[Ecky]

Hi all! It's been a while since I've been active here, but I haven't stopped tinkering.

In my Del Sol I have a B18B engine (a bit of a frankenstein really) paired with the very short (manual) transmission from a B16A. In 5th gear, 2500rpm = 45mph, and 65mph = 3600rpm. I've been playing with the idea of picking up a taller transmission but to my knowledge, the tallest transmission available for a B-series motor will bring me down to about 3000rpm at 65mph.

First problem: I have no experience with taking out or installing a new transmission. I'm not afraid to try, but it's a little daunting to go into it without assistance.

Second problem: having the shorter B16 transmission generally improves the value of the car. I've been toying with the idea of selling the Del Sol and picking up a used first-gen Insight or if I can find one (unlikely), an unmolested CRX HF. I probably won't have the cash needed to pay the difference for an Insight for at least a year or two though as I'm a poor college student.

The transmission swap is economically feasible because the B16 transmission is worth considerably more than the transmission I'd be replacing it with and I might even walk away with some more cash in-pocket if I can do the labor myself.

I guess I'm looking for some feedback, some "what would you do", if you will.


Some other thoughts:

With the weather getting a little cooler here in Florida, my fuel economy has actually improved. Cruising at 25-45mph I was getting in the area 42-48mpg. With the weather a little cooler (90F -> 60F) I'm now in the range of 45-60mpg. I've had trips across town (with traffic lights) where I've been just shy of averaging 45mpg. It's definitely the weather, as I saw an immediate change after the first cold front came through. Why might cooler weather have this effect?

Also, I was reading the thread concerning smaller throttle bodies and it got me thinking - I'm using the TB from my old B16A on the B18B intake manifold. Because it's such a large bore (the B16 was a higher performance motor), it takes very little pedal to get 0% vacuum. My question is: does the ECU learn and adjust the enrichment points, or does having a large TB allow me to run higher vacuum without hitting fuel enrichment? Are there any downsides to this?

Thanks all!