CRXFi Build Thread (Geo Metro XFi drivetrain in Honda CRX)

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by Wonderboy

It's just not as exciting to get it done when you've got the engine in and you can drive it around

So true. Getting something operational is a hinderance to getting it finished!

(Viz: ForkenSwift)

Have you been using it enough to figure out fuel consumption yet?

[Wonderboy]

It's hard to tell what kind of mileage I'm going to be getting. I'm only on my second tank (almost done though). Although I recorded the trip odo after the first tank and will be able to figure out my mpg for the second, the trip odo reset button has stopped working and I'll have to investigate that for convenience's sake. I've been fooling around with the timing way too much to get anything consistent. I discovered that my oil leak was originating from my distributor mount to the head, so I just put on some gasket maker and had to start all over again with the timing. I was reading some of Rick's material over at metroxfi.com, and he says +5 is the optimal timing. I try to get it somewhere between 5 and 7, but the mark on top of my crank pulley kind of "wiggles" a bit (+/- 2) when I am using the timing light (does this mean something?), so I assume the timing as where I see the line the most. Last time I set the timing though (to about 7 since 5 felt real rumbly without much result when opening the throttle) it smoked like a mutha going up a small incline. I think I either need to resolve the wiggle, or gain more of a working knowledge of what the engine feels like when the timing is too advanced or too retarded, because I'm not acute enough so far to discern much difference but smoking and the rumbling when throttle is applied. I'm still not totally sure I know what a ping sounds like.

[MetroMPG]

I can't really help with the fine tuning of the timing - you've got a jumper set somewhere in order to change it, right? The Flea doesn't have anywhere to set that jumper, so I've only ever set the timing by ear.

If you want to know what pinging sounds like, just set the timing waaaaay advanced, and load up the engine (accelerating in a high gear would work). It'll sound like there are marbles pinging around in the cylinders.

[Wonderboy]

I've just been loosening the distributor and tapping it either way. After actually reading up, it appears as though i may need to jumper the appropriate pins on that diagnostic plug.... lol

[02insight]

...

[Wonderboy]

ohai2u. thanks for posting!

[Wonderboy]

...so anyway...

Today I took the original metro XFi shell the engine came in to the junkyard. I added some ole piece a crap muffler I had lying around the busted motor I ripped out of my tercel EV conversion, and the gas tank too, so its weight was basically the same as it would've been had I not removed the motor. I got $123 for it. Not too shabby! I bought the car for 200 plus the trip to ohio to haul it back (not to mention the first trip I took out there to try to drive it back only to discover the unsafe condition of the lower control arm mount). Poor metros and their deadly rust allergy. The forklift busted right through the driver window and lifted it up by the roof and hauled it away.

The day I chose to do this was serendipitous; in the "waiting line" to enter the yard was another CRX (finally I can get some of the spare/needed parts I've been waiting for), and I forgot that I had been storing a full set of 155/80/r13s in fantastic condition in the XFi that will fit the CRXFi perfectly! This will tide me over until I find some potenzas mounted on insight rims :P

[robertwb70]

Are you going to start a log for the CRXFi yet?

[MetroMPG]

Nice find, that junkyard CRX!

You reminded me that I've not taken a trip out to the local junkyard in years. I should go see if they have anything good. (Finding another 1.3l SOHC Swift to take the final drive from would be nice).

[Wonderboy]

Good timing - exactly 1 month since last post..... and we're back!

crxfi.com has been in the works for a while, but moving along just as quickly as the crxfi itself - not too fast, but getting there. Kind of like how it drives

Some major updates:
I found a <i>pristine</i> 91 CRX Si at the local junkyard. I took the bumper, hood, fenders, and doors. I took the steering wheel, the hatch pistons (not having those makes you <i>really</i> want them), the console, and the heater controller. The doors have the seatbelt assembly on them, but the crxfi has it pillar mounted, so my door panels look slightly weird because there is no seatbelt coming out of them. Like I said, everything that came off that junkyard find was in pristine condition, so now it actually looks like a thousand bucks!

Even bigger news: today I liberated the efficiency holy grail of suzukiclone transmissions from the junkyard! '93 swift transmission, 3.52 FD ratio, 74 teeth on crown wheel. That's right, time to be jealous! This car can not get any better for what it is when I throw this trans in! Xfi motor, 3.52 trans, and the lightest possible Mk2 CRX. Aside from my own mods, the only stock parts I could really buy to make it any better would be insight rims and RE92s. I'm kind of happy this has been proceeding at such a leisurely pace - the work has been hard and plentiful, but spread out. I'm really going to enjoy the crap out of driving this when it's finally done. Maybe I'll even wash it sometimes :P

I'll post a video soon too. I think I promised one.