K-Swapped RX-8

      Hi! More progress on the K Swapped RX8 underway :) In this post, I would like to go over how to fit an S2000 intake manifold into the engine bay and onto the car, as well as how to set up the pulleys and belt, whether you have a USDM or JDM motor. Pulleys and Belt    I went with the K Power Idler/Tensioner Delete Kit . This completely simplifies your belt system, making it only the crank pulley, water pump, alternator, and the pulley from K Power. This is perfect if you're not running A/C and P/S. On the RX-8, the power steering pump is completely useless anyways, as it has an electric steering rack. I have never had a setup without a tensioner before, however I am very pleased with the amount of tension this setup provides. It feels like the perfect amount and the belt is very tight.     If you have a USDM Motor, you can buy this kit and hook everything up. However, if you have a JDM motor like I do, it's going to be a bit more of a headache to put this together. You nee

     Hey guys, I finally got some time to start working on the wiring of this car. Me, having never done a motor swap before, had little knowledge of how you could wire in a motor from a completely different car. But now, after countless hours of research, I have the game plan figured out.      As I stated previously, I will be using a Hondata K-Pro alongside the stock Mazda ECU. This is the budget alternative to using the Adaptronics ECU , made specifically to interact with the RX-8s canbus system that drives the goodies, like the electronic steering, speedometer, ABS, just to name a few. If you're using a Hondata K-Pro, then this is what you'll want the stock ECU for.  Now, I also want to retain the factory RX-8 throttle body. This way, I will retain drive by wire, eliminating the need to install a throttle pedal from another car. Also, it's a cheap way to get a 70mm throttle body :) This being said, I need to snag this off of the OEM Renesis engine harness. When modifyin

       Hi, it's been a while since I've posted. After I got the car in mobile condition, I was burnt out on it and spent a couple weeks recouping. Unfortunately some things elsewhere came up, like selling my daily to buy another one, moving across the country, and getting someone to ship this damn car across the country. So that took my time and money for a good few months. The RX-8 project is no longer on the backburner, and will continue in full force :)       When I was putting the car together, I wanted to put some emphasis on how to get the clutch system to work, and also how to hook up the steering rack. Since the steering rack is lowered about 1-2 inches, the stock steering column is now too short to reach the rack. You need to use a Lexus IS250 Steering Column   U-Joint, part number 45206-30112. It looks like this picture below. We want to use this piece to extend from the steering rack , to connect to the stock RX-8 U-Joint  on the steering column. The part I have ci

    Continuing from my previous post, m y next step was to join the motor and trans together. I actually pushed the motor/trans combo under the car and lifted it up into the car, using some floor jacks and and engine hoist. It was similar to how people drop/put in NC Miata motors. The reason I did this is I didn't have a load leveler, and I was worried about repeatedly bashing the firewall trying to get the trans in.          Putting it together with the adapter kit is pretty straight forward. Just install it like you would on any other clutch. I ended up having to sorta use some different bolts and some washers, etc, because the instructions weren't clear at all. In fact, my kit came with absolutely no instructions at all, so I winged it. That resulted in me doing some sketchy things to get the trans bolted to the plate, and the plate bolted to the motor. If you're using this kit, I would probably call them for instructions.     I got the motor all connected together with

    Last post, I finished the backstory about the RX-8 and the K Swap. This is the first post on the actual swap. I received my adapter kit from Collins Performance, and picked up a JDM K24a with the 3-lobe cam. As far as I know, it's the equivalent of a K24a2. The previous owner was saving it as a spare for his sand rail, but ended up going a different route.     Note: all of the steps I have in this blog are meant to be in addition to the Collins Adapters video linked here on how to fit this into the RX-8 with their swap kit.     The motor came with all of the accessories on it, which I removed. I want to keep the motor as simple as possible, without any extra accessories attached to it. This way, I can get a barebones running swap, and work my way up to all of the 'nice to haves'. That being said, I removed the AC compressor. It looks like there would be room for it, but I didn't want the extra headache of attaching it.      As far as the exhaust manifold goes, I ke

       So last post went over how I got the RX-8 and that I found the motor was blown. At this point, my immediate decision was to go out and buy a rebuilt Renesis. In the meantime, I decided to pull the blown motor out. I rolled the car into the garage and got to work on it.      Without this turning into a DIY on how to pull the motor, I referenced this guide , which is a really good how to post on everything you need to do. Although you do need to be careful of your OMP, I would also suggest you take care of your clutch line. I ended up ripping this when I pulled the motor out, and replaced it with one of these braided clutch lines . Also, to reach the top bellhousing bolts, you can actually access these easier by lowering the motor and taking them out from the engine bay with some ratcheting wrenches. Once you pull the motor out, you can reinstall the crossmember to let the trans have something to sit on. why is the ground soaking wet you ask? because my exhaust had almost a GALLON