Brian Gillespie, owner of Hasport Performance, and his infamous supercharged K-powered CRX have been spotted at numerous track events, terrorizing competitors in the yellow beast in the Unlimited FWD class. Brian is no stranger to the Honda hybrid swap world. His company made its name as specialists in transplant motor kits. Brian experienced problematic handling problems with the CRX during the past track event. The factory '02 RSX Type S transmission uses an open differential configuration. The peg leg differential was removed and replaced with a JDM Integra (RSX) Type R differential, which uses a viscous limited-slip differential to provide added traction. We should mention the JDM Type R sports a shorter final drive ratio of 4.764 compared to a 4.389 found in the '02 to '04 RSX Type S transmissions. The new JDM differential installed in the '02 transmission worked as well as could be expected for the Hasport crew but after a few laps on the track the driver came back with some disappointing news. The CRX was "hunting" (tracking back and forth) when accelerating out of the corners from the added horsepower and FF configuration causing a loss in precious lap times from the lack of traction. This posed as a serious problem in a motorsport where even a tenth of a second can mean a win or a loss.
Properly drain your transmission...
Properly drain your transmission fluid and inspect for any bolts, holding up your bell housing before removing the transmission. Since we're working on a hybrid-swapped car, the removal and installation instructions varied from your average vehicle.
Viscous LSDs are offered in numerous sports cars sold on the market today. These units were designed for mild street usage and the occasional weekend track but have a major downside. The viscous unit doesn't work until one wheel physically breaks traction, where as a clutch-type LSD is constantly trying to keep both wheels moving at the same speed in and out of turns or when one tire is attempting to spin faster than the other. Overheating the fluids and a weak design is another problem many hard-core track racers experience with a viscous unit. Rather than work around this problem, Hasport decided to contact King Motorsports to find a solution. The answer was in the form of a new Mugen LSD. The Mugen multi-plate (or mechanical) LSD uses a simple-yet-effective one-way design, which operates when accelerating and releases upon deceleration. Follow along as we work through the night documenting Hasport install the new Mugen LSD into the K20 transmission.
Hasport Performance
www.hasport.com
Kings Motorsports
www.kingmotorsports.com
Before we begin tearing into...
Before we begin tearing into the transmission's internals, Brian proceeded to remove the detent bolts, springs, and steel balls, which initiate proper shifting as well as the vehicle speed sensor.
The factory shift level assembly...
The factory shift level assembly needs to be removed in order to access the flange bolts holding the transmission housing cover onto the main unit. Take note of the proper placement when removing since this proves to be a pain in the ass when reinstalling back into your transmission.
A set of 8mm x 14mm dowel...
A set of 8mm x 14mm dowel pins that keep the shift level assembly in proper alignment proved difficult to remove. Brian used a simple-yet-effective method to remove the stubborn dowel using a drill bit to wiggle them loose rather than forcing it off with plyers and damaging the surface.
Removal of the 17 8mm flange...
Removal of the 17 8mm flange bolts holding the transmission housing together in a crisscross pattern to promote proper removal and installation procedures is an important step.
A common error displayed by...
A common error displayed by those who attempt to disassemble a transmission for the first time is attempting to separate the housing without removing the snap ring. Remove the 32mm seal cap to gain access to the 72mm snap ring that sits snug on the countershaft ball bearing. The proper way to remove this ring is with a snap ring tool but with Brian's years of experience, he simply used a pair of needle-nose plyers.
Some coaxing and gentle tapping...
Some coaxing and gentle tapping with a rubber mallet will help to remove the housing as the two pieces separate.
The reverse gear shaft and...
The reverse gear shaft and idler gear needs to be moved before attempting to pull the assembly out of the transmission.
Remove the two 12mm bolts...
Remove the two 12mm bolts and reverse shift fork.
In order to keep the gears...
In order to keep the gears in one piece, the mainshaft assembly, countershaft, and shift forks were removed together and placed in a safe area to minimize damage.
The underachieving factory...
The underachieving factory differential we plan to replace was removed.
Here's a shot of the old viscous-type...
Here's a shot of the old viscous-type LSD found on the JDM Integra (RSX) Type R differential on the right and the new one-way Mugen multi-plate (or mechanical) LSD to the left.
With the transmission in its...
With the transmission in its current disassembled state, inspect and remove any fragments from the housing magnet found directly adjacent to the differential assembly. The Hasport transmission had plenty of shards littering the magnet thanks to the numerous track events it encounters.
Inspect the inside of each...
Inspect the inside of each synchro ring for wear. Also, inspect the synchro teeth colored gold in this image for uncharacteristic wear. The teeth should be sharp and pointed. If they look rounded or worn for any reason it's a good chance that your car has a tendency to grind or not engage smoothly when shifting through the gears. Replace the oil seal and countershaft bearing if necessary.
Brian found a serious problem...
Brian found a serious problem with the factory housing when inspecting it for any problems. The K-powered CRX distorted one of the dowel pins used to keep the two transmission pieces aligned. Rather than pound the hole back into a perfectly round shape, which was nearly impossible, Brian took a grinder and file to rid it of excess aluminum surrounding the dowel and ensure the housings fit snug when reassembling.
Brian took the final drive...
Brian took the final drive pinion off the original JDM Integra (RSX) Type R differential, which sports a shorter ratio of 4.764 compared to a longer ratio of 4.389 found in the '02 to '04 RSX Type S transmissions.
With the Mugen LSD in place...
With the Mugen LSD in place and magnet repositioned, the tricky part of installing the countershafts takes place.
Proper alignment is key when...
Proper alignment is key when positioning the mainshaft assembly, countershaft, and shift forks together. We removed the synchros to show how a properly aligned shift fork assembly will look when installed in the transmission housing.
When reassembling the guts...
When reassembling the guts of the transmission, be sure to check the 28mm spring assembly and 28mm washer that goes over the countershaft bearing is in position before installing the complete unit as a whole and not piece by piece. If you have another person handy, now's the time to have them lend you a helping hand in guiding the parts into place.
Here's a good example of shift...
Here's a good example of shift forks five and six not being properly seated onto the synchro ring. Overlooking this problem will cause a serious problem when attempting to reinstall the transmission casing.
With the synchros properly...
With the synchros properly setup in the neutral positions, the shift forks should look like this.
The importance of having the...
The importance of having the forks positioned perfectly will become necessary when reinstalling the shift lever, which can cause all kinds of headaches if any of the gears are out of Neutral or locked into gear when reassembling the housing. Here's the forks placed into the shift level without the cover to show how it looks.
Install the reverse shift...
Install the reverse shift fork and idler gear while making sure the gear shaft hole is positioned with the reverse gear shaft hole on the trans cover to place the 10mm flange bolt in place.
The oil gutter plate should...
The oil gutter plate should be held into place when repositioning the housing back onto the transmission. We've had incidents where the plastic plate flew out onto the ground and shattered into pieces. Don't be like us.
Brian scrapped the oil silicone...
Brian scrapped the oil silicone off the housing sealing surface and reapplied Hondabond to ensure a tight seal.
Even an expert like Brian...
Even an expert like Brian had to install and remove the cover numerous times as the shift forks had a tendency to move out of Neutral and lock the gears into place. If you've ever heard of friends who installed a differential and mounted it up to their cars only to find out the car won't engage into or out of gear, now you know why.
Using a needle-nose plyer,...
Using a needle-nose plyer, the snap ring was repositioned on the shaft while an assistant helped to gently tap onto the cover to seal the unit. If for any reason the cover refuses to seal, double-check the forks' positions through the shift lever assembly window. Chances are the forks or synchros are in off position. Torque the 17 8mm flange bolts into place using a crisscross pattern before installing the shift lever while going in reverse order from our previous disassembly.
This is where the fun ends...
This is where the fun ends and the nightmare begins. If you properly aligned the forks then finagling the shift lever assembly shouldn't be a problem. If the forks have moved out of its Neutral position, we recommend using a screwdriver or plyers to move the forks into its correct sequence in order to slide the shift lever into place.
Proper fluids, such as GL-4...
Proper fluids, such as GL-4 synthetic oil (75W-90) or equivalent, should be used during and after break-in procedure before attempting to run at full tilt on the track or down the street. Hasport completed this install the night before the Super Lap Battle qualifying and Modified Tuner Shootout at Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix.