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LGX motor and TR3160 trans from a Camaro is now sitting in its new home. Made the motor mounts. Just finished the trans rear mount. Now I’ve had to extend the shifter mount and shift rod 2”. To make align where old one was. More tig welding on aluminum and steel.
The TR3160 transformation is complete.
now the clutch hydronic line mating to the wilwood master cylinder that I already installed. There are NO support parts for this yet either. Just another day in my life.
Got the exhaust down pipes finished and installed, working on running back to rear axles, have the passenger side there. Stopped to rest from welding. I tried to get the hvac line set from Andrew Kiesler, he is just not interested in anything I ask want or need. Guess he just wants to sell full kits and only for the LFX. So I mocked up the Mazda lines to the Camaro lines for reference, then took them to a local hydrologic company (Pirtek) in Knoxville and we cut and done the crimp splices on them and now I have it installed with a vacuum pulled down to 29.+- , will let sit for a few days to check if leaking before filling with nitrogen for pressure test. Waiting on a Camaro drive shaft to show up. It will go to the driveline shop and have the Mazda rear coupler mounted to it. Yes I’m temporarily using the Mazda rear till I get it running and the bugs worked out before splurging on the cord set up.
Been a bit but completed the exhaust build. The main pipes from down pipes to behind the gas tank and back seat is wrapped with fiber glass heat shield. Now to put back together and do the hangers.
after that take the Camaro drive shaft and Mazda driveshaft and mate them together. Since the driveline Co here would not do it.
Last edited by HELIRLC; 08-26-2023 at 06:53 AM.
Reason: Spelling
Ok I have taken the Camaro drive shaft and cut off the rear section. Mounted to tranny, built the crossmember from 3” and 1.5” flat plat to fit where Mazda crossmembers went. I then marked the 1.5” ones to run front to back 3” crossmember to support the Camaro mid way drive bearing. Then cut off the front half of the Mazda driveshaft. Checked the ability to slip over the Camaro and use a part of the 2.5” of exhaust pipe as a filler spacer. Then measured the lengths to mate them. I then used the epoxy from 3M that they use to bond the metal to metal and to carbon fiber drive shafts. It all went together nicely and it fit back in the car.
WARNING ⚠️ this is only a temporary thing to be able to run test the motor trans speed brake and starting to work all the kinks out later. A long ways away yet to test. But will get me rolling. Once satisfied I will do the grid rear swap with new axles and DRIVE SHAFT.
Coolant lines completed. Between the LGX and Mazda lines I had only bought one hose for bottom radiator to mate to LGX outlet with a coupler. Lines are challenging to size up and down to mate two coolant systems together.
next will be leave motor in place, drop trans out from underneath. Then I have access to top back of motor to mate the fuel supply line, the evap from tank line, bring the oil evacuation line from oil pan up to where a catch can will go on passenger side near shock tower.
after all that the goodie time starts. Pull motor. Start the wire harness strip down and add the new fuse relay swap box to mate to the Mazda from the GM system’s.
Ok coolant system all connected. Pressurized to 18 lbs. sat for 12 hrs. This is with total air and no liquid. Lost 1 lb during that time. I call it good. Now to disassemble everything and pull motor to start wiring the GM and Mazda systems together.
Striped down the rx-8 motor harness, labeled what I know I need. Motor and trans back out and on the bench. I have started the LGX re wiring. Started on passenger side and after I thought was done realized I forgot the evap wires, oil pump control, and low oil level wires and plugs. Luckily I haven’t started the main harness taping. I tell you the GM newer harnesses you actually have to disassemble it to pull the pins out of the clamp unit. But made progress. Now have the passenger side with the ECU plugs, the fuse block connections and out wires completed. I have looked at diagrams so much all the lines are running together. So now I’m at the back of the motor where the fuel system connections are. Looking good so just have to lay in place and do more taping. Heck the tapes are going to cost me more than the wires and pins.
Last edited by HELIRLC; 09-24-2023 at 02:01 PM.
Reason: Spelling
More progress.
if Andrew says a harness cost you $1,3xx believe it. If you don’t have the time and patience his harness is a value item for sure. But my budget is low funds and lots of time on my hands. Then I get to understand all the pieces that it needs to make it work.
next is to get the fuel system and back side wired and taped.
LGX swap front pulley and Mazda tone ring installed
Pulled the front pulley balancer off the LGX. Went to a friends place that had lathe and CNC machine. We cut down the original RX-8 belt pulley to fit in the LGX pulley. Drilled and taped for the ring tone gear. Made spacers to stand it out 1/4” off LGX pulley. Used grade 5 1/4”x2” bolts. All torqued and in place now. Next to make the sensor bracket. Budget build.
Went to a friend of a friend that had a machine shop in his back yard. We turned the edges down on the RX main pulley where it fit inside the LGX crank pulley, drilled and tapped the LGX pulley to fit the RX pulley and ring tone gear. Then we made 1/4” dowel spacers to stand the tone ring out 3/8” from face of LGX pulley. Used grade 5 bolts and walla got that done. Mounted it back on the LGX motor. Made a mount for the pickup sensor. That’s done.
Got the motor harness finished and added all the sensors from the RX-8 to run the Mazda gauges.
done a power test run and using my OBD 2 got 22 GM enhanced codes. Some are just cause O2 sensors not installed yet and no fuel pressure. Several others to chase down while motor is on bench. Think most is more ground connections needed from ECU.
So I have done a dry run on the motor wiring, ECU and fuse block. Had 22 fail codes at start. Got it down to 3. No fuel press. It’s not hooked up and one for throttle pedal low volt and one high volt. It’s in the reader twice. Think it all needs to be completely hooked up and start test. Then see if I can re calibrate it and the throttle body.
hope to re install motor and trans next weekend. Will take a week or so to get everything installed and wired to the Mazda controls.
07-09-2023, 02:05 PM
