The SP18 project

[chicaboo]

Engine swap sounds easy enough for Tim then. So the transmission swap should be even easier for me. My worry is having to get new rego on the car I'm on-selling because the record may reflect a different transmission type?

[twilightprotege]

swapping engines is easy to have passed by qld transport....if the engine was available in the car (and that is anywhere in the world). if it was not, then you require an engineer approval

[chipa]

As long as the item is 'standard' on that car it is quite easy, just ring the correct authorities and give them the details. I haven't had any problems ever in vic. Only been involved with one swap in nsw and it was passed straight through. No new rego just changed the details for the current rego.

[Laser the Amazer]

Originally Posted by ahb11m

usually for an engine swap ya go in for a blue slip i think it is - i'll check another time

you tell the machanic you swapped it for another engine of the same series etc and they open the engine bay go yes there is an engine ...yay... i'm excited.... tick tick tick... now piss off...

take form to state dept. wait for 4 hours to get served pay and zoom zoom

you don't need a full blue slip, you need what is known as an adjustment of records, we never have an issue at work and this is when we are doing like post 2000 Model Cars.

Rob

[platypus]

thank god i was waiting for someone to roll in... there was a reason i said i wasn't a 100% sure

so you do still need a mechanics approval?

[chicaboo]

At lunch I went to see a place that does Safety Certificates, and they said a transmission swap requires a Modification Plate with an Engineer's inspection. Which will set me back $180ish in addition to the Safety Certificate...

If I can find a manual Titanium Grey Astina on the market, I might just buy that and swap over the bodykit and go-fast bits, then sell the car with the auto and sunroof. Nate tells me I can pay to have my retro plates upgraded so I can transfer them to any other car indefinately.

If I can't find a manual version of mine, then I can do the transmission swap next month off any old BJII manual. The hardest part will be the wiring loom off the ECU, as it differs to the manual loom. It's just a straight swap over, but then trees have deep roots...

Gav.

[chicaboo]

Update:

I've had the manual for a week and a half now, and have taken advantage of the long weekend to get into changing over the mods. I worked on Friday so didn't get anything done then, and yesterday I mainly just bought things to assist in the change over. But today I got the scuffplates/door sills, egg rings and rear sway bar done. I know it doesn't sounds like much, but it all adds up and these things were bloody intricate and took a great deal of time...
Last weekend Andrew came and helped me out with the cams, the manual was a breeze, but the gay auto was a classic pain in the arse as it was when they were first fitted. I did the leads/plugs at the same time. I didn't notice much difference, but remember that the auto only had a 2.4kW gain no matter what I did until the bottleneck was removed in the exhaust... So I'm expecting a majour difference when the exhaust goes across to the manual this week. I'm thinking the big Tamborine/Hinterland cruise will really open things up due to the long drive. If not, there is something fundamentally different between the auto and manual ECU's.
I posted this under another thread, but the instrument cluster contains the km's travelled readings, so I had to take the clusters apart and remove/reaplce the egg rings and leave the clusters in their own car's...
Perhaps the most pathetic but hardest thing at the moment is swapping over the stereos now. Does anyone know how to remove the headunits? It looks like they is 2 slots top and bottom where a took is poked in that let's it slide out.

Take it easy,
Gav.

[Cosmo Dude]

Originally Posted by chicaboo

Does anyone know how to remove the headunits? It looks like they is 2 slots top and bottom where a took is poked in that let's it slide out.
Gav.

I think the beer kicked in about here :lol:

Mazda H/U have two holes either side........... Aw f@#k I'll take some pics

[chicaboo]

Haha, I should proof read these things, thanks for the careful observation old fella. And I don't think it was the beer, might've been the blood still not got back to my hands from laying upside down with the arms up in the air for so long... Either that or I really is turning into a Chicaboo...

Yah mon,
Gav.

[Cosmo Dude]

Ok,
The first pic shows the coat hanger and final removal tool.

Don't be a fool use the right tool

Second shows where the tool goes (one per side) to remove the standard H/U
You must get it straight...

*edit*
I've added a third, it's the instructions from the BA workshop manual. The sst is what I made in the first pic.

[platypus]

yes thats the one, use mister t to get the HU out....



bump and another post for me


oh and easiest thing i found to trim the wire was the side cutters on the SIDE of blunt nosed pliers.... works v. well you may want to run a file over the sharp edge too

[twilightprotege]

there is an easier way to remove the hu. will show you chica

[chicaboo]

thanks twigga. But I don't see nothin' yet...?
Not sure how to get those verticle covers off to access the holes for the coat hanger though... Do I peel them from the top until something gives?

Mr. T eh, he's the ultimate Chicaboo!

[platypus]

jewelers screwdrivers are your friend... nuff said

[pr1mo]

"i pity the fool' :P

[chicaboo]

Update:

Went to a friends house where he has an air compressor and rattle gun, YAY, got the farken alloys off and swapped around finally. The manual car does not have as good suspension as the auto does, it is bouncier, so I am now thinking after the springs are on it's gonna be total arse now. Thinking about replacing the struts...
Could not get the headunits out with the coat hanger method, or the remove centre part of the farken dashboard method... I could get the left hand side (it's right) of the to budge, but since the other side wouldn't come out, I got nowhere... So another trip to Mazda with both cars to see if some farker there can do the swap and reinstate the pin code for the one I don't know.
Errr, exhaust will have to happen later in the week, or perhaps next week? I need sealant and a helping hand to do this, and it looks like a get it up on a hoist job...
The sideskirts are being removed and the sills repainted on the auto tomorrow/Wednesday. I will need to drive the manual car in on Wednesday to fit the sideskirts. Also getting a Pillar masking replaced on the manual where it has been roughed up badly by some farker...
It's not likely the car will be finished for the cruise on saturday, I have a few things on the way from the US too, ie: shortshifter and bushings, twilight enhanced Injen intake, and those bloody springs I've been waiting forever for... Undecided about the engine mounts as yet, but they are annoying me and I will need to do something about them to firm them up.

Gav.

[twilightprotege]

leave the radios. i'll get it out on saturday for you. it's piss easy

[chicaboo]

Good luck with that. Remind me to give you your workshop manual back too that you left here...

[twilightprotege]

yeah i figured you still had it when i went to look for it today

[chicaboo]

It's in good hands, it's currently holding up all my technical building manuals and span loading tables...