JDM Front DB J32A2 Tip Tronic Build
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647 Posts
Update time, sorry for the lack of pictures recently, I've been too focused on getting stuff done to grab the camera with my greasy hands haha. Anyways, today was a busy day for me, got my alignment this morning, then went and got my kteller 3" exhaust put on by my buddy who works at the local exhaust shop. From there I went to the DMV and registered my car, got it tagged, insured, and then went and got an inspection. I must say, I have some kinks to work out but it runs good. Apparently my tach adapter from Don @ RPM Systems was one of the misprogrammed ones, no biggie, he is taking care of me as we speak, no questions asked, once again, highly recommend him. My front driver caliper froze on me one time, but luckily unfroze and hasn't done it again since. Also had an issue with my inline circuit breaker from my battery, replaced it with another one from the house, problem solved. Lastly, and my biggest issue, my speedometer.... I am getting no reading at all on the AP2 cluster, I have the speedohealer, have a direct wire from a9 on my auto ecu going to the wire on the speedohealer, still no reading. I have my ODB scanner hooked up through my phone on Torque and it shows a speed reading so I know my ecu is seeing the speed sensor, just not my cluster...any ideas?
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282 Posts
Not sure what our speedometers are like but maybe the stepper motor is faulty. I know on my old cavalier I soldered one in. Don't know how accessible it is on here. That's going to be my guess.
I'd verify you're getting continuity before the instrument panel and that would dictate the fault is in the circuit or the motor.
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647 Posts
Problem fixed, just needed a calibration loaded into the speedohealer for it to work...duh, thanks Don @ RPM Systems for the help!
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647 Posts
Short update before we get 6-10 inches of snow tomorrow. I have been driving her off and on over the last few months. Some small issues here and there but for the most part it has been running ok, yesterday I finally felt like she was running 100%. I went to go get a tire put on a wheel for my wife's car from a buddy of mine 's work who is a member of our car club, Sick N Twisted Kustoms. It was the first time he had seen the car since it was back on the road, he said to get on it as I left, so I stomped it pulling out, smokes the tires through third gear with ease.... Anyways....here are some current pictures of the car.
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647 Posts
For the right price it could be in your life lol
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2,115 Posts
Have to say I love the uniqueness but the J swap just doesn't make sense to me. Automatic FTL, heavy ass front end FTL (unless drag racing), too much torque to the front wheels FTL (road course, autox, etc), available parts, etc. Just seems like a 'unique' swap with not a lot of practicality.
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647 Posts
I understand you completely. I opted for the j swap to be different. The auto trans paired with the paddle shifters is no loss there, more consistency honestly, makes the car a blast to drive, and even my wife can hop it the car and bang gears and enjoy it. On paper it looks heavier, but honestly, the steering and weight of the front of the car doesn't feel effected any if at all when driving and taking turns, I run the mountain weekly in this car and it is a blast to take around the corners! There is no such thing as too much torque, that is just blasphemy saying that!!! Back to my second sentence, I opted for a j swap to be different, went to a car show once and everywhere I looked was a k swapped civic, and there was a contest to throw a rock and see if you could hit a k swapped civic, well I took my rock, and tossed the hell out of it and wailed a k swapped civic, wanna know what my prize was? A ****ing k swapped civic...I donated it to charity....
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70 Posts
This build is amazing! Making me rethink about a J swap. I've been wanting to do it for a while now. Just need to save a bit of funds.
A few questions: Are you running Don's harness from RPM Systems? If so, how's the quality?
Does that S2K cluster respond well with the J32? I'm wanting to do the same to mine with the B20 in, but if I can keep it with a J32, that'd be sick.
Since you're able to close the hood, how is the oil pan clearance?
Pretty awesome build! There needs to be more of these.
I also believe I remember the difference between a J and K only being about 75lbs. Can't remember where I saw it at.
A few questions: Are you running Don's harness from RPM Systems? If so, how's the quality?
Does that S2K cluster respond well with the J32? I'm wanting to do the same to mine with the B20 in, but if I can keep it with a J32, that'd be sick.
Since you're able to close the hood, how is the oil pan clearance?
Pretty awesome build! There needs to be more of these.
I also believe I remember the difference between a J and K only being about 75lbs. Can't remember where I saw it at.
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647 Posts
Thanks, and honestly overall I feel the swap is cheaper than most other swaps, you can pick up most j motors for $1000 or less from a junkyard, for me this included wiring, half shaft, ecu, and since I was going automatic the junkyard owner (who has become a friend of mine over the years and gives me killer deals and lets me do what I want in his establishment) let me cut the tunnel out of the donor car to get the gear selector assembly as well as the metal it bolted too, I cut large to make sure I got what I needed and then trimmed it when I cut my exhaust tunnel to mount it. The trans can be pricey but no worse than the K trans either, I chose to go auto because you can source those trans a lot easier and cheaper. The harness is a little procey but again, the low cost of motor offsets that price in my mine. For axles you can get the from hasport or insane shafts, I just built my own, chaper and easier to repair if/when that happens down the road. For mounts I went with hasport, same price as any of their other mounts, and then my auto conversion bracket was from Don @ RPM Systems, good stuff there!
I am running Don's harness, tach converter, and auto conversion mount, the more you buy from him, the better the deal, he is a hard working busy man, but a great guy to help you out when you need it, just remember he is teh only person at RPM Systems so he is a busy man. If you look at other builds for J motors people might say his harness looks hacked together, but that is not the case. He uses butt connectors, but they are connectors with solder in them, and heat sealing in them as well, so you put them on, crimp, add heat and they are now soldered and shrink wrapped/water tight, its not just a $.02 butt connector. Also on one of the plugs he has some black goop thrown on there, it is actually to protect the wires from breaking or pulling out of the plug since the plug it is typically on on has about 8 or so wires on it but can accommodate like 30 wires, so that is just a safety precaution, might not look pretty but it is for function and longevity, not to be pretty. I highly recommend him, he is a good ally to have on your side.
I love my ap2 cluster, works great for the swap, with the j32 you don't need the modifry unit, so all you need is a speedohealer, and of course Don's tach adapter so it reads a v6 tach signal. And of course you need roughly a 25ohm resisitor on your fuel level wire so that is more accurate since the resistance levels between the car and the cluster are different, it will never be perfect, but I have no complaints about mine....
I am running egj2 mounts right now on the low setting, Hasport should have never made these mounts, I am this Friday (black Friday) pulling the motor, and notching my frame rail and boxing it in so I can raise my motor up to the higher setting since I have at best a coke can turned sideways for ground clearance from both my oil pan and bottom of my trans. I have to notch my frame rail because of the auto trans being bigger, 5/6 speed don't have that issue. I eventually will get a set of EGJ1 mounts to shoot the motor way above the hood line, but in turn, have the bottom of it above my sub-frame, thus not making it the low part of the car anymore.
I'm not sure and can't find a good reliable source for weghts between the engines, but what it adds in weight it makes up for easily in power, I love the way this thing runs and sounds, it is a pleasure to drive, can't wait till I raise the engine up some so it's not so nerve racking to drive everyday! Thanks for all the positive comment, I really do appreciate it!
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889 Posts
Very unique build!
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647 Posts
OK, finally an update with some pictures, got a bunch of parks from Prank Parts, I've had the air assist delete kit since shortly after getting the car up and running, no pictures of that for now, next update I promise though. I just got the IAB butterfly delete kit to remove the butterfly's and the unsightly actuator from the bay as well as the power steering adapter kit and hose. Should have the PS up and on in the next few days weather depending. I also flipped my EGJ2 mounts upside down and lifted my engine up off the ground some so I'm not bottoming out a million times every time I drove. Since the auto tranny is a little longer than the 6MT I had to notch the frame rail and box it in with angle iron and then modify my mount I got from Don @ RPM Systems some. This resulted in having to cut my hood, but I've come to terms with that, I needed the engine up off the asphalt! Anyways on to the pictures!
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647 Posts
Well, I'm refocused on the j swap again, it's sat in my back yard neglected for too long! The red EK in some of the photos, well my buddy was ready to part with it, and made me a deal I couldn't refuse, and since I did all the work to it, I knew its worth/value, and he knew it was going to the right person. In July 2020, my wife, kids, and I drove and spend the weekend in Nashville (COVID hotspot at the time) and did the tourist **** with what few things that were open. We then drove over to Ft. Campbell KY to spend the evening with him and his family, and get the car. Long story short, built/sleeved b18c1 turbo on e85, making about 440 on 18lbs. Fun car....but I've relit the flame on the J32 and decided I am going to get the supercharger on their this year, even with the car being auto, it's gonna happen, stay tuned!
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