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Well, the goal of using the RX8 transmission with the F20c have come to a hault already. The RX8 clutch uses a push-type clutch release bearing, whereas the S2000 clutch is a pull-type release bearing. No sense in over-complicating things, and introducing the chance of failure into the drivetrain by trying to make them compatible, so I'll just go with the S2k transmission. Goodbye PPF!!
Why don't you just try to find an S2k flywheel that can use a small multi plate clutch like a quartermaster 5.5" triple disk? Then you just have to use RX-8 splined disks and the throwout bearing from Mazdatrix and it'd probably be set to go.
Then when you add power and blow up the RX-8 box all you will need is different clutch disks to switch to say an S2k or other transmission.
Well, the goal of using the RX8 transmission with the F20c have come to a hault already. The RX8 clutch uses a push-type clutch release bearing, whereas the S2000 clutch is a pull-type release bearing. No sense in over-complicating things, and introducing the chance of failure into the drivetrain by trying to make them compatible, so I'll just go with the S2k transmission. Goodbye PPF!!
car is almost more Honda than mazda now... thumbs up.
F20c permanently installed in my RX8! The rain tray needed to be trimmed away to allow access to the top of the engine, however, the firewall still remained intact despite the coat of primer currently on it! Big thanks to Cyrious Garageworks for getting this done so quick! More pics to follow
This thing will definitely not stay NA - I didn't spend all this money to be just as slow as before!! That being said, I will shake the car down the first month or 2 NA because so much has changed on the car (see below), but then it will receive a supercharger mid-summer
To provide more info on the swap to anyone considering it, here is some more information. For the record, I don't think this will ever become a popular swap, however, if someone is considering it, feel free to post your questions!
The first hurdle was getting the engine physically in the car, because it is extremely tall with the OEM oil pan. Since the sump for the pan is at the front of the engine (deepest part of the pan), there was no way to cheat & allow part of the engine to sit above the subframe - unfortunately the entire engine had to sit behind it. Enter problems number 1 & 2: the rain tray needed to be cut to allow access to the top of the motor (oil cap, spark plugs, coils, etc.), and the engine didn't fit between the firewall & backside of the subframe.
Since some time-attack & road racing series don't allow the firewall to be cut, the boys at Cyrious Garageworks worked their magic on my subframe, creating a tubular section to ensure stiffness, yet clear my motor. With the F20c mated to an S2K transmission, and the engine as far back as possible for weight distribution, the shifter comes out the standard RX8 hole with no modification. With everything in place, Pat & his guys made custom engine & transmission mounts to make this all official!
Next was the steering rack. The RX8 electric rack was definitely not going to fit given how big & bulky it was, so we went with a rack from a Mazda Miata and depowered it. She fit like a glove on the custom mounts that were made and Cyrious Garageworks did a great job ensuring there would be no issues with bump steer! I pulled a shock off when I got it back to run the suspension through it's range of motion, and they did a perfect job!
For the steering rack mounts, is that OEM spacing? Wondering if the NC Miata rack will just bolt onto a stock RX-8 subframe. If I modify my subframe I have to take a power to weight penalty with certain organizations.
It's not exact OEM spacing, but it isn't far off so you can probably make it work with a bit of minor fabrication. You will have to use Infinity I30 tie rods, but you can reuse stock RX8 outers.
Got moving on the pedal assembly this week while I'm waiting for some AN fittings to arrive to finish the fuel rail setup, and oil cooler setup. I needed to reuse the OEM brake & gas pedal as I can't fit comfortably in the car with a floor mounted pedal box. This obviously isn't the most ideal setup, however, at least there is a comfort factor that I will be able to retain from when I last ran the car. I did away with the ABS & OEM brake-booster, in favour of manual brakes with a balance bar. This should be a nice setup with the 6-piston front calipers, and OEM rear caliper! I will use an S2000 throttle pedal with some minor modification to bolt in as the F20c uses a throttle cable. Lots of work to do still to plum everything, but its coming along nicely!
Last edited by ScubaSteve8; 12-31-2015 at 08:21 AM.
I was planning on getting one of those bias boxes, that looks pretty slick. Any fitment issues?
For this setup, no it was perfect. I originally ordered the replacement pedal box from, and that was a mess. I asked before ordering if they had an offering for LHD cars, they assured me it was the same and that it would 100% work,....maybe they shouldn't have been so sure. It didn't fit at all, then they sent me this setup as a replacement. A bit annoying, but they were easy to deal with through the whole process so that made up for it
I wanted to keep the car within the "spirit" of the RX8 platform. Lightweight, high revving, small displacement, low torque, etc. as I loved the dynamics of the car. The LS route is cool, but just not for me...
I wanted to keep the car within the "spirit" of the RX8 platform. Lightweight, high revving, small displacement, low torque, etc. as I loved the dynamics of the car. The LS route is cool, but just not for me...
Been quite a while since I've updated the thread, but things are coming along nicely with the car. Work has been crazy busy with a lot of travelling so this whole process is taking longer than expected, but the hope to be on track in early June to shake the car down.
Just waiting on a driveshaft so I can set the angle of the rear diff, then I'll be able to put all of the rear suspension back in the car. After that, I'll need to modify the header to gain some ground clearance, build an exhaust, make a splitter/front aero, and then go ripping!!
1- catch can, coolant reservoir, rad hoses, oil cooler, and fuel lines all complete
2- hard brake lines ran throughout chassis, master cylinders permanently mounted, clutch reservoir mounted (not pictured), and new brakes installed!
3- the driver's side door bar was hitting my elbow in my normal seating position, and was nearly impossible to get in & out of the car quickly. Unfortunately, this just wasn't going to fly as I couldn't help but think that if I was ever injured, it would be nearly impossible for me to get myself out of the car, and medical staff in a real emergency would struggle as well. In general, I'm not happy with the cage and plan to cut it out someday so I just created as much clearance as I could. Not ideal obviously, but it accomplished what I needed...
4- Sasha & Trevor at OnPoint Dyno built a proper motorsports chassis wiring harness, switch panel, and engine harness for the car which I'm in the process of dropping in now. I'm no wiring expert, and hate electrical issues so it was nice to trust this one to the pros...
5- Seemingly the closer it gets the more I analyse the car and want to fix it's imperfections...all this work and a beat-up looking valve cover?? No way!!
6- Looking pretty familiar again!! Almost time to build some efficient and affective aero for the car...can't wait to shake it down then get moving on the Turbo setup!
Last edited by ScubaSteve8; 04-04-2016 at 08:01 AM.
Yes it's authentic, it was black when I bought it. I found a local car for sale online, and asked if the gentlemen would part it out. Since I offered nearly 25% of the value of the car...he parted it out
This project has dragged on wayyyyy too long - real life commitments suck! Anyhow, the car runs & drives! Dyno video below.
Sadly though, I'm willing to sell it if anyone's interested...just don't have time to enjoy it given how much my career has changed paths over the past 16 months. I really just want to see it go to a good home, so if you're interested, please PM me.
11-12-2015, 10:11 PM
