LS Swapping an RX8, Because I Can

[@Alexwaltman850]

This guy is awesome. The channel definitely needs to have more popularity

[@wesleybeckmon1866]

Ls swapped rx8 randomly came to mind during my lunch, thanks for the content, good sh*t, even a couple laughs, surprised this channel hasn't blown up yet.👍

[@fahad1992fah]

Almost same situation here😂

[@jasonlouis5498]

I bought a brand new t56 magnum F for my e36 ls swap and couldn’t be more happy with my decision. Kind of a no brainer when you add up the costs of the options. Great job on the swap! 😎

[@BlackthumbTV]

The T56 Magnum F has ruined other transmissions for me. Those clean crisp shifts make my Subarus feel like crap lol

[@Luke_SkyWalk3r]

You had me at, "Because I can".

[@TheCloudpuncher]

I literally busted out laughing at the shop when he pulled the valve cover (where is the camshaft) that was great!!!!!!!!

[@BlackthumbTV]

I can die happy knowing at least one person found that joke funny.

[@Grayson203]

I own two rx8s and I don't think this is blasphemous, it's awesome! People that piss their pants about it not being rotary don't understand the passion and dedication that goes into these sorts of builds. Keep up the good work my dude!

[@chrisw554]

Good builds and good sense of humor too. Not overly serious, keep up the good work!

[@paulsandvig6961]

That ten millimeter was the lottery ticket!! 🤣🤣🤣 love ur channel man, u remind me of me!

[@tylerkim586]

Underrated AF channel, blow up soon big dawg

[@kodascorpse8116]

As someone who wants a rx8 incredibly badly and wants to rebuild the engine and loves the rotary, I entirely agree, the renisis is the worst of the rotaries from Mazda, it’s the hardest to tune and is a pain and the ass to upkeep 9/10 times, but fuck I love everything ab the mechanics of it and how it functions, awesome build

[@IronicTonic8]

I’m a die hard rotary guy and I’m looking to do this swap. I already have a built RX8, I certainly don’t need another one so I’m gonna swap my new RX8 and bring balance to the force.

[@funmechabuilds524]

How have I miss this jewel of a car guy youtuber? You sir have a new subscriber. Love your banter and realness

[@kevinmccuen6797]

This video was hilarious! You also provided me with information, that you point out can be hard to find, about fuel delivery and that the stock pump can do it. I'm currently working on a 5.3 junkyard swap in my Rx8 (very early stages). I love my rotary, but I can't justify spending 6k on the cheap end just to have to do it again in a few years. Oh, did you use the stock Rx8 rear end and just modify the drive shaft? Thanks so much for posting your parts list and I wish you much success on future builds!

[@mark-h3e5u]

Great technique with the pipe wrench on the ignition wire. Please seem to forget to adjust those per the factory service manual.

[@BlackthumbTV]

If you're not torquing your ignition leads to spec with a barbie wrench, are you really a mechanic?

[@TSL73]

I haven’t watched a car video this entertaining in awhile.

[@erikthekiller321]

Can you make a full list on how much this whole project cost ? I wanna do the same thing soon

[@gsppuffer]

About 20k

[@Am_rotary]

Thats a common issue with the clutch bracket breaking. I went through 4 pedals 🤣

[@rustycreekfabrication]

Nice swap. I was a Mazda tech for about 4.5 years and we had tons of rx8 no starts and apex seal issue coming in alot. Always liked the idea, just didn't really care for the execution. I got a new build coming soon as well! Nice job man

[@BlackthumbTV]

Thank you! These cars are super neat. I think the rotaries are interesting too, just wanted to play with an LS right now. Maybe one day I'll swap a rotary into something too.

[@rustycreekfabrication]

@@BlackthumbTV I always liked the styling of them too. When I went to their "Mazda school" I learned some crazy shit about Mazda. They ran a test rotary on an engine stand for 24hrs at 9000 rpm and tore it down to find no measurable wear. It was interesting.

[@gcactus69]

Antagonizing every Puerto Rican with every rev! 😎

[@GigaChad-ih8si]

i love all the scenes in the car world. wasent expecting to watch this whole thing but it genuinely kept me engaged. had a 01 protege mp3 in that yellow, memories man. dope RX-8 tho, kudos to actually going through with the swap. and the K-swap? dude thats sick as fuck. ive only seen 2 cars swapped with a forward facing, rwd Honda motor. shits insane

[@hondatech5000]

I have a 4.8 but it has a 7875 as well. 6spd from gto 8.8 irs w/traction lock from explorer. I’m always careful with my headlights when I pull them out- lol mines also has the obvious forced entry. Enjoyed the video

[@bakermrad]

So I found out about this guy like 3 days ago, and so far I almost watched all of your videos. keep it up man, your videos are amazing.

[@WazzysWheels]

This channel needs to go big!!! Awesime content and personality

[@angel5700]

Im a rotaryhead. I personally wouldnt swap my 8, but im honestly more happy to just see these on the road. If its a rotary or v8, the car itself is just a great pleasure to drive and tho its looks are controversial to some people, i just fucking love it

[@adrianrocky123]

Was brought here by the super charged subaru. Glad i was, well spoken, informative and kept interesting. So suprised you dont have more subs!

[@SloppyMechanics]

torque storm might fit in there nice lmk if you ever wanna dyno it

[@BlackthumbTV]

The tune is a mess right now... Can your dyno do steady state?

[@SloppyMechanics]

@@BlackthumbTV mine is not steady state but maple grove automotive does have a dynojet with a eddy brake, i tune there sometimes also

[@BlackthumbTV]

What's the best way to contact ya? We should plan something!

[@Rawwr1ful]

arguably makes the RX8 a way more practical choice than the rotary set up, which is awesome bc they look so cool!

[@Big-H517]

I tell everyone to engine swap the rotary out with a v8

[@ingi6034]

there you are not right but not wrong all tho it cost more to swap for even worse electrical problem great right both of em have their share deals of cons so I rather tell people to keep the stock and rebuild it then swap it for sure it has the title unreliable but we should not forget the multi winner mazda car on le mans if the guy can put 3 to 4 rotor and turbo I would rather go with that then swapping the engine out if the engine is completely unrebuildable then sure swap the engine out but as long as they can rebuild it keep it alive and have fun with that because its easier lego to work on then the ls and you can easily add more rotor and housing and a bit longer crankshaft for the extra rotor ofc I usually tell folks to do it if the engine is rebuildable if not then ofcourse swap the engine out but really rotor sound are so cool and powerful for being tiny i would atleast keep it alive as long as you can.. There is too much of v8 out there and rotor is slowly dying or pretty much dead so it adds a bit coolness to it to be honest :)

[@ut90J]

I like your video style, it had me laughing more than a video like this should. Thank you for making this!

[@Lilooh]

id love to learn more about how you wired everything and tuned it to work with a new ecu

[@BlackthumbTV]

I actually recently made a video about the basics of engine swapping: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHKthZZ3i8uol5I It has a section about both wiring and ECUs, though they're not deep drives. Just some introductory knowledge. The long and short of it is that the RX8 uses a CAN BUS to communicate between modules in the car, including the Dash Cluster and the Power Steering Control Unit. My Standalone ECU supports emulating the factory RX8s CAN BUS protocol, so as far as the car is concerned the factory ECU still exists. Not all standalone ECUs can do this, and it's nearly impossible for them to support every CAN BUS protocol, so I just got lucky. Otherwise I'd have to hand make and write a CAN BUS translator to make this stuff work, which is a large undertaking.

[@andrewroxburgh1854]

@@BlackthumbTV Can you tell us what ecu you used? id like to do some research on it.

[@BlackthumbTV]

@@andrewroxburgh1854 I've used Haltech Elites in all my swaps so far, including this one. Be sure to take a look at the parts list in the description for more info!

[@lifeofarthid3232]

i really enjoyed this VDO. LS swap RX8 has been a dream for me for a long long time. congrats

[@BlackthumbTV]

Thank you kindly!

[@RyuSukuna]

2:17 The doors truly are special. Unfortunately for me my FIRST car was an RX8 and I didn't understand about taking care or the car and the flooding until it was too late. I only recommend this car if you're going to swap. All the other issues just isn't worth it. BEST handling sports car I've EVER driven. Genesis Coupe handles superbly well too!

[@VaulcomKrypto]

Would it be too much for someone with very little mechanic experience to buy an LS swapped RX8? Are there potential issues having it worked on by a shop that is unfamiliar with swaps? Always wanted an RX8 but was scared of the engine disappearing on me one day.

[@lionsgarage]

mazdas from that time had problems with rust. like most 04 mazda 3s I see while driving around have rust / paint bubbles in the rear arches

[@tedsirlouis1372]

definitely glad I searched ls rx8 hidden gem of a channel

[@davidvaughn7778]

In ANY automotive online forum, there's always the OEM parts snobs. Or the "you have to have the factory service manual" guys. Usually one in the same. OEM parts are, for the most part, the best part. However, most aftermarket performance parts are made because the OEM isn't as robust, or doesn't perform to the next level. I'm on of those guys that's always trying to cross reference parts for motorcycles so I don't have to pay the motorcycle markup.

[@nickrichardson8812]

I’m glad this vid came up on my front page this dude is funny as hell 😂😂 I’ve owned an rx8 for 2 years 13b blew the bell up

[@SloppyMechanics]

"its seen some shit" lmao

[@BlackthumbTV]

It's doin much better these days. Think it's in need of some boost though 👀

[@GTFour]

Very cool. Did it change the handling like everyone always claims?

[@BlackthumbTV]

It's hard to say because I've never driven one with a rotary. This one was blown when I bought it. But I can imagine it does, the weight sits much further forward. That being said, I weighed it and it came in at 3200lbs.

[@marcmann982]

This guy reminds me of Jared from wrench everyday but funnier and more engaging lol

[@aimless-drifter]

man this video is hilarious, hopefully on the next project there would be more footage of the building process. I'm really into that kind of stuff

[@ZappWbrannigan]

I'm new to your page and this is the second video I've watched. Fantastic build! Great work. I like your style of presenting too.

[@jamilsabbatt9942]

Amazing speech delivery and presentation man.

[@jkim6200]

Thanks for the great video! And for going with a manual.

[@SoLSamuraibloodblade]

Keep up the hard work. I like your projects and humor.

[@blizz0kid]

I’m glad you’re making more videos.

[@adamgroszkiewicz814]

Real car guy stuff in here. This channel should be far bigger.

[@Hakiri27]

i thought i went through and already watched all your videos, i clearly have missed a few

[@MeleeTV]

9:54 I watched this video again and felt attacked. Talk to me nice😂😂😂

[@BlackthumbTV]

Me: verbally attacks my viewers My viewers: keep coming back for some reason Yall are wild. Appreciate you 💛

[@BLUE200S]

I love you bro youre legit the greatest. 😂 Too funny, too informative. Actually, can never be too informative but still!

[@Joeymartinez09]

Lmfaooo got me with the line lock question hahahhahahah I def answered burnouts

[@mkvector9539]

This really puts the 8 in RX-8.

[@davidcardozo7475]

Hello Hi, I have a Mazda RX8 and I want to replace the engine with a 5.3 LS. I have a GMC Yukon that has that engine, but I don't know if it's a good idea or what you would recommend.

[@holidayfestivities106]

How you don't have hundreds of thousands of views and subs is beyond me, my dude. A+ content. First video of yours I found was the engine swap wiring video and I was like "there is no way I want to watch a dude that looks like Dave the grumpy high school computer teacher talk about wiring shit for an hour." I was mistaken. Very informative and also funny. Keep it up, soon Raid Shadow Legends will be knocking at your door to be a filthy, filthy shill.

[@BlackthumbTV]

Thanks to our sponsor RaidVPNShare for sponsoring this video.

[@Emilthehun]

This gives me hope. Really like the rx8 body, but would never own a rotary engine car.

[@BlackthumbTV]

I'd actually like to play with a rotary. But at the time I wanted to play with an LS more. Honestly I want to buy another rx8 and do another swap on it at some point...

[@Emilthehun]

@@BlackthumbTV as much as I like to solve problems , not looking to bankrupt my self over a rotary 😂. But I do love the style of the rx8.

[@SDRIFTERAbdlmounaim]

your video is nice, has an *Aging Wheels* vibe to it, new fan, +1 sub

[@RC.3RD864]

Just found your channel. And yes I have a blown up RX8. I would love to do this!

[@nicholasthompson1665]

15:36 made me lol awesome videos, keep it up

[@Slowcarfastbeans]

It’s interesting that engine can fit under the bonnet without cutting it. I would have thought only a horizontal or leaned over inline engine would fit. How’s the engine ground clearance?

[@BlackthumbTV]

The steering rack had to be lowered, though not enough to make a huge impact. The crossover pipe for the exhaust hits the ground but if I ovaled it out more it'd be better. Between you and me, I bought another RX8 and am swapping an inline four (K series) into it and it's substantially harder than the LS swap. The LS is a "shorter" engine so it sorta just fits. The K is so tall that I both had to cut some of the firewall out, plus some of the engine cradle. And I'm still not done...

[@craigbarrett2278]

Cool build.... Yeah, Rx8 is a cool shape.

[@raywaltdecuba5699]

This dude is brutal....love it

[@mattmcdonald3659]

Great video buddy. Love the modest wisdom and dry humor. Haven’t laughed at a car vid in awhile. You strike me as possibly being a Sloppy Mechanics alumni?? How about a sloppy stage 2 on the cam? 228/230 .585”. Anyway. Subscribed. Keep up the good work!

[@Moses1973]

Man I was laughing quite a bit. Wonderful video! Just subscribed 👍

[@friendofallcats3544]

Dude I love your videos & editing style, feel like I'll be a long time subscriber with notifs on you slap hard.

[@robc2073]

How much was the total build? I have one and want to do the same but don’t know where to start besides getting the motor

[@chuckfinley3152]

The 10mm gods smiled at you, this car is blessed lol

[@BlackthumbTV]

It honestly feels like it, this car give me very little trouble. I need to do a followup video about it because it's hands-down the best build I've done so far.

[@michaelsweeney8332]

Can't wait to see this car reach it's limits!!

[@travr1131]

No doubt you saved this RX-8 from the junkyard. Although I prefer the rotary for just being different, I'll never tell someone else what to do with their property and no one can argue with your results! I have a 2005 Shinka that I am trying to get the courage and cash up for to have repainted, so I understood what you were talking about shelling out for body and paint work. Love your car and video, well done!

[@BlackthumbTV]

I genuinely love these cars, they're great. So I got another that I plan to do another swap on!

[@travr1131]

@@BlackthumbTV ok very curious to see what the next one will be!

[@kryocentrik9505]

been a long time since i was charmed into a sub, great stuff my man

[@hardinmotors3134]

I’m swapping a 1UR-FSE Lexus 4.6L V8 into mine though

[@MaGZKaRmA]

You’re gonna get big

[@patricklafreniere9841]

You have the nv3500 manual trans found beind 4.8 5.3 5.7 silverado. Not as good vs t56 and realy tall first gear.

[@christiangarcia5104]

Just bought a blow out rx8 and I’m going to do the same loved the video 😂

[@jakobthomas3587]

Dude you got my subscription I'm going to have to go back and watch the one about your case swap

[@jbmz]

I might be trippin but does the tail lights of the rx8 look alike to the tail lights of an s2k

[@phatkid7505]

Bro you are hilarious and I’m so intrigued.

[@Staticski]

Where did you end up buying the swap mounts from. Trying to stack parts to swap my RX8 drift car soon

[@BlackthumbTV]

Links to most everything I use can be found at wiki.blackthumb.tv/

[@itzyaboyaustin1214]

This is the reason I have two one for rotory high rev fun and one is for actually trying to go fast and somewhat reliably

[@BlackthumbTV]

The solution is always more shitboxes.

[@mechtech104]

This is a swap of love. Awesome video

[@MrRotaryrockets]

nicely done...what about the cost..for the conversion

[@thebritishhippie9735]

lol that B roll was so funny

[@Ortisan_Official]

Was looking at k swapping my rx8 in my profile pic. You've convinced me otherwise great content man you deserve more subs

[@BlackthumbTV]

For what it's worth, I also K swapped a Subaru, and that was a blast. Check out those videos before you commit ;)

[@Lifeofjhb]

This is great! I’m Ls swapping mine currently. How did you convert the m12x1 & 1/4 brake lines to m10x1 & 3/16???

[@BlackthumbTV]

I ended up getting a kit of 3/16" flare nuts on Amazon, that came with a number of different nuts, including the ones that go into the brake master. The ones in the brake master are quite big, but there was a very "thick" nut that that made it work. I believe it was indeed a simple M12x1 & 3/16 nut. The kit made it easy and I've used it quite a bit since then for reasons such as this, including another RX8 swap I'm working on right now (K swap)

[@Lifeofjhb]

@@BlackthumbTV awesome. I was planning to make mine as simplified as possible. I was in between buying a 2004 JDM master which Kyle Mohan runs. But that means I wouldn’t be able to take one from a local part out in a pinch.

[@davefuria5205]

I went with ar10 fabbot adapter 5spd Colorado transmission a 5.3 and holley terminator, mines also yellow

[@almostoemgarage8143]

My dude gets it! If I had a dollar for every time I have been told "you should have done a manual" I would be able to afford the T-56.... I tell 'em, shut up, my $250 TH400 is perfectly fine. I hit gas, car go vroom, I smile.

[@CalebOrvik]

I’m punching the air rn 😂

[@JustinsGarage]

That’s the coolest shit I’ve ever seen.

[@charliecherfan295]

New subscriber for you sir, I will admit i am a die hard rotary fan but I love seeing all the swaps people do in rx8's too, great video that you've made here definitely a few laughs too, Greetings from Australia

[@TastySnax12]

Need as much info on engine swaps as possible. What's some of the "hidden" details that you can think of? Is this something you would ever do to a daily driver? Considering buying either a 3rd Gen Honda Accord and swapping a B20 in it, or a Mk2 Supra and 2JZ swapping it way, way on down the line.

[@BlackthumbTV]

Funny you should say this, because one of the next videos I plan to do is going to be something along the lines of "How to get into Engine Swapping". I'm hoping to provide guidance on what people need to learn to do engine swaps like these. Note that I won't be telling people how to engine swaps, but rather guide them on what they should learn before attempting one. Now, to your questions: For hidden details, you're gonna have to wait for the video because there's a lot. I can say that the thing I see get hung up on most is the wiring/electrical/tuning. If you don't know how to wire a car from scratch, make sure you can purchase a harness for your swap. If you don't know how to at least flash a base tune you're gonna be paying a lot to get a tuners help. Towing to a tuning shop adds up. As for swapping the daily driver, I'll answer this with something more broad. I wouldn't heavily modify a car if it's my only ride, engine swap or otherwise. I typically live by the rule "Don't mod the daily". I usually have a reliable car for getting to work, and the project car(s) for wrenching on. That being said, once a project car is up and running and I've vetted it, I usually daily it. It's more fun than the daily so why not 🤷. Best of luck on your projects!

[@TastySnax12]

Thanks for the reply! I'll be looking forward for the next video. I guess the question about the daily was more of a "should I trust a swapped car enough to daily?" versus "let's swap a daily". The ECU, mounting points for the transmission, and other details beyond the "buy the motor mounts" are more of what I hope is touched on.

[@BlackthumbTV]

Unfortunately I can't answer questions that specific. Each swap combination has it's own challenges to overcome and I can't reasonably predict these without beginning research on them. I bought motor mounts for this RX8 LS swap, and made custom motor mounts for the Subaru K swap. I bought the RX8 LS mounts because I liked how they mounted the steering rack and it'd save me time. I made the Subaru mounts because I had no other option as it's a very uncommon swap. Knowing nothing about Accords and Supras, there's no way I could give you a good response, especially in a KZbin Comment 😅 The best I can do is make a video that teaches you to make these assessments independently. As for trusting a swapped daily, just make sure you have roadside assistance and a boss who's cool with you being late if it blows up or something. I've daily'd project cars for years and never had any major issues, but that's just me.

[@jonathantheghost7894]

I have a iPhone with a broken screen and for a second I took that personal then I remembered I drive a manual 😂😂

[@harryfp1494]

You made this car so much better

[@BlackthumbTV]

Thank you! It's about time to wake it up for the season, actually.

[@user-bp5py6bh3g]

Just found your channel, please keep uploading!

[@drezee7173]

Awesome channel - did you keep the Rx8 differential or go with something geared better for this engine? Great work 👍

[@BlackthumbTV]

Sticking with the RX8 diff for now, and it's really done well. I recently snapped an axle instead of the diff which really surprised me (a short on this channel).

[@d.westphal13]

I hear a lot of This Old Tony and Regular Car Reviews influence 🤪

[@BlackthumbTV]

I am a ToT fan, and RCR kills me lol

[@kninzotagoni3635]

Gosh I want to do this.. we do have an engine puller and tools to probably do this. But I know nothing about mechanics. I could have my local macanic do it but it well be about 10k for labor and getting it done. This is my dream car. If only I could find 1 ls swapped rx8 but it was a automatic. I could probably save up for it but.. I want a manual. It was around like 13 k. But man. Seems tough to get this build.

[@ΚωσταςΔιανελης]

Good evening guys. I have been watching your channel for a long time and you are doing very good work.... I would like to ask you a question about the rx8 project with the v8 is it difficult to install such a motor????

[@BlackthumbTV]

Thanks for your kind words! "Difficulty" is a relative measurement. If you've never pulled an engine, then yes, it's quite difficult. If you've been working with cars for a while, it's probably somewhere in the middle between "hard" and "easy". If you're looking to get into swapping, the easiest way I've found to get started is to do something like I did with my 99 Legacy, where I swapped a 2009 H6 into it. That teaches you the basics of swapping without being too difficult. After that, you could do a swap like this LS V8 swap. But it's quite a bit more involved. That being said, it's not nearly as difficult as what I had to do to K swap my Subaru Impreza.

[@activelyanime3394]

I’ve barely done any mechanic work but want to buy an rx8 and la swap it. Never done any crazy beside oil changes and breakes. Is this a good car to start with?

[@BlackthumbTV]

A stock RX8 with a rotary may be a bit much. I personally started with Subarus, and the project that taught me most of what I know was turbo-swapping a N/A Impreza. Check out my instructional videos about how to swap cars if you're curious about all that!

[@activelyanime3394]

@@BlackthumbTV ok ill take a look at it and thanks for the advise!!

[@cyberdrift1]

Could I bother you for a couple figures on the LS swap just a ballpark of what the engine, mounts, brackets and stuff cost for the motor side cost. Then another ballpark for the electrical stuff cost like ECU, senors, adapters to make the dash cluster and stuff work

[@BlackthumbTV]

Everything altogether was somewhere between $7k-$10k. The only thing I do for electronics is run a standalone ECU that supports CAN BUS emulation for the RX8. The ECU I use is a Haltech Elite 2500, and I just make a custom wiring harness for everything. Thus, things like the electric power steering, dash cluster, cruise control, etc all work.

[@cyberdrift1]

Thanks thats a cool car @@BlackthumbTV

[@vedranstupar7277]

What about the rear end?

[@JakobusVdL]

Is the motor you installed an all alloy (block and heads) model ? And were your 30 days and 70 days - full days of work or was that just evening and weekend time?

[@BlackthumbTV]

I'm not quite sure what you're asking, but it's an LQ4 out of a truck. Iron block, aluminum heads. The times were total days between start and finish, including a few that I didn't work on the car.

[@JakobusVdL]

Thanks@@BlackthumbTV, that was what I was asking. Does the LQ4 engine weigh alot more than the all alloy ones? I presume that LQ4 and similar iron block L series are alot more available and cheaper than the all allow versions. That's an impressively fast build time. Well done. it's a fantastic car, and fun video.