385 replies to this topic

[CSPCRX]

Brian did a video on building the harness.

 

[rufusbob]

We did some work on my car tonight and some videoing.
 
First we scaled the car empty and with me in it for our baseline.
In the process of removing my B16 we are doing a reverse how to B swap 1st/3rd gens.  Kind of a cool idea Brian came up with.  We also did a small segment on corner balancing and how the B vs K engine position will improve balance.
 
Untitled by Victor M, on Flickr
 
We have everything drained and disconnected so Saturday we are dropping the motor and trans and prepping the bay for the K swap!  Feels like suddenly things are moving quickly!

Hi Victor - Thanks for sharing through this process; really valuable info.

Will there be corner balance figures for the K to share soon for comparison with the B? Should be really interesting!

[CSPCRX]

Yes there will be another corner balance performed once the K is in and running with and without driver.  We video tapped it and will share as part of the series on the swap.  I believe they should be getting posted soon.

[rufusbob]

In researching K-swaps, I found this on K transmissions and thought itd be helpful to add here

https://www.hybrid-r...-guide#comments

Are all of them swap candidates or just some? (I.e. 5 vs 6 speeds, early vs later model years?)

And does anyone know what the 5 vs 6 spd weight difference is? (Makes sense the 6spd would be a little heavier, but I also read somewhere online the 6spd has a different, weight saving case.)

Edited by rufusbob, 20 June 2022 - 07:57 PM.

[CSPCRX]

Case is the exact same on the 5 and 6 speed.  In fact you can convert a 5 speed to a 6 speed.

 

it depends on the motor but the K20a and K24a all work together.  There are some others but I am less familiar with the s series.

[rufusbob]

@cspcrx - Hi Victor. I messaged Hasport yesterday asking about the EW K Swap kit.

As soon as they release the kit, I plan to order it, and to pull the trigger on an engine & tranny.

[CSPCRX]

Brian mentioned last week about the possibility of them going up this next week.  We pulled the motor on my car yesterday and welded up the frame rails where we had to do some cutting.  We discovered the rear mount, production version,  had a flaw that made the holes not line up.  Looks like they can be corrected with a bit of grinding and powder coated again.  I know he said some sets were made so not sure how many were impacted by this.  we hope to have the left and right mounts welded in this Wednesday evening.
 

I got all of my fuel system components finally.  Can’t get things as quickly as you could in the past.  

The SpeedHut speed box arrives as did the speedo cable.  I think this is going to be a very slick solution to keeping the dash working as it did originally and work with the vss style transmissions.  Same company that makes their cables custom made me one with all the correct ends.

 

Untitled by Victor M, on Flickr

[rufusbob]

Very cool Victor. Keeping the original functional dash has been a concern. Looks like you have an excellent solution. And I have another item on my list of things to get.

Good luck Wednesday night.

[CSPCRX]

I think it is.

 

what’s really cool is it has GPS.  If you want you can just use it for the initial calibration or leave it in permanently.  This way it will adjust to you tire size and if you run different tires, like I do for track and street, it will auto adjust to those.  I really think it will be a great solution.  I want the dash to function fully.

[rufusbob]

FWIW and maybe something to consider

The other day I was thinking that since the K swap puts the header in close proximity to the firewall, it might be a good idea to add some insulation before engine installation.

I faced a similar problem when building my ERA 427 Cobra replica 20 years ago. Each header ran close to a foot box. ERA offered an optional aluminum shield, which I incorporated on each side. But I went a step further by riveting an extra layer of insulation incorporating NASA space shuttle material to each shield where it runs closest to the foot box. At the time Id learned the NASCAR guys were using it to keep exhaust heat out of the cockpit. BSR-TPS custom made two slightly different panels to dimensions I provided.

The name & address of the company is:
BSR-TPS Products, Inc.
Thermal Protection Systems
155C Rolling Hill Rd.
Moorsesville, NC 28115

Thats from my 1997 invoice; but no phone number. I just searched online. Theres a business listing, but no website or phone number, and a different street number 149 Rolling Hills Rd. So I have no idea if the business is still operating or not.

Im flat out right now with the differential out of the rear end of my 66 Corvette, one last turd left by the PO. I have to get that back together, cleaned up, etc to sell. The Vettes gotta go to make garage space for the CRX, and then Ill devote more than just minimal time to it. But if I do find time, Ill explore BSR & post a phone number here.

Edited by rufusbob, 27 June 2022 - 10:47 PM.

[CSPCRX]

Surprisingly it’s not that close but something I have considered.  I may wrap my brake lines as they are the lowest and closest.  Fuel lines are high enough it may not be an issue but easy to put a sleeve on them if it is.  I wrapped lines in the past.  So many product options depending on what you want to protect from heat.

[rufusbob]

If the K swap headers aren’t too close, that’s great news.

Something else triggered my thinking. While waiting for differential parts, I’ve been cleaning years, or probably decades, of grime underneath the Corvette floor resulting from oil leaks. Chevrolet installed a foil backed, fiberglass blanket attached inside the tunnel & covering most of the transmission.

I may still do something, maybe not as drastic as the BSR-TPS stuff. I’m looking forward to some installation pics, and reports of first hand experience, from you guys who’re ahead of me in the process.

[CSPCRX]

Hope to have mounts welded tomorrow night and motor in for good.  Am going to check valve lash prior to install as well, just easier to do.

[rufusbob]

This is really exciting Victor. I hope the install goes smoothly.

BTW: I received an answer from Hasport Sales on my inquiry. They said, as you already know, the kits in the works and not yet available. The purpose of my inquiry was mostly to show interest. IMHO the K swap is a great answer for many who have G1 CRX Sis who want to drive and enjoy them. Should make the car more like they shouldve been IF the K / VTEC technology was available 20 years earlier. And the availability of OE and aftermarket parts will permit more enjoyment of these amazing pocket rockets.

Edited by rufusbob, 28 June 2022 - 02:36 PM.

[CSPCRX]

Well, we didn’t get to work on it tonight.  Brian didn’t get the mounts finished in time.  Looks like it will have to wait until this weekend.