BongoBennie

pics!

Ryanthegreat1

Forgot to take pictures. Got so caught up in the towing fiasco to get the car to Honda that pictures escaped me.

I will put some up in the K swap thread tomorrow.

BongoBennie

So yeah, tax return was good to me, I think I changed my mind 4 times on turbo vs not so now Im not changing my mind

BongoBennie

Not a whole lot to report as far as exciting stuff goes. Ive been taking nonstop deliveries from rockauto.com which I highly recommend over any pep-boys type store. I did make an agreement on a new shop space that I will occupy in a couple months, I plan of loading up my #2 on a rotisserie and stripping her down to a bare shell, I will also be using some of the better interior parts for #1.

As far as #1 goes I have now a hand tightened but complete and new RSX/Koni/GC front end and all four wheels on the ground for the first time in a while, will be sending out axle measurements this week and hoping that I can get "stage 0" for $300 since stock components will be more than strong enough but Im expecting to pay more. Next project is going to be getting the tilt steering column from the Fit to fit.

BongoBennie

So today was definitely a learning experience, I wanted to play with suspension and decided to attach a fender and the bumper just to see what it would look like, the following pics are with the springs set to the middle and this leaves about 1" of shock travel with the small uncut Koni bump stops, I did lower the coils all the way and while sitting on them the tire didn't even go under the fender, I was expecting the lack of travel in the rear but not up front, at this point Im looking at either 195/55-15 (23.5") ((native to engine/trans)) or maybe 175/65-15 (24")and keeping it close to stock height as it does need to drive smooth. Save the bad assess for #2 OR I could maybe shorten the strut 3/4" since it is an insert, I think I can mod the body so the insert pulls down more, we shall see.

BongoBennie

After doing some googling, I found two threads on pulling the inserts down 1" or so, going to give it the old college try

https://forums.nasioc.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=602326
DIY shortened Konis?? - Club RSX Message Board

Ryanthegreat1

Is all of that positive camber just an optical illusion?

BongoBennie

No, you are seeing correctly, I used regular bolts and drilled for the RSX top hat before knowing that the camber was so off. Im about to move the car back inside. I plan on redrilling one more time and adding in the camber bolts. Trying to keep caster closest to stock and also need to ad tabs to the strut housing for the sway bar. I have a few Ideas on how to lower the strut insert and I think I might be able to get 1.5" lower and also looking at raising the top mounting plate. In all my years I have never messed with alignment so Im still in research and self educate mode, I have some time.

Questions I do have is how much tolerance to I have when I start moving things around? 1mm? 3mm? 0.2mm? will slightly bigger mounting holes allow for enough adjustment to make things drive straight or should I be looking at $500 camber/caster plates? This car is for street use only and 90% freeway at that. Keeping the factory style rubber top hat is desirable but will it matter if I use a solid one? I don't want to feel 'too much' road.

Ryanthegreat1

What about putting the Insight top hat on the RSX strut? I think someone over on the Insight forum was doing that. No need to rethink the geometry.

My Civic knuckle on Insight strut with full size strut to knuckle bolts, not crash bolts, had good numbers when aligned. Have to dig up the spec sheet. The scrub radius is a bit different but that is just by my feel and I think that might be the wider tires giving that feel. Though the front track width is wider by at least an inch now. Front tires just start to poke out of the fenders.

BongoBennie

I went with longer wheel studs and a 15mm spacer but its only an option at this point.... I looked at the stock top hats briefly they didn't seem to fit. It won't be hard to drill new holes and since there will be empty holes I figured a custom strut bar will hide extra holes nicely, one day maybe.. . Logic would tell me just redrill so the struts are all the way in, I could also change the caster but I wouldn't know if I was doing good or harm. What ever I do I know I can get them virtually the same. I just hope two of the bolts and my own camera setting will be enough, I know I see a lot of positive camber as you did but I have no idea how much.

BongoBennie

So suspension is coming back off, Tapered ball joint inserts were a bit to thick so they are back at machine shop, also there was an incredible amount of positive camber so I will redial top hat holes all the way in. Today I finally got the Fit steering column mounted and now have a tilt wheel Insight. Removed the two studs closest to the firewall and used 4.5" bolts to secure the corresponding Fit column mounting tabs. Pretty easy.

tony_2018

Coming along nicely, gj.

BongoBennie

A bit of an update with one lazy pic.... I had the control arm machined and fixed the fitment issue and reinstalled struts. First I modded the bottom of the strut so the Koni insert would pull down another .5", I welded on the stock tabs from the original strut for the sway bar attachment and finally I re drilled for the RSX top hats to get rid of the positive camber issue. I used a template that flipped over to create a mirror image on the opposite side for a much better result. I will be having the extra holes filled in at a later date.

Ryanthegreat1

Nice! Are you going to swap the knuckles left to right so the caliper is on the leading edge like the Insight?

I noticed with my civic knuckles, brakes there was not a lot of free play in the Insight rubber brake lines. It works but certainly no extra.

BongoBennie

No, there are already mounting tabs on the struts for the RSX lines and won't be too hard to attach to the hardline.

This week I will have the car rolling with a steering wheel for the first time in months, Going to pull it off the lift and get my #2 on the lift, going to pull motor/trans, all the IMA stuff in the back and the gas tank. Going to push it around for a couple years so might as well make it lighter and maybe sell the stuff I pull (shameless plug). Meanwhile Im am getting ready to get the wiring in as my next phase.

BongoBennie

This is where things get complicated, #2 insight was purchased as a 30" tire off road toy project and that project will still happen, but there are a few things I want to do in this life and a bi-fuel car is one of them, problem with this idea and the Fit motor is the is Flash pro is not that capable but a K pro is........ also turbocharging an automatic vs manual just gets complicated. SO, my amazing wife said that she would love to have it if it was just a stock engine and quiet, she honestly can't remember the last time she pressed the pedal to the floor and she drive a slow *** Fit herself! So a deal has been struck and I'm 'selling' the car to my wife, car will still have flashpro but scaled back sound system along with $700 in dynomat. will still have the Koni/Gaz shocks and GC springs...... I will drive this car for a good year and make it the perfect wife beater mobile....


From this point, Im taking my brand new turbo (GT2554r) and swapping in the lowly D17 from the 01-05 Civic into my #2, This will give me Kpro, and a cheap *** platform to tinker with, 3 different transmissions to play with and a 12.5 to 1 piston from the GX cng car and a 200whp goal..... back to the bi-fuel. Kpro now will support 2 sets of injectors for true bi fuel capability, I work right next to an E85 pump AND a CNG pump, it also has E85 sensor capability and most important an OBD2 output. Since this will be my true ultimate commuter I will keep it in this same thread but will be continuing #1 and make it a reliable workhorse. and hope for a 50 MPG average.

So were do I stand now? I am getting the Fit radiator, fans and condenser mounted (aluminum trims SO easy!) and I have also started installing the interior again, I will be keeping the 15s on it but pulling off the 195/45s and run something a bit taller, skinnier, and less aggressive.

BongoBennie

Mounted the auto shifter today, probably the least exciting thing for a HT build thread but its straight and solid I want to move the window switches into the gap in the shifter console, and use the modern style not the 1990's version..... In the meantime I have found room for the stock intake manifold (plenum half) and I can make it work by adding a few inches to the runners. Header will be a tri-Y set up, no frills.

BongoBennie

another pic of the shifter as well as the drive by wire gas pedal.

BongoBennie

Today I bolted in the new tilt steering column for the last time. It turned out to be a little tricky as I had to line up the splines in the u-joints and the steering wheel at the same time as installation as the splined shafts are too long to slip on like normal. It now tilts and turns perfect.

tony_2018

OMFG HE GOT THE SHIFTER IN. ITS IN FOLKS!!!! WOOT!!!!

BongoBennie

As the ultimate commuter, I need some sounds, I have two JL amps 75x4 and 1000x1 on the bass, I have two JL 10W33 but unlike my last car I have a huge amount of space to work with. Im considering the 13W3s instead but really want to build a light weight sub box )as far as sub boxes go. Im looking for ideas on how to save weight. Im curious if anyone has had good experience with fiberglass on a first try. Im also open to ideas of light weight construction techniques.

tony_2018

low profile subwoofers might do better. They don't require that much space to give you decent low's.

BongoBennie

Yes I change my mind quite a bit, while trying to save a dollar and forgoing the turbo, my time is most valuable so sticking with the turbo plan will save time and it is staying, (per wife, for the last time)......... -------That being said here is my front cooling package
Honda Fit radiator and condenser along with two 8x11 fluid coolers, one for the trans and one for the intercooler. Its a pretty tight fit requiring headlight removal to fit them all in there but should be pretty invisible to the casual observer.

BongoBennie

Build threads keep you honest and preserve things you might regret later, I wish I could delete the last thread as in the end I didn't like the fit of the new cooling package, I redid my work and it looks much better and more importantly fits much better. A bit of trimming and the bumper will fit perfectly with the bumper grill still intact. Not a lot of room in there, one headlight needs to come out for the condenser to be installed.

Ryanthegreat1

That looks real good. Does the latch still work like version 1.0?

Might have to copy you on that setup. I think the original 300k mile radiator in my Insight just keeps up with that K24 on the highway when it is 85 out. Runs about 201 F at 80 MPH with the AC going. Around town it is perfectly fine slowly climbs to 203 where the fan comes on then drops down to 186 when the fan kicks off.

I wonder if the TSX radiator fits.... OR maybe that Fit radiator has provisions for the second ECT sensor?