Gregs

hey im going to be putting a 13b into my 81, my only concern is the ecu and wiring harnesses..... can anyone who has done this type of swap give me some insight on what i am going to be looking foreward to in the electronics part of the swap?....

-greg

MIKE-P-28

iTrader: (1)

I havent done the swap on this particualr setup but im here to tell you, you got some wiring woes waiting for you... Its not gonna be a straight up swap.

Redwood

I'd say use the ENTIRE harness from the GSL-SE, don't get cocky and cut out what you don't think you need. Also, make sure you get all the stock sensors in there and everything. I eventually got so frustrated when I did my swap that I went to a stand alone setup

My biggest problem was not running grounds correctly. Try to retain the original ground layout as stock is pretty good (obviously, it works). Also make sure that the ground wires that are supposed to go through the ECU do indeed go through it. That will mess up the ignition pretty bad.

Hope you have a wiring diagram, because you're going to need it. Good luck.

MIKE-P-28

iTrader: (1)

Redwood when he mentioned doing this, I thought of you, but couldnt remember the name Yeha good luck indeed, it would be a wiring nightmare... I hear its not bad at all in a 84-85 chassis tho

Gregs

explain this stand alone system....

-greg

Gregs

damnit.... after hearing all this i almost dont want to do the swap....

-greg

RacerX7fb

Its pretty straightforward...just pull everything out of the SE and place them exactly in the 81...getting and SE certainly would be easier. The SE harness isnt that complicated.. if you do go ahead with the swap use the SE gas tank and fuel lines and fuel pump.. get the RB front engine mount or slot your current one. Paul here did a 2nd gen swap.. might help some : http://my7.rx-7.org/Paul/

Gregs

i was told that that using the motor mount from the 13v in the 81 will take care of the 20mm difference..... and use the crossmember from the 13b for the tranny.....
-greg

Redwood

Hey man, go for it anyway. It's going to be hard and it will take some time, but if you're just patient about the whole thing, you'll get it done and you'll be really happy. Take my word for it though and write stuff down in the process. Even the mundane things. When I started, I didn't do this (thinking I'd remember stuff) and about 2 hours later I was retracing my steps trying to figure out a circuit or something.

What you're going to need:
I'm assuming you have a complete GSL-SE 13B
- 13B cross member (the front motor mount, 13B's and 12a's have different ones, but it sounds like you know about this)
- 13B fuel pump (much higher psi, FI vs. carb)
- 13B fuel lines (this I'm not sure about, but it was mentioned so it's probably a good idea)
- 13B gas tank (again, I think you need this. I have it but I can't remember if I wanted it or needed it. Don't do drugs)
- GSL-SE complete wiring harness (DON'T CUT ANYTHING except stupid interior stuff. The entire engine wiring harness is connected with clips on the passenger side under the carpet. Just takes some convincing to get in there, but it is possible. For the record, I cut my entire harness and re-soldered everything because I'm an impatient idiot)
- Time. I'd say you could do it in two full weekends (this isn't sex, it'll take longer the first time). Don't let anything bother you when you're working on the car. Try to do it alone too so you can focus(except the part where multiple people are needed, safety first).
- Music. This can be the difference between a successful garage experience and a frustrating one. Get something kinda calm that you know. Trust me on this.

About my stand alone:
I have a Microtech system. It ran me about $700 total and it took over every stock wire on my engine. Best decision I ever made, but might be overkill for a daily driver. I needed it and wouldn't say go get one until you at least try the stock wiring. Anyway, it's very easy to tune (I had no previous experience), is very flexible, and runs great on the stock maps (no tuning required unless you want it running very primo). In case you're considering this, there's a group buy going down that ends on the 21st. Kinda short notice but since they have to be ordered from Australia, it would make things easier.

Good luck on your swap and feel free to PM me with any specific questions you come acrosss.

Directfreak

iTrader: (2)

I say forget the wiring in of the ECU for an extra 35 hp.

Get the engine in, with a Dellorto and headers, SUPER easy, good looking, and more like 185 hp at the flywheel.

Seriously, don't attempt that swap. The only one I would even consider recommending would be a 91TII swap.