Building a V6 accord powered dune buggy. Need wiring help

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jtindel

New Member
I am new to this forum, and I am hoping to get as much info as I can. I have done a ton of research on this topic and can't seem to find anything definitive. So any help would be appreciated.

I am building a sandrail that will be powered by a 2004 Honda Accord v6 (J30a4). I have the engine that came out of a wrecked v6 automatic accord. The engine came complete with the wiring harness. I am adapting the engine to a VW 3 rib bus transmission with a Kennedy adapter kit with custom flywheel and clutch. I chose this tranny over a 6 speed Honda tranny because I need the extra travel.

The 4 seater chassis should be complete by thanksgiving and I will be painting it shortly thereafter. Some of you might be concerned about the rigidity of the chassis holding that engine, however it is being professionally built and reinforced.

I have done a ton of dune buggys in the past and all of them have been powered by VW engines... Which are expensive if you want to get any power out of them and extreemly temperamental. I am a huge Honda fan and I have owned quite a few of them. I was wanting to mate a Honda engine with a dune buggy for a while now, however the 4cylinder engines spin counter clockwise with the exception of the k series which are extreemly expensive. So I decided to go with the j series.

Most people recommended the j32 engines, however they are expensive, heavy, and don't give a lot more hp and torque than the J30a4. I was lucky enough to get my engine in a trade for my 12 gauge shot gun.

Anyway, here is where I need help
WIRING!!!

I do not want to install the entire behind the dash wiring harness in the dune buggy. Most of it will not be needed. I just purchased an ecu and a key to match it, so the immobilizer system wouldn't be an issue. So what I am looking for is a wiring diagram for the engine and anything going to the ecu. I am also trying to find the ecu pinout. I would also like to find a pigtail for the ecu.

Some people say this can't be done, but if it ran in a car... It will run in a sandrail.

I am using the stock ecu because I don't need any performance upgrades. This engine will almost produce too much power for the transmission.

I would like to modify the stock engine wiring harness instead of buying one that has already been modified.

I will be taking a lot of photos and documenting everything about this build.

Thanks for any help I can get
 
oh man this is gonna be sweet! I think calesta should be able to help you out.....he just swapped that engine into a S2000. He also had problems with the wiring and the CEL being on and running in limp mode.

Not sure if its gonna be a trade secret on how to get this thing going but I hope he helps out
 
I can appreciate the project...

But why ? Why not a 3.8, 3.1, or 4.3 ? Hell, even an Iron duke will get you on the dirt, and maybe next year you could bolt on a Cosworth. You'll find the harmonic dampener in your shirt pocket in 3 weeks.
 
Chevy garbage

Why not a 3.8....3.1.....or a 4.3?? No offense.... But I loathe Chevrolet. It sucks in every way imaginable. I def don't want to get into a debate over this. I want to use a Honda engine because it is reliable, powerful, and not that expensive. I don't have an unlimited budget. But thanks for the replys!!
 
I am using the stock ecu because I don't need any performance upgrades. This engine will almost produce too much power for the transmission.

Thats a lot of power going through that little 3 rib, does it have Weddles in it? If not I would really consider going to a 6 rib.
 
helminc.com should have a shop manual for the accord. It will have all the wiring diagrams you will need.
 
Thats a lot of power going through that little 3 rib, does it have Weddles in it? If not I would really consider going to a 6 rib.
going with a 6 rib is a good idea... but i dont have one right now. i have 2 3 rib trannys. if i strip one out i will get a 6 rib. i dont really plan on driving this thing crazy hard... and the 3 rib should hold about 200hp... so hopefully i wont destroy anything.
 
The Helms manual that matches the car the ECU came out of will have all the diagrams you need. On the other hand, if you just want an out of the box working solution (easy for a sandrail), you can get a ready to go ECU for that purpose from:

API - Arizona Performance Imports

or

RPM SYSTEMS - Upstate home of the mad scientist You can check us out on other web site forms:J32a.com    B20vtec.com    K20a.org??

If you hit RPM Systems, tell Don that Mike from Intercrew sent you.
 
The Helms manual that matches the car the ECU came out of will have all the diagrams you need. On the other hand, if you just want an out of the box working solution (easy for a sandrail), you can get a ready to go ECU for that purpose from:

API - Arizona Performance Imports

or

RPM SYSTEMS - Upstate home of the mad scientist*You can check us out on other web site forms:J32a.com*** B20vtec.com*** K20a.org??

If you hit RPM Systems, tell Don that Mike from Intercrew sent you.

I talked to don and I think I'm going that route. He seems pretty knowledgable. It will be a few weeks before I can send it....gotta get the funds together. Thanks for all of the help! :D

I will be uploading a ton of photos of this project.
 
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