crexsi

Recently just picked up a shell, the shell was in the middle of getting prepared for an H series swap. The floor for the shift linkage & cables were cut but the motor mounts were never messed with.

Now, I need opinions, plan on going back to D/B series style shift linkage, should it be ok like this or would it be worth cutting a section out of another shell and having someone weld/seal it in?

I have mixed opinions, as you can see in the picture the bolts to hold the shift linkage from d/b are still there but i'm worried about it being weak due to it being cut so close to the holes.

Even though I tried to bend the metal with vise grips and its pretty damn strong, it must be like 2/3 layers of metal there.

What do you guys think?

S!K TEG

try having someone weld in a piece of metal.
OR

If you can, get a new cut out layer from a 5 speed car, then cut out that layer size from your car and have it welded in.

TomCat39

I'd be like you and be worried about the strength from the cut. If I had the time and the money, I'd find that section in another car, cut it out and have it welded into my project car.

The peace of mind would be worth the effort, cost and time in my opinion.

crexsi

This.

This is exactly what I'm thinking. Already contacted a buddy of mine that is scrapping a 5 speed EG Coupe. Does anyone know if coupes and hatches have the same flooring with the shifter?

NVturbo

Looks like a "HALFASS" job. Good luck.

crexsi

Agreed, but the shell is in pristine condition and would be worth the repair. Also can get the replacement cutout probably for free. We'll see how much it's going to run for a local place to weld / seal it in.

tony_2018

Ok so if doing an h swap, and its a cable tranny, where do the cables come in?

EpHatchy

HES probably going h2b.

crexsi

If you're talking about the cables from the shiftlinkage then if you look in the picture you'll see a second hold above the big one. That's where the cables would go.

Well, the shell was getting prepped for an H swap, but i will be going do B/D depending on price.

tony_2018

Okay so are you guys tellin him to cover up the hole where the d/b-series shift linkage goes? It shouldn't matter but unless road noise gets rediculous than yeah I would cover it. Body rigidness?? I think it should be fine.

crexsi

Yeah it shouldn't matter but I'm going to look into the pricing anyway to see how much it is to get it fixed. Looking to get the interior painted anyway.

Emeraldbomber

I have an h swap in mine done by me. I had to cut the floor all to ****. I just rewelded panels back on the bottomside. Nothing to be replacing a shell over. Just get some thicker gauge sheet metal and weld it up. Piece of cake.

94EG8

Yes. They're the same.

crexsi

Yep, going to cut out the section of the floor this weekend out of a 94 ex coupe. Just gotta get a price for a place to weld & seal it in.

Thank you.

HiProfile

Honestly I wouldn't bother, just seal the exposed metal edges. The two nuts needed to mount the D/B shift linkage are still welded on. The only reason to weld the holes up would be to seal out wind & water, and even then it's only noticeable in winter. I had an EF that I did an auto to manual swap on, and it left about the same sized gap. I used sheetmetal & caulk that could take freezing temps (DD for winter) and it was just fine.

The picture below was taken from Hondatuning's DIY H22 swap into an EG, showing the same spot right before cutting. As you can see, your car isn't missing much metal at all. It's the SIDES of the tunnel that give any chassis rigidity, so it's only cosmetic.

crexsi

I agree with you and if it's super expensive to replace and get welded/sealed in then i might just said **** it.

BUT i'm worried about that area getting weakened overtime from shifting hard. This car is going to be used for track/shows. NEVER rain or snow. It really comes down to what a shop says and how much. I plan on getting the interior re-painted so if it's not a hassle for them to pop that in there before hand that would be awesome.

GoldieWang

my ek hatch carpet was getting soaked when I drove in heavy rain. come to find out the shifter boot that attaches to the body was off the seal. sealed it up...no more leak so yeah leaving that hole would be a bad idea

JUST READ WHERE HE SAID HE WOULDNT BE IN THE RAIN SO NEVERMIND LOL