'90 Vert T5 Swap

[hutch]

I again hesitate to start such a modest thread compared with all the other great builds on here but I want to have somewhere to keep track of what all I need to do



So yeah, I picked this up last summer and love driving it, really wish I had gotten a convertible sooner. I had been toying with the idea of a Miata (and actually the guy I bought it from did just that) but I know 900s too well to start all over with a new car. Anyway, the car runs and drives pretty well as is but I can't not tinker with it so my plan is to install T5 on it in the coming weeks. I had stocked up on all the sensors etc. for my ex-notchback so I figured I'd put them to good use. Gary may notice the 'notchback red' paint that spilled onto the 3bar FPR


Engine
As I said the plan is to T5 it, I bought one of the DIY eeuro T5 harnesses but it sounds like there were some parts delays so once that gets sorted I'll document the build process. This past weekend I removed the a/c and was going to pull the LH harness to get it all ready but decided to hold off in case I need to move the car before the T5 is ready to go in. So yeah heres a stock engine you all have seen about a thousand times



Still need to do:
- I decided to go with the Squaabworks crank sensor setup since I didn't want to mess with removing the clutch if I could avoid it, I will install the trigger wheel once that arrives with the eeuro order
- Get the IAT mounted
- Decide which o2 sensor to use, I bought one that would fit the T5 style plug years ago but I'm assuming the eeuro kit is for a c900 plug. So I'll have to do some sort of plug swapping with my spare T5 harness
- I need to replace some vacuum lines and the PCV lines seemed a little worn out
- This car and my hatchback desperately need their valve covers refinished so thats on the list as well
- Clean and polish some things in the engine bay
- I think at 5 years of age the battery is finally dying so I may need to replace it as well

Interior/Exterior
- The car is thankfully very rust free, but the bumpers and interior are unsurprisingly a little sun faded. I have the SPG kit from my hatchback that I will hopefully install, though I need to read up a bit more on what it takes to mount the hatchback rear extensions on a vert due to height/length issues.
- Then the drivers seat is worn but luckily the PO threw in a spare top cover so I'll swap those out. I'd like to redye the seats and most importantly carpets but those are down the road issues.
- I wasn't able to get a good picture but I re-stained the shift knob, I need to redye the leather shift boot as well but that will happen whenever I do the rest of the interior


Exhaust
I put my Simons catback on this car but I don't love the fitment so I may redo it at some point over the summer. Unfortunately there just aren't many off the shelf systems for these cars so I'm not sure what combo I'll end up with...

Suspension
The car came with Bilstein and SPG springs so it rides very well and the 15" wheels are much nicer over bumps than the 16's on my hatchback so I probably wont mess with anything. The steering wheel is a hair off center so it may need an alignment though.

Electrical
As I said the car runs pretty well as is but it does have a SRS and ABS light. The SRS light came from the PO replacing the bearing behind the wheel that always wears out so that just needs to get cleared. I'm assuming the ABS light is a bad sensor so I'd like to get that replaced as even though I'm skeptical of a lot of automotive computers ABS is pretty darn useful so I'd like to have that work.

Sorry for the lengthy opening but like I said I wanted a place to keep track of what I need to do with this car. Now that Spring is hopefully right around the corner I want to get a little more involved with working on this car to get it ready for the nice weather. I don't have any particularly wild plans for this car but I just want to make a nice fair-weather cruiser. I'm hoping to bring this car to a eeuro meet or some of the PA races this summer so hopefully some of you guys will see this at some point

[hutch]

So finally got a roll on this project and maybe I'm just rusty from not really needing to do much work on c900s in a while but I hit a whole bunch of snags in the process...

First the good stuff, got the Squaab trigger wheel mounted (forgot to take pics of it mounted but you've all seen it before) thanks to the handy flywheel lock I finally got to use. This definitely is easier to use than my previous method of jamming a screwdriver in the flywheel teeth. I'm always worried about torquing that big crank pulley bolt enough but I got a big breaker bar and pipe on it so hopefully it will be fine. I ran the big m8 bolt backwards to how I had seen it down since the clutch cover was on but obviously either way should work.


Then things got a little interesting, I went to pull the injectors out to swap in the T5 ones and the tip of the #1 injector broke off and fell into the head. With the right tools I probably could have fished it out, but since I had a semi polished up intake I figured what the hell and took the manifold off and discovered a somewhat stripped thread on one of the bolts.


Anyway, got that all cleaned up and started buttoning that all up and realized I was missing the little cooling jacket from my 2.1 TB and swapped over the 2.0 only to realize its a little different and I only have one mounting hole for the TPS. I have zero clue where the part from the 2.1 TB is so I guess I'll either run it like this or zip tie it in place until I can come up with something a little more permanent, though I'm not really sure what that would be.


And finally this car is a southern car that clearly spent most of its miles in the summer, which is worth its weight in gold due to the lack of rust, but a lot of the hoses were pretty dry rotted so I swapped over what spares I had and also install the non A/C radiator hose I had laying around to clean things up a bit. Since I have a feeling this will take a little longer than expected I may order some replacements for the rest of the cooling system hoses but we'll see. I also want to get some new vacuum hose and the ugly foam hose the PCV hose runs through as it basically disintegrates in your hand when you touch, as well as various other things to clean the engine bay up a little bit.


So I'm hoping to have the hardware side figured out in the next week then, hopefully, install the T5 harness and knock on wood it should fire up but of course you never know

[gmreider]

Hutch, I just looked on the shelf and I have 2 or 3 of those throttle bodies to steal parts from. So got you covered.

[squaab99t]

Good use of the flywheel lock tool. It is not something you use everyday, but is super nice when you do. Especially when it is just a single person wrenching. I sold all I had at the 2014 convention. I was thinking about a second batch if there is a need?
Good luck with finishing up the conversion. It will purr like a kitten.

[hutch]

Hutch, I just looked on the shelf and I have 2 or 3 of those throttle bodies to steal parts from. So got you covered.

Appreciate for the offer, after thinking about it today I figured there would be enough material in the little jacket thing to tap and drill for a bolt so I stopped by Home Depot and was able to whip something up pretty quick. I did however seem to have lost my MAP sensor So I may need to barter with you for one of those if you have any spares or suggest another PA junkyard run now that the weather is nice again.

Good use of the flywheel lock tool. It is not something you use everyday, but is super nice when you do. Especially when it is just a single person wrenching. I sold all I had at the 2014 convention. I was thinking about a second batch if there is a need?
Good luck with finishing up the conversion. It will purr like a kitten.

Yeah there are certainly ways to get around needing it but invaluable to have one. I'd certainly recommend them to people if you did a run, though as I'm sure you are more than well aware, I doubt you'd be making much $ on them. Once I can dial in your trigger wheel I'll bet it will drive very well, then I can install your old DP, I figured one step at a time since its warming up to vert weather I want to actually drive the thing


So does anyone know where this small harness leads to from the LH ECU? Looks to go to the back seat but I had no idea if its for a non-existent automatic transmission ECU or something more important so I'm debating whether to just cut it and tuck it away or pull the rest of the interior and remove it properly. I think Jordan and I cut it on my SPG install but figured I'd check first.

[gmreider]

Hutch , I have map sensors available for you too!
That wire harness that goes toward the back seat should be the old LH test plug from 90 on up. snip -snip. should only be 4 wires , I think. or follow it and it should lead to a small square black box , perhaps with a little removable cover.

[hutch]

Ah right, forgot about the test plug! I'm gonna keep poking around for the sensor but if I can't find it hopefully I can grab one when I come up to get the IC pipe welded up one of these weekends...

[gmreider]

Speaking of wiring the T-5 , are you wiring in an OBD-2 port ? I sort of like them as a quick test for codes , or you can use the Tech 2 for some info.

[hutch]

I did CAN but not OBD, now it seems like it would be a good idea to do before everything is tucked away; a quick google showed this, are these the pins I would want?

OBD 2
7............................Pin 33 ECU
14..........................Pin 56 ECU
4 and 5...................Ground
16..........................Switched power (+15)

I don't think my stock T5 harness had an OBD connector but it looks like they are only a few bucks new or I could grab one at a junkyard, probably 2 so I could wire up the SPG too...

I'm trying to keep some momentum going now that I've started this, I said I was going to try to get T5 up and running then do the exhaust but a stuck o2 sensor and some parts delays changed that up a little. I got the new DP on tonight and it is now very apparent that I need to order a new battery, I really don't want to mount it in the trunk as theres so little space as is with the roof so I want to find a thinner one.


Right now its between the Optima d51:


and the Odyssey 925:


The Optima seems to have a few more CCA, though thats pretty irrelevant as its a summer-only car, and is a hair more narrow. Gonna think out some mounting options and try to decide between the two in the next day or so.

[squaab99t]

I did CAN but not OBD, now it seems like it would be a good idea to do before everything is tucked away; a quick google showed this, are these the pins I would want?

OBD 2
7............................Pin 33 ECU
14..........................Pin 56 ECU
4 and 5...................Ground
16..........................Switched power (+15)

I don't think my stock T5 harness had an OBD connector but it looks like they are only a few bucks new or I could grab one at a junkyard, probably 2 so I could wire up the SPG too...

I'm trying to keep some momentum going now that I've started this, I said I was going to try to get T5 up and running then do the exhaust but a stuck o2 sensor and some parts delays changed that up a little. I got the new DP on tonight and it is now very apparent that I need to order a new battery, I really don't want to mount it in the trunk as theres so little space as is with the roof so I want to find a thinner one.


Right now its between the Optima d51:


and the Odyssey 925:


The Optima seems to have a few more CCA, though thats pretty irrelevant as its a summer-only car, and is a hair more narrow. Gonna think out some mounting options and try to decide between the two in the next day or so.

Looking good. I have never tried the Optima, but that 925 has never let me down. On the verts, does the engine have to be running in order to move the top? The pump I would expect would be very taxing on just battery power alone.
Make sure you pick the poles in the right orientation to match the leads.
Whichever you go with, I'd look into a heat shield to keep from frying it with that DP. You can get the Odyssey in the metal jacket version that wraps the sides and bottom, but the top is the real issue.

[hutch]

I'm pretty sure you can open the top on battery power but I don't think I've tried it for fear of hurting something.

Yeah I'm definitely worried about the heat issue, part of why I'm not sure which battery to go with, the Odyssey is shorter but thicker but I'm not sure which is more important without trying them both out. I thought about getting something like this to mount the Optima on its side, but again a lot of this is difficult to do without having them in person to test out.


I figure I could add some sheetmetal and heat absorbing mat to the little crossmember and be pretty safe. Or just give up and run it in the trunk/rear seat and avoid the heat issue all together.

[jdwertz]

Save yourself some money and buy a Deka battery. Made in Pennsylvania and I have had great luck with them so far.

[hutch]

Save yourself some money and buy a Deka battery. Made in Pennsylvania and I have had great luck with them so far.

Thanks I will give them a look as well, I actually asked my dad where he gets the batteries for his boat and he recommend the place that makes Deka's so I'll have to see if they have anything that fits the bill...

[squaab99t]

I'm pretty sure you can open the top on battery power but I don't think I've tried it for fear of hurting something.

Yeah I'm definitely worried about the heat issue, part of why I'm not sure which battery to go with, the Odyssey is shorter but thicker but I'm not sure which is more important without trying them both out. I thought about getting something like this to mount the Optima on its side, but again a lot of this is difficult to do without having them in person to test out.


I figure I could add some sheetmetal and heat absorbing mat to the little crossmember and be pretty safe. Or just give up and run it in the trunk/rear seat and avoid the heat issue all together.

You can make spatial mockups with cardboard and tape. Get the dimensions off the net. You will also discover the post polarity locations
With the battery in the trunk you deal with voltage drop. Size up the wire accordingly for the addition length.

[hutch]

Ha well I actually did have a fun arts and crafts night yesterday mocking them up from a case of beer, just haven't have time yet to test them out yet and didn't want to disgrace the pros of this forum with my work

I have the battery in the back of my SPG and while I've never had a problem I really don't like the solution and depending on how the vert goes I may tackle it next. I liked the combo of a FMIC and moving it over to the drivers side of my old, old 900 but haven't felt the need to do that all again, though maybe that will be a nice summer project for that car.