Small update...

I sold the DRAKES gauge cluster not because i wasn't happy with it (Awesome product!)
Reason being I wanted to make my own to cluster housing for the IC7 and keep my stock gauges in place behind it IC7 so the electronics will work like stock.
Also wanted to keep my stock fuel gauge in place too.

Knowing I was gonna hack up the gauge cluster I bought this beat up and cracked cluster off of ebay for really cheap.
At some point this cluster was painted yellow.
The top area was missing pieces and cracked.... plastic weld was used and it works great at piecing it all back together.







Next up, rough in a Haltech hood to house the IC7 into the cluster.





Once in place, then molded it in with bondo hair.




Filling/finishing it in with bondo... test fitting IC7.












Primer....






Painted using the same SEM paint that was used on the other interior plastics.









Back in the car.

Pretty happy with the results.












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That looks great! Did your remove the tach on your cluster to get enough room to route the harness to the IC7?

 

Thanks!
Tach is still in place but I did cut out the clear lense covering the tach, it gave me enough room for the plug.
Thought I included that pic.

 

Thanks for the write up i will be doing this as well!

 

Lookin' good!

Dale

 

Thanks guys👍

 

Scored a awesome deal on a used Haltech 2500 and she's now up and running with it.
Plan to convert over to drive by wire(DBW) while still retaining the OMP and have a few more I/O's left over.
The Haltech 1500 was sold to a friend locally.





On the way to the local cars and coffee I made a detour and drove down to Mexico....lol
Needed to stretch her legs and get some data logs for the tune.
Peak boost 15.3psi tapers down to 12.3psi this is with 4 turns of preload and boost control off.
AFR's are rich up top 9.6... gotta lean them out some target is 11.3.






Good times!!! Back from Mexico and at the Cars and Coffee.

Thanks for the pic Paul Grey!

 

Just wanted to give a update on this ATL fuel bulkhead connector.
Works great, no seepage or leak of fuel around the o-ring or up top where the wires pass though.
Also ive filled the tank completely and then drove around taking spirited turns and checked it for leaks when I got home and have found none.👍
This is definitely a great way to bypass the stock connector for beefer power and ground and feed a aftermarket pump.

The stock wiring is less than desirable when you go aftermarket pump.

 

Working on my DBW set up...

#garageguybuild

 

Also went last weekend to the Central Florida Rotaries meet @ Aces Cafe.
Was a awesome turn out, entire parking lot was full of rotaries.

On the hour drive over to Orlando I dialed out some fuel in the cruising areas of the fuel map.
Man she's running so good!!



I fail big time at taking pics and here is the only one I took at the meet. 😬

 

I started cleaning the RX-8 throttle body in prep for DBW conversion.
These are cheap and there's plenty of them around.

 

Nice.. you have mad skills making that front cluster face..

 

Thanks man, first time messing with that stuff.
Im always trying to learn... thank goodness for YouTube.👍


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Bought a used greddy elbow to cut up and mount a flange for the 8's throttle body... its ready for welding now.








Last Sunday I went to the JDM Legends Meet.
Was a great time with some super clean cars.

 

Elbow is back from the welder... now time to polish.

#garageguybuild

 

Had alittle time to work in the garage.
I started polishing the 8's throttle body.

 

Interested to hear how the DBW turns out!

Any idea if the size of the RX-8 TB could be a limiting factor power-wise?

Dale

 

Nice work man I cant wait to see how this goes. For what I understand you will gain throttle response.

 

Haltech's DBW works great from my research. Excited to get it up and running with it.
My old RX-8 made 425rwhp and that's the sweet spot I'm aiming for. Guys with turbo 8's have made 4-500hp on the throttle body too.
I heard you picked up a RX-8, Very Cool! Get that RX8 GURU, license plate!!!
Stevie is driving now and wants one.... DANG! I'm getting old!


Thanks man!
You can make throttle response as dull or responsive as you want. Completely configurable.
Also, DBW opens up other options that I plan on trying out with the Haltech ecu.



Steve

 

Small update,
Doing some fine tuning in the fuel map.. STFT is within 2-5% of the target.

Also added some duty% to the BC.
This pull was started at 2200rpms and hit 17psi by 4100rpms.👍








And a update on the repainted interior plastics using SEM paint all the pieces are holding up great.
Highly recommend it for refinishing your 93 plastics.





The DBW setup is ready to go in with the exception of pulling the ecu harness.
I'll need to repin a few IP/OPs for the DBW.
Not looking forward to pulling the harness.
It's a huge pain in the A$$ with the ABS in the way ☹


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Nice work Stephen,
A couple of questions...... how is the small Hydromat working out for you?
Are you still running the pump through the resistor off boost?
Are you having any trouble with the AC cutting off? I think my ground is intermittent and causes the AC to shut off every once in a while.
Barry

 

Hey Barry, Thanks,
Good to hear from you... its been a while, hope all is good!

I'm not running the Hydromat, just stock fuel pump hanger with walbro 455 pump and IRP mount. Pump filter is stock walbro too...



Also, fuel pump is being controlled through the Haltech 2500, the stock resistor is bypassed.
I've had no A/C issues... wish I could offer you more info to help.

Steve

 

Dang! Where'd the time go!

2012



Doing it! Stevie driving the FD

2021

 

Looks like it’s time for a joint build! ........With him!
just don’t make it too fast!
Barry

 

Love it. Passing it on to the up coming rotards. Brap on