[McRat]

Found a dirt cheap Honda Insight. Body intact, motor runs good, but something evil lurks in the gearcase. Sounds like a garbage disposal.

Looking for manuals now so I don't kill myself disconnecting the battery pack.

[MN Driver]

As long as you have the ignition turned off, you won't have high voltage under the hood. Disconnecting the 12v to prevent the ignition from inadvertantly being turned on by someone else is a good idea.

If you are paranoid and this is a 1st Gen Honda Insight, there is a small cover under the rear carpet with two bolts, take the two bolts out, remove the small cover, pull red tab and turn the high voltage switch off and put the tab back in place.

Not sure what you'll find, usually it's an Input Shaft Bearing(ISB) but if that wasn't fixed it in time it could have shredded the differential. I imagine you'll figure it out pretty quickly once you split the transmission. ..again assuming this is the 5-speed and not the CVT.

[McRat]

Thanks!

Well, it seems was manufactured in 8/2001 and has a CVT trans as best as I can tell, unless there was a "normal" automatic avail, but I'm only seeing two trans options for 2001, manual and CVT.

I doubt I'm using the front drive system that's there. I doubt it is robust enough to tolerate 4 times the factory output. Might go RWD with it.

Plus, I can sell all the parts that are going to be ripped out of it.

I know NOTHING about either Hondas or Hybrids, or for that matter CVTs.

[MN Driver]

The CVTs aren't cheap to fix, the parts from Honda are too expensive for most people to consider it and there weren't that many CVTs released as most people went after the 5-speed manual transmission because lean-burn isn't equipped with the CVT Insight. You also won't have the correct ECM input if you are swapping the drivetrain.

There are others that have gone the rear-drive route, I don't have them bookmarked but I'm certain a Google search and an insightcentral forum search would track them down.

[Bowser330]

Originally Posted by McRat

I doubt I'm using the front drive system that's there. I doubt it is robust enough to tolerate 4 times the factory output. Might go RWD with it.

Plus, I can sell all the parts that are going to be ripped out of it.

Well its definitely possible, these guys did a rwd insight using a 270hp 6cyl ICE!

http://www.superfastminis.com/FRANK-INSIGHT.dwt

What about an AWD setup McRat? If space doesn't allow the more traditional AWD driveshaft...maybe you use dual transaxles (944 or 986 = cheap) hooked up to a single shifter lever...

Dual 9" motors powered by a single 1000A controller! 1000A into each 9" =~250ftlbs, total 500ftlbs AWD torque in a lightweight aerodynamic donor!

[McRat]

AWD is definitely a possible for EV racing. I'm already measuring things up on the lift.