Planning: Auto to Manual Swap - Honda Prelude Forum

conjur · 04-03-2008, 04:39 PM

Ok, I know this topic has been beat to death, and there are tons of howtos, and guides on this, but I just wanted to run it through 1 last time to make sure I'm not missing anything:

I currently own a 1999 BB6 automatic base

I purchased a wrecked 1997 manual base

I plan on putting the M2Y4 transmission from the 97 into my 99, in september. I have a location picked out, with most of the tools I will need, a stage1 clutch kit on order (will be there in time for the swap)

What other random odds and ends am I going to need, so I can order them ahead of time?

I am armed with:
a full helms manual
the swap guide (Mazmo.com 5spd Swap)
and a fairly decent grasp on engine operation.

From the swap guide, here is the parts list:

[x] Helms Manual (VERY IMPORTANT) Helm Inc
[x] Transmissions Assembly (97+)
[x] Trans mounts-side (donor car)
[x] Engine Mount-rear (rear is optional-the rear auto mount will work) (donor car)
[x] Flywheel and bolts (coming with the clutch kit)
[x] Clutch Kit and bolts
[x] Clutch Master Cylinder (donor car)
[x] Clutch Slave Cylinder (donor car)
[ ] Clutch Dampener (donor car?)
[x] Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS) (donor car)
[x] Reverse Switch (donor car)
[x] Hydrolic Lines (donor car)
[x] 5spd Starter (donor car)
[x] Clutch Pedal Assembly (donor car)
[x] Brake Pedal Assembly (donor car)
[x] Shifter Assembly (donor car)
[x] Shift linkage (donor car)
[x] Auto ECU or 5speed ECU (donor car)
[x] 5spd Intermediate shaft (half-shaft) (donor car)
[x] 5spd Gauge Cluster (optional) (donor car)
[ ] Cotter Pins (assorted sizes)
[ ] Assorted Nuts and Bolts

Questions:
1) what exactly is the Clutch Dampener? I'm guessing that he's refering to the Damper, but I would prefer as few costly last minute suprizes as possible =)
2) Seals/Mandatory replacement parts: since I will have the cars spread out, what seals, and cheap parts would be good to replace, since I won't have the engine out again for a year or so?

Long term: once I get the 99 drivable, I will be putting the 97 block and head through some long term maintenence (darton sleeves, cp pistons, eagle rods, sk2 complete head- trying to make a bulletproof non-race engine, that still puts out a decent 350hp. Emissions do not concern me, as I live in a state with no emissions tests whatsoever (they don't even check to see if you have headers, let alone a cat)
Not that it matters, but even further down the road, I'd like to go with a p72+s300, and a built in management computer (already got the laptop and the touchscreen monitor, just gotta find somewhere to hide them). I'm starting to like the management computer idea. if I can fit my 10" touchscreen somewhere usefull, I can replace the radio, with windows media player (already have the lines ran from the amps, with 2x 1/8" jacks for front and rear)

sorry for babeling and getting off topic (in my own thread no less!)

I will deffinately keep you guys up to date, and post a complete log of the swap (with pics, and maybe a video or 2)

V/r,
Michael J Cunningham

Artifex · 04-03-2008, 05:59 PM

Lemme guess, this is Emilee's donor car?

This is a great post. I might add it to the FAQ.

One thing you definitely need to watch out for is the ECU swap. You will have immobilizer issues unless to do this "the right way". Keep your current ECU, and do this instead: Honda-Tech.com: Honda Prelude: The official auto to manual ECU conversion thread

Artifex · 04-03-2008, 06:01 PM

Oh one more thing to all the PO.com users:

I will gladly convert your ECU from auto to manual for you for just $10+ return shipping. I am very experienced at solder work. I would do it for free, but I am so busy nowadays I need a little something to reimburse my time.

Solid · 04-03-2008, 07:05 PM

That's the same guide that was used for my car.

You will need a pedal bracket from a donor car or fab. something similar up. Or else the clutch pedal will break. http://www.preludeonline.com/f60/i-n...owners-227776/

Speed Stick · 04-03-2008, 07:17 PM

^Yeah thats recommended. I made sure I got mine reinforced. That picture scared me

conjur · 04-03-2008, 10:52 PM

Atrifex- yes, the donor car is from Emileew. There is alot more I will be swaping out, but the auto to manual swap is the "meat" of this cheeseburger. For the ECU, I was planning on changing out the lock cylinders and imob unit with the donor car, and just using those keys, to try to avoid this problem. Long term fix will be an AEM EMS or P72+s300, but that is a year+ down the road from the swap. Other solution would be to pull the imob sender out, and duct tape one of the donor car keys in it, and completely disable the system... shrug

Solid- Thank you for the heads up, I've seen a couple of threads about this one, and already planned on either 1) cutting the original mount out, and re-tacking it to my car, or 2) fabricating a bracket from angle-iron to do the same job.

Also, on the interior part- Has anyone pulled off a 10" touchscreen in the center console yet? I really hate to do it, but I'm thinking about hacking up emilee's, to try to make it fit. I plan on putting a hp laptop under the center console, with a couple of remoted USB cables, for other stuff. That way I'll be able to do audio, gps, radar detection, and front-end engine management (monitoring, and tuning) from the same computer, and I can do all of the programming myself...

I'm thinking about putting the monitor inplace of the cupholder, but I will have to widen it a bit, to make it fit. I might have to go asfar as having a local fab shop make a mold for it, to hold the rubber-ish leather-type stuff that surrounds the cup holder, otherwise it will look cheap and poorly installed.

peace
Mike

Artifex · 04-03-2008, 11:24 PM

Your immobilizer solution sounds complicated -- I strongly recommend the ECU conversion.

Man you are really going all out. Good for you; I hope everything goes well.

conjur · 04-04-2008, 01:08 AM

The ECU Conversion is not a true solution- it just disables CEL's from the TCM.. but then again, I guess that is all I really need until I get a real EMS...

And, this has been about 5 years running now, (3 of the years I was out of the US), and I have had ALOT of time away from my car to think about it.

While I am in the US, I do alot of cross country road trips, and I like to have a little bit of fun on the way... I mean.. who hasn't tried to break 170mph coming down off of the mountains in southern w.virginia?

My longterm goal is a single laptop running everything possible in the car, with a CLEAN, factory-look install. On the engine side, I'm shooting for a modest 300hps, consisting of bulletproof hp. IE, sleeves, pistons, rods; full head, and a turbonetics pushing around 6-7 psi. I realize that I will be paying alot, but my personal goal is an extremely reliable car, that I can still have fun it, and get decent gas milage.

peace
Mike

tonycsd · 05-26-2011, 04:04 PM

yoo im new to this, im ****ing lost lol, how do i post something to try and get help? mm well i have a 97 stock base prelude, its been said that theyre at 190 hp but am going to swap it to stick, will it give me the 195 hp the stick has?