Another cheap rx8...

For sure! 

Once it runs and drives, it's get the bugs out.  Then it's get the ac working.  Then its the subframe.  Then it's a rotary muffler!

Update....  not much in the way of pictures unfortunately. 

Friday night I had my wiring pretty much laid out with what I thought I needed to do.  Did a bunch of lengthening and shortening wires and running them to where they go to check length, etc.  

Saturday, I spent a good 7 hours connecting everything and getting all the systems ready for first attempted start.  

Okay, I plug in the battery for the first time since I have owned this car.  I can tell that the original engine failure occurred on the side of the road, at night, in a heavy rain.  I can surmise this because the hazards are on, the wipers are running full speed and the headlights are on!

No smoke out of anything.  However, flashing red light on the dash for the immobilizer system.  Hmmm....  I didn't do anything with that system.  I got 2 keys.  Tried them both.  Nothing.  I can hear a relay click when I turn the key.  No voltage anywhere.

I then hurry up and get cleaned up to go out for my birthday.  Let's just day that my brain was preoccupied with getting first start accomplished.  My brain was working overtime on what it could be!

I woke up the next morning and head to the garage.  I start looking at all the tricks people have tried to get the immobilizer system to work.  I even found out there is a way to get codes directly from the system that tell you what isn't happy.  Turns out, it was an entire lack of communication.  Hmmm..

I start looking at wiring to see what isn't plugged in.  I took a guess and started checking fuses.  I did find a bad fuse!  It was the 20 Amp engine fuse.  Weird.

I replaced the engine fuse and tried the key again.  Same code.  Huh, weird.

I did some checking of wiring and couldn't find anything.  I found that a black wire with white stripe is supposed to be the power to the immobile system (as well as a bunch of other systems).  Hmmm..  let me start there and see if it has power.  

Nope.  However, weirdly it has continuity to ground!  Uh, not good.  Lemme trace that out....  oh..  um...  well, that ground I added to the bundle of black wires is ....welll....  um soldered to the black and white wire that passes through the bundle.  Whoops!

Clip that ground off, replace the fuse again and try the key.  NO immobilizer faults!  Yay!  

Say a little prayer and turn the key.  It cranks!  It sounds like it's cranking evenly and acceptably.  However, no fire.  Poop.

I remove a spark plug wire and put a spare spark plug in it to check spark.  Crank it over...   nothing.  Poop.

I check the power supply to the gm ecu.  Nothing.  I had added a relay and a small fuse block to supply power to the gm electronics.  I got power to the relay.  I got switched power at the relay.  I have ground.  Nothing coming out.  Huh.  I tried a spare relay.  Nothing.  What the fu.....

I take a relay out of the racecar for the fuel pump.  I checked that the fuel pump ran before I removed it.  I plug that relay into my wiring contraption....   power!   Yay!

I then climb back into the car to try to start again.  No start, but I do have lots of spark now!  Yay!

I then went and hooked up a pressure gauge to the fuel rail.  It was obvious I didn't have fuel before even checking for pressure since the line was still bone dry leading to the fuel rail.

And, if you were expecting a first start report, you will need to wait!  That's where I left it before heading to see my family for my birthday.

TL;DR...  found some electrical gremlins and made great progress.  However, I still don't have fuel to the rail.  Gonna investigate tonight and see if I can get some internal combustion!

Once I have 1st start, there is a long list of stuff to do before I can drive it.  

Put coolant in it

Tidy up the wiring 

Mount ecu, relay, fuseblock

Do a quick alignment

Big one...  fabricate exhaust.

I will probably update this thread every day over the next few days.  I am getting motivated again!

Im excited!!

Not sure if I can upload a short video...

It runs!  Had a bad ground wire for some reason.

It started right up, idled, and responded to the throttle pedal!

Tach even works!

Yay!

Now for all the details.  Ugh.

In reply to wvumtnbkr :

Yay! Congrats!

Congrats on the running! Put me down for the 60degree v6 mazda club, 3.8l v6 in an Rx8 in Australia, I'm still getting mine running but racecar so less accessories. 

2Girlsracing (Steffi) said:

Congrats on the running! Put me down for the 60degree v6 mazda club, 3.8l v6 in an Rx8 in Australia, I'm still getting mine running but racecar so less accessories. 

Cool swap!  I don't think I've heard of throwing a 3800 into an rx8!

However, to be pedantic, the 3800 is a 90 degree v6, not a 60 degree.  Not that it matters, because the Trans and starter and everything bolt up the same.  However, you can't mix and match parts with the 3800 versus the 60 degree v6.

Learn something new every day! I always thought the were 60 for some reason. It was a spare motor for the wingless sprintcar 

Made a battery mount and ecu mount.

Horrible pics, I know.  Everything is getting tight!

I also tightened up the diff drain bolt which has been leaking a bit.

The exhaust is kicking my butt.  I need to drop the engine down to get access to the header bolts.  Then I can weld the 90s on the end of the collectors, put everything back in and put the engine back in place.

Stuff has been happening!

Step one of attaching an exhaust is of course to remove the engine...

12 bolts and the entire subframe and engine and everything comes out the bottom!  You can see the engine is sitting about 8 inches lower than its normal position.

Now I have access to the headers.  Got them out.  Added 90s to the ends and vband clamps.

Then, I was able to create an entire exhaust back to the stock muffler.  Yay!

That's where I ended for today.  Exhaust is complete and installed.

Small list of stuff to do before first drive:

Make rad support hose.
Wrap wires by starter
Mount ecu (need rubber washers) 
Mount small fuse panel
Mount relay.
Alignment
Connect steering shaft
Connect swaybar
Mount abs wires
Tighten strut top bolts
Clean interior
Install overflow bottle.

At it again this morning.

Current list to do before first drive:

Alignment
Connect steering shaft
Mount abs wires
Connect swaybar
 Clean interior

Got the stuff done!

First drive was successful!  Steering wheel is a bit off.  And it pops out of 3rd gear (probably from my internal shift boot).

It does crazy burnouts! (Not much for witness marks) the tires are old and hard!  

I am sooo stoked!

I need to get insurance and registered so I can drive it regularly and get some miles on it.

That is absolutely berkeleying fantastic to see! The question is does it feel fast?

It is quick.  Not fast exactly.  It puts you in the seat, but doesn't blur your vision like 50o hp would.

I'm gonna enjoy this for awhile!

What tires?  Track days and autocross are happening.  But, so is taking the kids to school in the rain! 

Also, the radio, display, and horn aren't working.  Gotta figure that out for sure!

Id say continental extremes. The all season one was awesome on my p5.

I now have an exhaust rattle.  I think my vbands might be a touch loose now that they have heat cycled.

I drove it with my neighbor.

I drive it with my family.

I drove it to get air in the tires and gas.

I drove it to the grocery store.

I drove it to a different gas station to get some supplies for tomorrow morning.

Everything works except air bag, radio, display, and horn.

It has lights for dsc,  low oil, engine, and low battery.  Those are all expected given the swap I did.

The tach, oil pressure, water temp, and speedometer all work as they should.

Car seems to be good!  I might drive it to work tomorrow!

Oh, I added it to our insurance and dropped 29 off our policy.  Should have done that a year ago!  That is with geico and even saying the engine is modified.

Stoked to hear about the first drive! Well done

Car is now insured, registered, and has a plate on it!

Drove it around with the kiddos a bit today.

Got the radio working!  

The abs light and horn situation are related to the clockspring being fubared (the kids, and me, were steering the car ALOT with it disconnected from the steering rack).  Whoops.

I tried to order an adapter for the radio to do Bluetooth, but I can't find one for my version of radio software (9.50).  They are all 9.55 or higher.

Poop.

Stuff to make it great:

Fix the serpentine belt situation (it's riding a bit weird on the crank pulley).

Fix the clockspring and redo the alignment (it's a bit touchy at highway speeds).

Wire in the reverse lights.

Put a new shift boot on the shifter (the one I used got pinched and is already torn).

Find a way to plumb in the ac compressor and charge it.

Get new tires.

Get some way to use my phone in the car for audio / calls.  Might need to Pony up for a legit touchscreen radio.

Bring it up here and I'll put one hell of a stereo in it for you. Also we have an AC shop up here that specializes in street rods and adapting stuff for engine swaps and that kind of thing. I'm sure there's got to be one nearer to you than Charlotte but if there's not I'll give you his number