Oh ****, another idiot asking about RWD conversions.

Yes and no, this one is more for the tech/mech/fab savvy guys on here.

So, the infamous RWD conversion: its been done with S2000 drivetrain, J-Series in an S2k, and various B-series cars with the use of a wagovan or CR-V transmission (excluding the pro's using the G-Force trans), and been pondered by many a broke and ignorant Honda kid.

But I had a thought, inspired from some other thread I was trolling through. So, and this is all just an idea, what if you were to use a Porsche 914 trans-axle with a modified driveshaft/torque tube and an adaptor plate from the guys over at Kennedy Engineering? Would it be expensive, yes. Easy, probably not. But I think it would be a damn cool project seeing as these items aren't very expensive and the weight distribution would be a plus for us guys who like to use the steering wheel every once in awhile.

What say you guys? Im pretty sure the transaxle would have to be flipped because of the rotation of (for example) a B-series motor. The shift linkage and suspension would have to be reworked. Mounts would have to be modified, exhaust tunnel would have to be cut/rewelded to fit the drive shaft. Custom rear axles, maybe modified 914 axles?

 

Im not sure why everyone like doing a FR setup. It seems that putting the engine in the back is Wayyyyyyy easier to do on most hondas. And then you have the option of keeping an engine in the front too! Twin engined all wheel drive ftmfw!

 

engine in the back involves more fab work from what ive seen. not to mention theres a lot more stuff to keep aligned and straight so the car will track right. twin engine IMO isn't a good idea, theres no way the two motors can run the same. They wont be in the same condition, theres different stress on front and rear (i.e. during launches), and trying to calibrate them to begin with so you aren't pushing/pulling one pair of wheels along. Not to mention the different variables such as exhaust backpressure, intake air availability, etc etc

 

twin engines just share the load. half the stress on either one (or stress reduction proportional to the power differential between the two) i agree it's not a very practical way to get AWD and extra power... only worth the time if you have all the stuff laying around already and enjoy kooky projects.

your original proposition has crossed my mind before. however to keep things a little more do-able I imagined using a J-series up front and as close to the firewall as feasible with the Porsche transaxle in back and a torque tube of undetermined origin connecting them. All of this under a CG ('98 to '02 Accord). it's got adequate hood clearance for the taller motor since it came with them from the factory, a fairly large "tunnel" (would still need clearancing but not as much as other platforms), and a fully unitized rear subframe and suspension with a five-link setup. just substitute a fuel cell in the trunk in place of the tank occupying your new transaxles location, fabricate custom hub carriers and the rest is just fine details.

 

I dont know if the porsche transaxle could handle that amount of torque. As far as the torque tube, ive looked around and the Porsche 928 tube seems to be fairly plentiful on ebay. The thing that i like about this idea though, is that with the Kennedy adapter plates, you could realistically use whichever motor you wanted, B/D/H/F/J/K, and have it sent to the rear.