Carbon Fiber Center Console - Honda Prelude Forum

mtbprelude · 03-26-2004, 09:48 PM

Aight: I've wanted an oil temp and an oil pressure guage in my car for awhile now... to monitor how the car is surviving the auto-x's and my "spirited" driving, and I DO NOT want A-pillar gauges.

I started here:

This is my comprehensive review of what I did to a) install my gauges, b) fabricate a custom center consol panel and c) keep my stereo deck in roughly the same place. I'm willing to help a few people out by building one for them, if interested pm me.

Parts/ Supplies and approximately how much it costs:

1 - Rigid Twill 5.5"x11.5" Raceplate from MacLean Quality Composites (MQC) $35 shipped
1 - Greddy/Trust Oil Filter/Block Adapter from dragracing.com $62 shipped
1 - Nordskog Digital Oil Temperature Gauge Temp Gauge - $70
and S8013 Sender Unit senders $16
1 - Nordskog Digital Oil Pressure GaugePressure Gauge - $70
and S8014 Sender Unit senders - $40
1 - 6607 series Oil filter (Fram DG6607 - $9 @ Wal-Mart)
1 - Oil Catch Pan ($6 @ Wal-Mart)
1 - 5 Litre Bottle of Mobil1 10W-30 (or 5W-30 if you live in the south - $18 @ Wal-mart)
4 - 25' Spools 18 AWG stranded wire Black, Red, and 2 other colors) - $20
1 - Small box of ring connectors w/ 14-20AWG crimp end - $1.20
1 - Small box 14-20 AWG butt connectors - $1.20
1 - 10 AWG Quick Release Spade Connector (Female)
1 - Roll electric Tape - $.99

Also needed/ things you should have:
1 - 2 ton jack (minimum)
2 - Jack Stands
1 - Complete 3/8's socket set.
1 - 3/8" Box wrench
1 - GOOD torque wrench
1 - Phillips Head Screwdriver
1 - Dremel with Kevlar cutting wheel, drill bit and Cylinder grinding bit
1 - Metric Ruler
1 - piece non-corrugated cardboard (Beer case box works well)
1 - Compass and pencil
1 - Wire coat hanger
1 - Bic or other cheapo lighter
1 - Sharpie
1 - Sharp Razor/Xacto Blade
1 - Tub of Hi-Temp Grease
1 - Tub of Gojo hand scrub

The Process: This may seem overly simplified...it is, because I might forget steps otherwise, and I don't want someone trying this without going step by step.

The easiest part:
1) Jack up front of car.
2) Brace with Jack stands.
3) Turn Car on and let idle for 5 minutes.
4) Turn Off Car. (Let sit 5 minutes if you are a wuss and don't like HOT things)
5) Loosen Oil Pan Bolt.
6) Let Oil Drain into Catch Pan.
7) Remove Oil Filter (let oil filter drain into catch pan too)
8) Seal Oil Catch Pan (Take to Auto-zone later)

Assembling the oil block adapter:
9) Remove the 2 3/8's inch plugs from the Block adapter.
10) Screw the Oil Pressure sender into the block adapter tightly (I think it is preferable to use the hole opposite the Greddy logo).
11) Remove the adapter bolt cover from the Oil Temperature Sender.
12) Screw Oil Temperature Sender into Block adapter (should be 90 degrees to Pressure sender) Imagestation pic of assembled adapter on top of clutch boxes
13)Pic oil filter mounting bolt extender that:
A - Fits your block
B - Fits Filter #6607
C - It has the longer oil filter mating thread surface

Assembling the leads from the senders
Temperature sender.
14) Cut a 7' length of 1 of your non-red/black 18AWG wire. 7 ft is alot. But it is easier to rim than to graft back on, and allows more comfortable work later on.
15) Strip the coating from 1 end
16) Crimp a ring connector to that end.
17) Wrap the crimp in electric tape.
18) Using a lighter, lightly melt the tape around connection. LIGHTLY PYRO!!
19) Use the 3/8" box wrench to loosen the nut on the sender.
20) Slide the Ring connector over the lead and re tighten nut.
Oil Pressure Sender:
21) Do the same thing for 1 of the 2 poles on the bottom of the oil pressure sender. It does not matter which pole you choose for this model sender.
22) For the other pole, cut a 16" long BLACK wire. Strip both ends and attach ring connectors. Do the electric tape and flame sealing. Attach 1 ring to the remaining pole on the sender. This is your sender GROUND

You should now have the block adapter with senders, two 7ft wires, and one 16in wire hanging off.

Mounting Block adapter in old oil filter location:
23) Gently rub a THIN Hi-Temp Grease layer onto the double O-rings, then Gently Rub a light coating of Mobil 1 onto the double O-rings.
24) With the O-Rings Facing the Block Install Block adapter at old filter location.
I recommend that the Temperatur Guage Stick Straight up towards the Intake Manifold, and the Pressure Sender Points at the tranny. So Greddy can be read on driver side of adaptor.
25) Screw Oil Filter Mount (I think it was a 1 1/16th Socket to 30lb-ft) onto old oil filter mount.
26) Screw #6607 Filter Onto new filter mount, hand tighten 7/8ths turn after O-ring/Gasket seats on Block adapter
27) Double check Oil Pan Bolt is Torqued to spec. (33ftlb)
28) Refill engine oil with Mobil 1 (4.3L or 4.5 USqt)
29) Pull/Push/Thread 2 non-black/red wires through engine bay.
30) Take SENDER GROUND wire and route to any bolt on engine or tranny you can find. I used a chassis suspension support, but in hindsight I recomend using a tranny cover bolt because it is a shorter distance and it doesn't have to travel over the header.

Getting through the firewall:
If you are like me and do not have the patience to coat hanger wires through existing grommets you can always drill holes. EGADDD!!!
31) Find your throttle Cable
32) Follow it back to the firewall. See the large area of open space to the left, that comes out just below and left of your throttle pedal. See the mount that holds your throttle and cruise control cables? It is held to the firewall by a single 10mm bolt.
33) Take it out.
34) Now using your drill bit and your Dremel Carefully drill a hole right where the firewall has a small valley. CAREFULLY I SAID!!!
35) Once you are through the metal of the firewall, stick a wire coat hanger through, look under the dash and find the coat hanger. Now you have sort of located where things will come out in the passenger cabin.
36) Take a Cylinder Grinding Bit and widen the hole to 1/8"
37) Thread the 2 (7ft) wires from your block adapter through the hole.

Disassembling the interior:

38) Remove the 8 Phillips Head screws holding the sides of the center console on... Then the 2 at the top of the console under the air vents (they are angled outward)
Now gently lift the cover. See how your shift boot wants to come along?
There are 2 screws that hold it in place, they are facing away from you (being in the drivers or passenger seat)
39) Take them out. Put all the screws some place safe. Make sure you know which 2 came out of the shift boot holder.
40) Remove the 4 screws holding the stereo mount in the dash.
41) Gently pull it out. Disconnect stereo, radio antenna, and cigarette light from harnesses.
42) Pull your 7' wires through your firewall through the gaping hole in your center console and into your passenger seat.
43) Take you whole center console/stereo unit inside.

mtbprelude · 03-26-2004, 09:49 PM

I recommend calling it a day there, but some people would press on...take a shower and GOJO your hands. Get them clean. Ok, now that you are clean:

44) Remove the trim piece with attached pocket from console mont.
45) Useing your mm ruler measure the slot where the radio goes (Mine was 188mm x 108mm)

Template making:
46) Using a straight edge draw a rectangle that according to your measurements on your piece of cardboard
47) Cut it out.
48) Place it into hole. You will have to "round" the corners to make it fit.

Placing the stereo and gauges:
49) I put and recommend the stereo on the bottom. For a few reasons: c/f is rigid enough to support the stereo in the higher location, but you will need to find additional ways to brace it inside the dash. If you put it on the bottom, it in turn will support the guages.
50) Remove the exterior trim from the stereo.
51) With the metal sleeve on, slide it into the stereo mount and push it all the way down. You will find that a lip will catch and hold it in place.
52) Measure the size the stereo (Mine was 77mm x 49mm)
53) Notice there is a gap between the stereo and the mount. (Mine: 6mm) On the sides and the bottom of the stereo
54) Draw your stereo cut out on the template. Verify your measurements with your drawing.
55) Cut out your stereo head slot.
56) Verify that it fits in the stereo mount, and the deck head
57) Determine where you want the guages. Using the compass and pencil draw circles. Cut them out. Make sure that you don't overlap with the stereo, and remember that the gauges have bezels.

Cutting the Carbon Fiber
58) I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH the importance of test fitting everything. Test Fit. TEST FIT TEST FIT. 3-4 times.
59) Are you sure the carboard fits in the mount? Does it fit around stereo? The guages? All without buckling/bending or tearing?
60) Trace onto carbon fiber plate.
61) Double check fit
62) Using the Kevlar cutting wheel and the dremel cut out for the guages, well inside the lines. Use a cylinder grinding wheel to sand it down to the lines.
63) Go SLOWLY and TEST FIT and TEST FIT AGAIN.
64) You may have to sand/grind semicircular grooves in the top of the stereo mount Do so carefully. Dremels are tough to control sometimes.

Install in car:
65) Screw stereo mount back in
66) Reconnect stereo and slide it in.
67) Push carbon fiber plate into center console.
68) Pull sender wire through each of your 2 gauges holes. Make sure you know which one goes with which gauge.
69) Using butt connectors graft them onto the appropriate leads from the gauges.
70) Graft a 18" Black wire with a ring connector to the grounding wires on each gauge.
71) Graft a 4' red (power) wire to the red power leads on the back of the guages.
NOTE: If you want your guages to dim with your headlights on, you need to splice into the +12V dimmer power.
72) Pull the ground wires and power wires through the gauge mount holes.
73) Underneath the center console is a chassis ground for the dash, loosen it (10mm bolt) place 2 guage grounds on bolt and re-tighten.
74) Run Power wires through drivers footwell, below carpet, or above steering column (so it does'nt interfere with feet/pedals) to the drivers side fuse panel.
75) Plug both power wires into the same 10AWG Spade quich connector.
76) Plug spade connector onto Option Jack #4 (Its the top right jack, its usually hidden by a yellow wiring loom, which you can pull aside)
77) Slide Gauges into their respective dash holes.
78) Reassemble center console cover, and shift boot attachment.
79) Start the car, as the stereo comes on, so should they guages. Make sure they are reading correctly.
80) Drive around, make sure they continue to read.

And soon it'll look like this:

And now you are done. I was making up this process as I went along. SO, there are no pictures, because I often changed the process, and started over with a section or changed things. I typed this out of memory, and with the most straight forward processes for ease. It is ALOT of work. If I think of more or different steps I will add it in.
The CF plate connection is:

Adam Weeks
MacLean Quality Composites-RacePlates
Phone: 801-565-8003 ext. 124
Email: adamw@macqc.com
Hours: 7:00-5:30 MST
Your source for ultra high quality, customizable carbon fiber panels:

MacLean Quality Composites - Raceplates website

Same guy/company that makes the 5th gens sunroof plugs