Jack's 86 LX-I Hatch

I have been poking around 3geez for a while now. You guys have all done some inspiring work. I think it is time for me to post a build thread of my own. I am doing this all from scratch with almost no budget. But I do not plan on going cheap by any means. It just takes time to get the money, yknow?

Anyway, at this point, I have already pulled apart my 87 1HG doner car and right now, I am focused on doing a tranny build and a manual conversion on my 86 JHM.

I need to fill in the blanks on my performance checklist. I am looking for the highest quality parts I can get. I don't care if they have to be custom built but I would prefer to avoid that if I can. I'm hoping I can get good advice from the Honda masters out there.

I need:
Seals and Bearings
Synchros
Flywheel
Clutch pack
Short throw
Bushings
And anything else I am forgetting

I also want to seal the clutch compartment with a custom gasket/plate so nothing can get inside.

I have a buddy with a prelude he might give me, but I'm not sure I want to swap gears because I plan on making more power in the future. If anything, I might rob the automatic or just make a custom set so I can get a higher top speed. I hate pulling 4k rpms just to maintain 75mph on the interstate.

Anything you guys can help me with will be greatly appreciated.

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Welcome! and great to see you plan on using top notch parts. What exactly are your goals with the car? we can deff point you in the right direction. Also we love pictures so dont be afraid to post them up!

Well, I do dare to dream. But like most, I am just going to start small an whittle away at it. I have plans to make good n/a power, but I also like the idea of strapping on a supercharger. I have 2 motors, so I can do both if I want. I understand that you can't boost an N/A motor, but I still don't understand why I can't get N/A power from a motor built for boost. My original plan was to buy quality parts and then decide weather or not I want to boost later on.

I like these 3gs and I will probably buy more later on.

This is my plan so far;
Drop suspension 2 or 3 inches and improve handling and ride quality
Rear disc conversion with oversized slotted rotors and dual piston calipers
Protect undercarriage components with tuffgaurd and better cover plates
Custom crank, rods, pistons for longer stroke and cam timing to match
Maybe boost, maybe not.
Oversized cooling system and a freon wrap around the intake ; )
Custom gear ratios when it is all said and done.
I have no idea what to do about the computer. At this point it's not really relevant because engine mods are a long way off still.
But when it's all said and done, I foresee numbers over 200 tq/hp N/A

Before I took it apart, the doner car was running a light flywheel and possibly a hybrid transmission. I'm not sure because I haven't stripped it apart yet, but the acceleration was nuts. Not what I was expecting on the test drive. So good that I paid $700 for a car with no keys, no title, dents everywhere and terrible weather seals. Oh and did I mention the speedo cable was disconnected at 170k? This motor is probably well over 250k hard miles and ready for a rebuild.

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THIS is my garage space right now. Extremely limiting.. I am doing this all on my own without any support from family or friends, so I am somewhat desperate to meet other car guys in my area. (Columbia Gorge)

Does your garage fit a car at all?

Lol. Nope. It's too crowded with grammas junk. But I can't throw any of it away because she might need one of those empty boxes five years from now. ...every day, I die a little inside. You see why i need car friends? For now, this is the best I can do.Attachment 7426

But on the bright side, I got a great deal on some tools. Paid $90 bucks for all you see here.Attachment 7427

Im glad you got real long term goals. Just dont get started wasting money on a 3g then sell out and get a civic. Lol for real the you got some plans and I like it. Jusy feed up pics whenever you do something

I am ready to start ordering parts for my Transmission build and I am looking for advice. My friend tells me to keep it as is because I know it works fine. But when I'm done, I don't want to take it out again to upgrade or repair it. It needs to be G2G! In the meanwhile, I will still be browsing the archives for illusive tranny build threads. I appreciate any help I can get.

Has anyone tried Cheddasauto.com short shifter?
Or any of their parts/service in general?
Are you a satisfied customer?

I don't care if nobody responds, I am just going to keep posting any way. I was on my own before I came here for help, so being alone now doesn't change anything. Now it is just documented..

After all of my research, I have learned that all of the parts I want to get my hands on, have been discontinued or never manufactured. All significant upgrades are being done with newer motors. Boosting the A series is just a waste of time and money.

Could I drop 15k into getting 250 WHP N/A A20? Absolutely!
Am I that much in love with the A series? Not really..
It is a great little, fuel efficient, torque maker. But extremely outdated and largely undersupported. It is no wonder these cars are so often overlooked.
Most mods for an 86 seem to start by dropping in an 89 with Teg gears or a B series..
So why bother pushing the A20 for power when I could get the same numbers for half the price on a K24? (Yes, I know it is not a bolt in. Thank you very much for not asking.)

Therefore, I have decided that I will only do the bare minimum to get back on the road for now. (Outside of a few goodies here and there.)

But don't worry, this is just the beginning for me.

i brought my first 3g in germany as a winter car i had a 1985 e28 m5 eurospec when i came back to the states i shipped my 3g i was rear ended dec 24 2014 and i found a 1989 sei sedan i put everything from my lxi to my sei had it painted black i love my 3g dont be discourged u will have a car that will stand out from the crowd as being different than everyone esle thats what i love about my 3g

Thank you Rushell. It is nice to see positivity and encouragement. That is what we are all here for right? Every time I turn around, there is someone telling me to scrap this Dinosaur and buy a new Mustang or some other Torque monster. But I don't like these cars because they are supercars. I like them because they are not. If everyone thinks I am nuts, I think I must be on to something. I finally found a good thread talking about transmissions and I wanted to share it because it was so hard to find. https://www.3geez.com/forum/3geez-acc...n-rebuild.html

Hi! I'm working on an 86 hatch too :) Also doing some transmission work before long hopefully. If you don't beat me too It I'll document it.
Very nice looking car!

ok kiddies, Its finally time for show and tell. Attachment 7709Attachment 7710Attachment 7711Attachment 7712Attachment 7713Attachment 7714Attachment 7715Attachment 7716

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I still need to get you a picture of where it is at now. But I have completed a small amount of rust restoration, painting, Auto to Manual trans swap, Stage 2 Mpact clutch, new axles, Cheddas shift kit with polycarbon bushings and Polyurethane shift mounts. Still lots more to do.

Next I am going to tackle custom motor mounts. The damn thing took a walk on me when I was in reverse the other day. And I also hate that effing Dog Bone mount.

There is a member who sells adaptors for the front and rear to bolt on poly mounts. Makes it super stiff

Thanks. I was reading something about that a little while back. They said something about using GM mounts. I still need more research. I hate that dog bone. Its right in the way of everything and its a pain in the ass. But I don't want my car to vibrate like a coin op bed at the love motel.

The front and back motor mount upgrade is an awesome upgrade . They are well worth the price

Interesting color combo