Conversions & Hybrids - Anyone ever consider doing an RX-8?

Just like the title suggests. I think there would be plenty of space under the hood and that it would qualify as a sleeper of sorts since they turned out to be rather slow. let me know what you guys think.

Why not? There's a company that makes an LS1 kit for a Solstice & I'd bet with some tweaking the kit would fit the RX-8. The K-frame is the biggest issue, really.

Why not? There's a company that makes an LS1 kit for a Solstice & I'd bet with some tweaking the kit would fit the RX-8. The K-frame is the biggest issue, really.

what does the Solstice have to do with the RX-8??? :jest:

what does the Solstice have to do with the RX-8??? :jest:

They are similar in size. Having done a V8 conversion inside of a tin can, I know what works. Because the Soltice kit is available & it is similar in size to the RX-8, the job can be much easier w/ a Soltice kit. There are no RX-8 kits out. Further, I believe the Soltice kit would be a better fit for an RX-8 than a Miata kit. Otherwise, I would have recommended a Miata kit.

They are similar in size. Having done a V8 conversion inside of a tin can, I know what works. Because the Soltice kit is available & it is similar in size to the RX-8, the job can be much easier w/ a Soltice kit. There are no RX-8 kits out. Further, I believe the Soltice kit is would be a better fit for an RX-8 than a Miata kit. Otherwise, I would have recommended a Miata kit.


uhh, why would you buy a "kit" in the first place?

especially a kit for the wrong car? i mean, the point of a kit is to keep you from running around and trying to figure out what works by having that work done for you.. thats why you're paying the premium kit price in the first place.

now the radiator, motor mounts, and half of this "kit" wont work for him.. the few parts he may need that he can use from the kit are available separately... so im not seeing the point of the kit...

sure they're both small sports cars... thats about where the similarities end.

Laxx76:
if you're serious about it, first thing you'd want to do would be take some measurements and see how well it really fits in there... im curious how far apart the "frame rails" are myself... its going to be a tight fit, mostly because, while there's room there for the existing engine, the LS1 is a completely different shape..

uhh, why would you buy a "kit" in the first place?

especially a kit for the wrong car? i mean, the point of a kit is to keep you from running around and trying to figure out what works by having that work done for you.. thats why you're paying the premium kit price in the first place.

now the radiator, motor mounts, and half of this "kit" wont work for him.. the few parts he may need that he can use from the kit are available separately... so im not seeing the point of the kit...

sure they're both small sports cars... thats about where the similarities end.

Laxx76:
if you're serious about it, first thing you'd want to do would be take some measurements and see how well it really fits in there... im curious how far apart the "frame rails" are myself... its going to be a tight fit, mostly because, while there's room there for the existing engine, the LS1 is a completely different shape..


Continue overstating the obvious there skippy.

Laxx76, I'm quite sure you know enough to measure, check, etc., prior to doing any install. Lucky for you Mr.Dude/redundant pointed that out. My suggestion is based on experience as something to look into as you research the project. Good-luck, I won't be back to listen to more from this jack-ass.

The biggest challange will be integrating the electronics. The RX8 is all CAN bus.

Andrew

Continue overstating the obvious there skippy.

Laxx76, I'm quite sure you know enough to measure, check, etc., prior to doing any install. Lucky for you Mr.Dude/redundant pointed that out. My suggestion is based on experience as something to look into as you research the project. Good-luck, I won't be back to listen to more from this jack-ass.


:jest:

I appreciate the advice guys and I think that a "Kit" K member that is similar in size may work with modification but I dunno. I am curious about the electronics? Does anyone know anything as to how the system works and if I would be able to rig up a harness?

Base it on an FD3S (3rd Gen RX7) swap.

Physically the motor will fit in the engine bay. Gets funny looks from a salesman when you break out a measuring tape at the dealership. :devil:

The intake/hood might be close to sharing space at the front of the t/b.

I appreciate the advice guys and I think that a "Kit" K member that is similar in size may work with modification but I dunno. I am curious about the electronics? Does anyone know anything as to how the system works and if I would be able to rig up a harness?

well, like Project GatTagO said above, the challenge is in the harness.

theres no direct sensors running the gauges.. and you'll probly want to keep those gauges, they look schweet.

you're going to need some kind of converter hardware to change the LS1 sensors into the serial data stream the gauge cluster expects.
the obvious easy way to do that is to piggyback the stock computer in there, and use the RX8s coolant, oilpressure, and other sensors... then you just need a simple box to make a crank/cam/tach signal for the tach to work... stock computer obviously wont run the RX8, but this method would let the gauges work.. the only hack would then be on the SES wire, and connect that to power and the LS1 PCM harness...
its a little involved, but not impossible.

the harder, but cooler method would be a specialized piece of hardware to do the same thing, but unless you can program microcontrollers yourself, you're probably SOL and stuck doing the piggyback gauges method.

Are you seriously considering this or just wondering if it could be done? RX-8s aren't a dime a dozen like older Miatas, RX-7s, Mustangs, etc. that everyone is swapping LS1s into because they're cheap and lightweight.

I'm used to Mercedes CAN systems but I'm sure it works on the same principle and if you want to keep the stock gauges you'll have to keep the stock computer in there to translate between the sensors and whatever digital signal it sends. The problem would be the check engine light, which you would have to wire into the LS1 ecu. You may be able to cheat and wire the light directly to the LS1 output but you'd have to look at the back of the instrument cluster to be sure and I don't think the salesmen would let you start pulling stuff apart, although it would be funny to ask.

I'm used to Mercedes CAN systems but I'm sure it works on the same principle and if you want to keep the stock gauges you'll have to keep the stock computer in there to translate between the sensors and whatever digital signal it sends. The problem would be the check engine light, which you would have to wire into the LS1 ecu. You may be able to cheat and wire the light directly to the LS1 output but you'd have to look at the back of the instrument cluster to be sure and I don't think the salesmen would let you start pulling stuff apart, although it would be funny to ask.

the light itself wont be a big deal... the LS1 PCM just pulls a pin to ground when it wants the light on... so worse case (where there is no SES light, just a all-in-one screen) you add a LED somewhere hidden but visible when on.. if theres a light on the dash (most likely since i think most states still have that "Amber check engine light" law) then you can always disconnect the light, and run wires for it to illuminate from the PCM trigger.

if you have any access to a good wiring source, you could map most of this out beforehand..


as far as the CAN systems go, my understanding is that its like ODB-II.. while its a open standard, there's enough room for interpretation that nothing works directly between makes..

I'm used to Mercedes CAN systems but I'm sure it works on the same principle and if you want to keep the stock gauges you'll have to keep the stock computer in there to translate between the sensors and whatever digital signal it sends. The problem would be the check engine light, which you would have to wire into the LS1 ecu. You may be able to cheat and wire the light directly to the LS1 output but you'd have to look at the back of the instrument cluster to be sure and I don't think the salesmen would let you start pulling stuff apart, although it would be funny to ask.


We may need ya input here: http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=507612

Are you seriously considering this or just wondering if it could be done? RX-8s aren't a dime a dozen like older Miatas, RX-7s, Mustangs, etc. that everyone is swapping LS1s into because they're cheap and lightweight.

I guess he hasn't looked at FD rollers in the midwest lately... unless you consider 7k cheap for a car with 100k+mi, no motor or trans, faded paint, and half of the interior parts missing... i agree with the stangs and miatas though.

Anyone know if the RX8 rotarys blow up as much as the 7's do?