

is an oddball FPR that requires an o-ring fitting that is similar, but not quite a

AN fitting. Aeromotive has not been very helpful in this quest.

 

My console is in OK shape, but there are a couple cracks, so I hate pulling it

to drop the tranny, but that's what I will do. The trans is out of an 82, and I think

was the wide ratio 5 speed, and has not given me any trouble since I installed

it. I do need to install new speedometer pinion to match the 3.90 rear-end,

but I had planned to do that with it in the car. I'm going to see if any of the local

tranny shops might have a plastic end cap for output shaft, since I don't care

to see a big Royal Purple puddle, and using my new aluminum drive shaft

as a plug seems like a good way to beat it up.

 

Oh, and the unknown Chinese turbo is not going in. It needed more fabrication

than I could handle, and I still have no clue as to it's specs. I picked up on from

one of the more reputable ebay dealers. It may still be junk, but I at least know

a bit more about it.

 

I've been also pouring over the PDF FSM and studying any wiring diagrams I could

find, including an original 1976 FSM to figure out where I tie in to the factory harness.

I had hoped to use the same power feed as connected to pin 1 of the factory ECU,

and I may use that to feed the main relay, but it appears to not be switched.

[Dan_Austin]

I just realized I never closed the loop on this thread. I actually performed the engine and ecu swap

the week of July 4th this year. My company was shut down the 4th to the 6th, so by taking two vacation

days I had nine days to complete the project-

 

Saturday 6/30- Drain fluids and remove hoses, wiring and radiator. Also remove console and drop the

exhaust.

 

Sunday 7/1- A friend shows up with a hoist and we pull the engine, move the tans to the new engine

and drop it all back in. About five hours start to finish. I pull the old harness and ECU while the engine

bay is empty. Install the new stub harness and start installing the weatherpack connectors to connect

the ECU harness to the stub harnessed I built for the ignition, injectors and sensors.

 

Monday 7/2- Re-install radiator and hoses. Realize I am missing thermostat cover, and start looking for one

in parts stores and checking pick-n-pull inventory. No luck, so I finsh the sensor and injector wiring and install

the intercooler and piping. Also install dual SPAL 12" fans.

 

Tuesday 7/3- Hit up PNP anyways as the inventory is not always up-to-date. Score a near mint condition cover.

Lost three hours in the drive to the yard, the search and the drive back. Install the cover and finish the ignition

wiring. Attempt first start. Find a couple of mistakes in main relay and fuel pump relay, kill the weak battery

in the process.

 

Wednesday 7/4- Battery has charged over night, wiring appears correct. TunerStudio is reading nominal on

all sensors and has clean crank and cam signals. No fire. Pull the distributor cap and count slots in the

DIYAutoTune CAS wheel and figure out I am about 140 degrees off in the trigger angle. Reset the value in

TS and we have immediate fire. and a loud but steady idle.

 

Thursday and Friday- No progress. My scheduled time with a friends welder keeps getting bumped.

 

Saturday 7/7- Finally get access to my welding friend, but he is not happy with how his welds are tuning out,

to he gives me a quick lesson and I end up welding up my 3" exhaust as my first project., from vband on the

downpipe, to O2 bung all the way back to the tailpipe. Pick up the peices and head back home to install them.

Perform my first hot valve lash and look for signs I buggered something up.

 

Sunday 7/8- Drive around the block a few times to let VEAL start on the tune. Copious white smoke is noticed,

leading to concern, then I recall the excess of protective oil in the mandrel bends. By the 3rd loop around the

block there is no more smoke.

 

I drove the car for about a week with no muffler, then installed a short Dynomax stainless straight-through design.

I spent a couple weeks running VEAL on the 30 minute ride to work and way home, with a few freeway jaunts thrown

in for variety, then I manually smoothed out the VE table. The ignition table is based on tables found here and a bit

of experimentation.

 

The only issue to date has been one blown fuel injector fuse that was slightly undersized. It worked fine for six

weeks until a spirited pull through 1st and 2nd did it in. All said this was a fun project and completely worth the

time it took to prepare.