Cowboyfun

Well here it goes Im starting !!

So I got a full 13bt j-spec engine complete with trans, ecu and FULL UNCUT wire harness, intercooler, turbo, everything basically. SE engine crossmemeber. Upgraded fuel pump.

Now I've downloaded all the wiring diagrams and all that jazz, but Ive got a couple questions...First off, the 13bt trans is like 2" longer, right? so I need a custom driveshaft and need to do some drilling to make it fit into the console inside the car(correct me if I'm wrong)
Next the gauges-can I connect the wiring to the stock gsl gauges or do I need to go aftermarket. (I'm gonna at least get a new tach, Oil press, boost, air/fuel, and temp gauges) but the speedo is the main one im thinking about.
Also who makes a good upgraded radiator for this, I'd like to keeps things nice and cool.
What about A/C, is it straight forward bolt it together or what? It doesnt really matter to me if I have it or not. Same question goes for the heater, although I would like it to work (it gets cold here in the winter!).
I think that just about covers it...anyone have anything to add? I would appreciate it.

Rx-7Doctor

iTrader: (13)

Yes. Most important of all. "Sell a hell of alot of Cars"!LOL.

Cowboyfun

Thanks! And Second Most, keep you on speed dial for when I get my finger stuck in a hole! LOL!

FMYStreetRacer

i'd like more info on this as well. i already have a 83 GS with a 13b motor in it. it's 12a sidehouseings (street-ported) with 70's rotor houseings, turbo rotor's etc. i have the racing beat crossmember that allows the 13b to bolt in but i'm still useing the stock trans and rear but with a limited slip diff and gears. i have the cartech t04 turbo system with dual webber down draft carbs. i pulled the motor out a couple years ago cause the rotor oil seal went out and the motor started to smoke.

i have been thinking about buying a JDM 13bt swap and putting it in. how would i go about bolting it in? i think that the 2nd gen cars mounts are by the oil pan right? i want to switch the car over to fuel injection and probly run a stand alone since it seems to be the easiest way to get things going. if i have to use the stock trans still i will but i just want to be able to bolt the motor inand have fuel injection instead of the carbs. i might decide to stick with the carbs if it's too much of a pain in the ***. thanks for any help.

Cowboyfun

Do a search for 13bt swap...there are THOUSANDS of threads on this topic. This thread is more of a online parts list and a "hey ben don't connect that there or else your F'd" type of thing...check out the 1st gen FAQ page, it has 2 really, really good threads on a 13bt swap. Check those out, and read, read, read. I have been on here for nearly a year now, and It has taken me this long to decide that this was the way I wanted to go because 1. I want more power out of my FB. 2. I live in california and want this to be emissions legal (so i'm basically doing a stock swap). 3. I need to pull my engine in may to repaint anyways, so why not do the 13bt swap then. 4. The car will never be worth what I am about to put into it, so I plan on keeping her for a long time, it will be my DD for a while once this swap is complete. I will probably have about $3500 wrapped up in this swap alone add that to the cost of bringing the suspension back up to par, the cost of painting it, and the cost of the car, I will have close to $6000 in this car. It is no small task and part of me is hating myself for committing to this project but I know that I am going to love it when Im done! Dont mean to scare you off, but I just want to be as straightforward as possible.

steve84GS TII

Correct on the custom driveline and shortening of the shift selector shaft.Its not hard and requires no special tools/skills.Leave the driveline to a pro,and dont run stock FB Ujoints in the back,go big youll need them.

Speedo,tach and oil/water gauges will work fine.The oil senders are all the same from 1st gen to 2nd gen.The S5 water temp sender will read wrong,but a S4 is OK.Just use the stock FB wiring for all the gauges and you might wanna get some new sending units and check calibration of the gauges,if your gonna rely on the the stockers.Its easy to check the fuel,oil and temp gauges with some $.05 Radio Shack resistors.

The heater and AC should be an easy hookup.Both are used on either car and the 2nd gen engines are pretty much the same as the 1st gens,in the dimensions and areas that matter.

Best thing you can do for cooling is either a new,83-85 2-row tall radiator and an FC air/oilcooler.....or a short,79-82 3-row radiator and a stock FB air/oil cooler.This is the simplest way to approach it and requires no/little fab work.I run a Howe,dual pass race radiator on my S5 TII setup and it cools great....but it required a lot of custom work and cutting.

And remember...take your time and be sure you understand everything before you put your hands to it.The left side wiring is easy once you understand the wiring scematics,and its completely unnecessary to cut or splice into any of the FB's wiring harness'.
Get an FC underhood fuse box,main relay and circuit opening relay.Then,the whole custom made left side harness, will run from the FC fuse box,FC main relay and FC engine components....to the TII ECU's 3rd gang plug.

FMYStreetRacer

i have about $7,000 in just storage for my car over the past few years. this car is gonna be a keeper for sure.

i have no emissions or anything else i just wanna make sure it will bolt in. i have no problem putting the stock flywheel and counter balance on the 13bt motor so that i can still use my 12a tranny wich will probly be atleast upgraded to a 2nd gen 13b tranny,. i'm just sick of spending all this money for starage and i haven't driven the car in atleast 3 years. i'll read the fact and try to get this **** going. thanks allot for the info.

Cowboyfun

steve thanks for the advice that is exactly the information i was looking for! I knew that you didnt have to cut or splice the FB harness, but I wasn't quite sure how to go about setting it all up!

RalphNader

I an looking at the same project. I am buying a 91 gtu from some kid for 300 bucks. bodys not great but he said it had dual roatary something. I am a bit of newbie but my friend do crazy **** with there cars and we never have **** to do. So i bought a 83 GLS not the 13 b for 2,800 out the door at some bufu dealer ship in the midwest. we did some work to it.

Anyways, how costly was it and what where the hard parts.

steve84GS TII

The N/A engines require just about the same amount of work as the turbo ones.
The S5 N/A engine is a fun powerplant,lots of revs and 160 solid HP bone stock.The whole N/A swap can be done for under $1000 since you wont HAVE to install a TII trans or worry about huge exhaust,driveline,clutch,cooling mods,ect,ect,ect.

The one hard part is going to be figuring out how to keep the stock S5 oil metering pump.It must be retained for the S5 ECU to work right,but it wont bolt right up to any 1st gen front cover.
Do a search and youll find the info you need.Dont worry if its info about a TII engine or an N/A.......all info is pertinent to any S5 engine from 89 to 92.....