1994 MM 2.4 EFI - Tow Truck for the Race Car

[Finnie3d]

289290
Still fairly early stages and spaced out based on my work schedule, but piece by piece preparing Max for the summer and his role as "The Guardian" for Blue. Blue is my 1990 Plymouth Laser RS-T who I'm preparing for the road course with a goal of 350-400 WHP. You may hear more about her or see some of her pics too as this build progresses. I'm building them to work together.

Anyway, I've mainly been trying to make it as solid an OE platform as possible before i start getting too heavy into mods. I repaired a broken crank pulley for the balance shaft belt, got new bearings and seals for the transmission and replaced a broken clutch cable, had a crack in my cast iron exhaust manifold brazed shut, bought a full size wheel for the spare tire, got SS Braided Brake Hoses, got a K&N OE, and did maintenance (Alignment, Oil Change, Tune Up, Tire Rotation, etc.)


Probably the first "show and shine" upgrade I made was getting my tint done.

The brake line pics are the only ones I can load from my phone at the moment
Ill post more soon. Thanks for checking out my project!

Finn

[l.k.]

they are both sounding like a whole bunch of fun...

keep us posted ....ill be keeping up with this..

[4doorciv]

Interesting choice in a project. How did you upload pics from your phone? Did you sync it to your computer and then upload? I've been trying to upload from my phone and failed. I'm also a little interested in your project laser.like mods and such. You should make a build thread in the other vehicles section on that. Keep us posted.

[Finnie3d]

I'm laughing because that's the way they ask if you want more french fries in certain parts of Europe... total tangent to come to More Pics!! Tadah! (in no particular order)

292 Here they are together...

293 Saving Parts and Hanging Out...

More to come...

[Finnie3d]

Ok, so I would start my motor and get this sound like I was playing the lottery with small steel ball bearings... and my steering wheel would shake like crazy. And I was losing a good bit of oil from the front crank seal. And the temp needle would ride the 3/4 area way more than usual. So it was time for some general upkeep....

Front crank seal, cam seal, timing belt, balance belt, water pump, thermostat (you know the drill) Found this...

379 "crank sprocket B" looks ok right?
380 view from the flip side "oooooohhh!"
378 closer "how did this even happen?"

Turns out "crank sprocket B" had a notch in the ledge built to hold the keyway in place. Basically the balance shaft was getting the wrong info about when to balance the crankshaft vibration. Truck's already apart but nobody's got the part. Gratefully, had time to go to the yard the next day and pull what I needed - pulley and keyway. *note* 1st Gen trucks have "crank sprocket B's" that look identical at first glance. Closer inspection will reveal pulleys with the same diameter, different #of gear teeth. No big deal, small dot pressed into the pulley's face lets you hold your place to count them. Also, 1st Gen pulleys won't have the "G" stamp. :( So sorry.

Found the parts in good shape, shop installed with the other parts... smooooth running
double checked with the timing light - steady as he goes. Yes!

I'm thankful everything turned out well! More adventures to come...

[4doorciv]

There may have been a chance that the balance shaft itself may ne at fault why it stripped like that in the first place. Did you any type of diagnosing prior to installation of timing components?

[Finnie3d]

So no. No extra diagnosing. I was replacing the timing components for maintenance, and my truck is my a to b right now, so I didn't have time to get into the details. When the maintenance parts and the new pulley solved my wandering temp needle and parkinson's steering wheel problems, I kept on moving. Still doing great.

[Finnie3d]

To answer your question about the pics, USB. You can choose your pics from your phone's card or hard drive with the "attachment" button.

[Finnie3d]

So I've been riding with no a/c since I bought the truck, and I had it recharged once before and it blew cold for like half a day... If the Max is going to be the tow truck for the race car, I've got to get some air blowing! Turns out there was a large hole in the condenser. Also turns out that the condenser for my truck is obsolete in the aftermarket and the dealer wants about $400 for it... :( I scoured pull-a-part but couldn't find one in good condition. Found this one in Atlanta, but it looked like it had the same bends in it as my original.

531

So I had to find a salvage yard online that would ship, turns out the one they sent was good, and now it's blowing COLD! It was one on "1" last night and my homeboy and I were hanging out and I had to turn the temp up a little. It was FREEZING! I'm excited because summers here are sweltering, high humidity opportunities to see how much sweat you can lose without dying...lol

Next up... get my Belltech drop kit installed w/ OE suspension maintenance, and upgrade to heavy duty brakes (w/flush). Thanks for checking me out! Stay Tuned...:thumbup:

[Finnie3d]

532

Look at Max doing work! Friend's cousin had unexpected electrical issue with his bike. Sucks because we were on our way to a proper strip club... :(

Gratefully his swing arm wasn't stretched! Carried all four of us and his GSX-R 750 to his alternate transpo and the night continued. Good Times!

Don't let people sleep on our trucks... they go HARD. :thumbup: Max to the rescue!

[Finnie3d]

Finally got a chance to work on the truck again and cut 6.5" coaxials into the doors. Nothing fancy, but they sound good and I didn't have to buy a separate amp. #nice (Still haven't had a chance to install those suspension parts yet, but I'm getting closer. I'll keep you posted.)

[Finnie3d]

15431544

Needed two tires anyway, so I finally found someone who could get the Kumhos I had to match up. Took the opportunity to put my other two gold wheels on the ground. Smooth ride and noticeable increase in grip - still OE setup. Very happy with the ride, but looking forward to the suspension upgrades... :-) I'll keep you posted.

[Finnie3d]

1907

They're Polk and I got them from Best Buy because I really wanted to hear more bass in the music. They're not subs, but they add a lot more body to the sound than the 4"ers could do alone. Sounds good! (and good thing they have grilles because I would have kicked them to death by now)

[Finnie3d]

My build thread is about to go Back to the Future... to tell you what I was able to do to my truck before I realized it, and what i haven't taken time to post about until now. Thanks for stopping by!

[camoit]

So you had 4 people in the truck and a bike???? Thats got to be a record of some type. But how about a picture of what you are going to be towing with the truck. Just never tow in 5th gear. You will burn the trany input shaft up.
Are you going to fix the body when you start working on the suspension?

[abeemanator]

I don't think it beats my record of 9 people in my truck, that sucked, at least we only had to go a mile. There were three in the front and six in the bed, the truck hated that, lol.

[Finnie3d]

So you had 4 people in the truck and a bike???? Thats got to be a record of some type. But how about a picture of what you are going to be towing with the truck. Just never tow in 5th gear. You will burn the trany input shaft up.
Are you going to fix the body when you start working on the suspension?

19081909191019111912

'90 Laser RS-T... found in the backyard of the auto shop of a family friend. Needed some basic repair to pass state inspection, but a steal as car, parts and labor only cost about $1K. Very slow but steady buildup of key points to make car fast and fun but still reliable, legal and safe. Homeboy doing me a favor putting the transmission in with upgraded axles. DEF looking forward to feeling the difference with the new tranny and LSD :thumbup: As far as the truck's body work, there's a good bit of work to be done, so I'm just glad it's not rusting out. That way as long as the motor's strong, I can let the body work wait. Did get a chance to get the suspension on, pics in another post coming soon...

[Finnie3d]

191619171918

Very noticeable change in acceleration and braking. A little bouncy, but still a smooth ride - especially cruising at highway speeds. I'm very excited about how the truck is coming along... :thumbup:

[Finnie3d]

191619171918

Very noticeable change in acceleration and braking. A little bouncy, but still a smooth ride - especially cruising at highway speeds. I'm very excited about how the truck is coming along... :thumbup: I'm noticing the bounce a lot more now when I drive the truck. I've never cut my springs, but it feels like I think it would if I had cut the springs. Can't really judge the handling because either the shocks or the springs or both need to be changed. But i like the ride height and the stance. I'm really looking forward to seeing the bodywork with aero parts. We drive Great Trucks!

[Finnie3d]

Bodywork and parts will have to wait though. Right now I'm shopping a full tune-up (plugs, wires, cap, rotor, O2 sensor, fuel filter, system flush), and with a drain and fill of the rear end and a brake flush, I believe he'll be ready for a baseline dyno run. I've got some rebuild plans for the powertrain, and I want to know just how much of an effect they're having. Just that full tune-up alone won't be cheap...so I'm taking my time. Plus I spend so much time at work that I'm forced to stretch the build out. Nature of the beast though. Gotta get the parts $$ somewhere. So if anybody knows a good place in Columbia,SC or nearby, or online where I can get all of those tune-up parts at once, and for a discount, I'd definitely appreciate the tip. NGK and Denso electronics preferred.

[Finnie3d]

Found the tune up parts for pretty cheap direct from DENSO, and the other OE parts from Advance. May have to wait until my next check to get them, but I'm looking forward to knowing where we're starting power wise before I start making other changes. I really want to know how much effect each change has on the power delivery. *Patience is a virtue...* I'm waiting and waiting and waiting... but I want it right the first time. Slowly finding more people involved with Mitsu in Columbia. It's coming...Here are a couple of pics from today after I washed all the plant jizz off... 25452546

[Finnie3d]

Almost had the Shep Tranny (www.sheptrans.com (http://www.sheptrans.com)) in my Laser, but my friend/installer told me that when the last trans grenaded, it took out the oil pan (he found a leaky crack). He offered to weld it back together for me, but I'd rather spend a few more schillings for a new pan now, that to spend a lot of smackers on a new motor if we skimp on the repair. The way I see it, it's kind of a plus to have to replace the pan because the one I'm shopping is all aluminum to keep the oil cooler, and has a windage baffle to keep the motor well fed. So it turns out to be a key upgrade. God works in mysterious ways... that are usually pretty easy to understand after the fact. (More on that with the windshield in a minute). I'm spotting the OBX aluminum...http://www.racingpartdepot.com/servlet/the-4451/OBX-Oil-Pan-Eclipse/Detail If anyone has any experience with this pan or knows where to get it cheaper (even though $200 is a pretty great price) please let a brother know. Really looking forward to seeing my girl back on the road... (maybe I'll take her to bike week in Myrtle Beach). And I just found out about the SE Face Off, in Fayetteville, NC which seems to be pretty heavily biased toward Mitsu products. Piece by piece... more details soon.

[camoit]

Any updates?

[Finnie3d]

Cam...the only person I could find the OBX pan from (for the Laser), I couldn't verify the security of the site. So I didn't order it. But I'm checking to see if someone else has it, or my friend might be able to weld a windage baffle inside the OE pan. I got all of the tune-up parts (plugs,wires, cap, rotor, PCV, fuel filter, 16ozs of Lucas fuel in the bottom of the tank, and now 89 octane gas) installed on the truck yesterday and just rechecked the timing tonight. (Good thing. I forgot I had it advanced 6* to offset the lack of stock power. lol) I was wondering why my gas mileage was worse AFTER the tuneup... I still have to get an O2 sensor because I ordered the wrong one...being greedy, I tried to get a four wire thinking it would provide more inputs for the stock setup and still perform better somehow #dreams... So I just sprayed the old one down with carb cleaner and popped it back in. While I had the manifold out, I put in some new exhaust gaskets (manifold and midpipe). My truck runs like a dream and I'm still excited about the build progress, even though a little slow by comparison to some other builds on the board. But trust and believe, once I get some good lump sum money, I've got some really advanced ideas for my 2nd Gen. I'm gonna represent our clan well!

265726582659266026612662266326642665

Up next, (I might cheat on baseline a little bit and get an intake and catback b4 I dyno it) but I want to see where power numbers are before I get the lump rebuilt. My goal is to rebuild it right at 200,000 miles. Thanks for tuning in! :thumbup:

[camoit]

Here is where I was able to find the last Chevy 4.3 V6 oil pan in the known universe. If you have a new pan and send it to them they can modify it. No powder coating on it or they can't do it. http://champpans.com/

[Finnie3d]

Here is where I was able to find the last Chevy 4.3 V6 oil pan in the known universe. If you have a new pan and send it to them they can modify it. No powder coating on it or they can't do it. http://champpans.com/ Cool...thanks for the tip. Will he make mods to an OE pan? Will he make one custom all together? I didn't see anything that looked like Mitsubishi. I really like the idea of an aluminum pan (definitely want the baffle since I'll be racing) but I'm trying ALL I CAN not to pay half a grand for it. :shock:

Do you know anyone reputable that's selling the OBX, maybe as a plan B or something?

[camoit]

I would call them up and ask them. Never hurts to talk with them.
The other place is in Oakland CA. about 1.5 hours away from me.
6195 Coliseum Way, Unit F
Oakland, CA 94080

[Finnie3d]

Well I just decided to do it. I may be eating lightly until my next payday, but so be it. :-) Now, I have a pretty good picture of where I'm starting from with building power for my truck. Good results! A '94 EFI truck with almost 200K and basically stock. I'm very excited! *note A/F ratio is a bit rich, but I'm sure that's easily fixed.* Look how consistent everything is on both runs. I'm very grateful to have such a strong foundation to build on. Check it out...

26822683

Next I need to get an O2 sensor that actually fits, but the fact that I bought the wrong one still gives me a chance to source a wideband sensor so i can due some tuning...more to come. Thanks for "tuning" in. :thumbup:

[Finnie3d]

This is pretty cool. It's the original window sticker for the Race Car. It was purchased right down the street from where I grew up all my life. Who would've thunk it...?

2684 I wish I knew how to rotate this picture... anyway, more to come!

[DroppedMitsu]

80hp huh I thought it'd be a little higher then that since they were supposed to be around 110+ hp originally, but I guess thats what 200k will do. Looking forward to seeing more progress on this, and sweet window info sticker!

[Fordubishi]

Remember factory HP was BHP (Brake Horse power) or what the engine does at the flywheel. WHP (WHP Wheel Horse Power) is what a dyno reads is after it goes through the tranny and diff. the Avarage automatic loses 20% HP from the flywheel to the wheels, where as a standered loses around 15%.

[Acuta73]

What did it cost to put that thing on the dyno, out of curiosity?

80WHp with a stock and well worn 2.4 seems a bit low, but still decent!

Would love to find the original paperwork for my truck...lost to the sands of time, and Central Idaho. Lost contact with the Army buddy I bought it from over a decade ago.

[LethalEthan]

at least it wasnt a heart breaker!

[Finnie3d]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F4O45shqrs&context=C43cce35ADvjVQa1PpcFNI F2X5a6gp_dyu0Fs4pmBihL1d0IzBqGw=
This is just the beginning. If it's running this well now, wait til he's built... stay "tuned" :thumbup:

[Finnie3d]

Yeah Dropped, Fordubishi's right about (they're called) "frictional losses". That's why guys say "at the flyweel" or "at the street". Two different power numbers, and how close they are is determined by what's in between them... Acuta, it cost me $60 for two pulls. You're right about the HP. It's a little lower than you'd expect. I've got a SOHC 8V motor not designed for top HP. It redlines at 5500RPM if my memory is good. It's designed to be torquey because it's a RWD truck. That's why you notice on the dyno graph that I already have Max Torque at 2500RPM...He's getting ready to tow the race car... :thumbup: Thanks for "tuning" in!

[Finnie3d]

[QUOTE= and sweet window info sticker![/QUOTE] Thanks for the s/o Dropped. I was surprised to even find it in the glove compartment. I'm glad to have a chance to build this particular Laser.

[camoit]

I fixed your video. You had the wrong URL. What I did was click the link above and use the hole url that showed in the browser.
OH and just so you know if you click the facebook icon at the top of the page the board can update your facebook wall for you. A box will appear next to the editor you would need to put a check in to have it post to FaceBook.

[Finnie3d]

Thanks Cam. Anyway to delete that other post about the video not working? Kind of misleading now huh? lol

[Finnie3d]

Gratefully, I was finally able to find a tach cluster salvage for a reasonable price. I installed it in the parking lot of the yard, to make sure it worked, (because I had to drive about an hour to get it), and it popped right in - good to go! :cheers: I had to use scotch brite to get some of the rust off of the metal connector that was sticking out, but other that that, it was easy. Reading the instructions that talked about re-routing the speedo cable, it took me a sec to realize the best way to do that.

When I first moved the cable, I tried to put it UNDER the metal bracket. That made the cable too short. There was a round hole going THROUGH the metal bracket that made the cable just the right length and angle.

The sender (for the gauge) that I got from Advance looked HUGE by comparison to the online pics, but it threaded in and works fine.

My truck got 15K mi younger with the install (LOL) so I have to find out how to roll the ODO forward so it will match, and we'll be solid. Anybody have any tips?

I'm grateful for the progress. I've got to re-check the timing and reset the idle speed and go from there.
I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do next, but I'll definitely keep you posted.
Thanks for checking me out.
Stay "Tuned"! :thumbup:

277527762777277827792780

[LethalEthan]

for rolling it forward i've heard of people hooking up a dremel to the speedo cable socket (I think) and letting it run till it gets to the right mileage, OR you could pull the cluster apart and move the numbers manually (which is what I'd do).

[pennyman1]

Or swap the speedos between the clusters if they will come out without too much trouble. A drill works better to spin an odometer up - too easy to overrev the thing and break it with a dremel. Use a corded drill and lock it on to run.

[Finnie3d]

The lights work fine! #whew (I forgot I bought them in the daytime...) lol

(My phone's camera is kind of wack. It looks better in person. Very bright.)

2781

[Finnie3d]

Thanks for the odometer tips! I'll try something today and let you know how it goes.

[abeemanator]

I took the speedo out of the old gauge cluster, took the needle off, and then stuck it in the sport cluster and put the sport clusters needle on, it reflected the real mileage and the speedo was still accurate

[Finnie3d]

Ok, so first I tried to use the "drill in the speedo plug" method... clearly it would have taken a thousand years to add the number of miles I needed my ODO to show... Because I didn't want my grandchildren to be the first people to enjoy the new gauges, I decided to take the gauges apart and fix things that way... #really?! :shakehead:

Long story short, I got to the point where I had taken both clusters apart to swap odos, I had taken the tach cluster odometer itself out and was trying to turn the numbers to match what I needed. I felt like I was in an Indiana Jones movie or I was trying to decipher an ancient stone mason's key...:bang: It was like a Rubix Cube gone bad...

What's more, when I finally figured out how to set the numbers, and I got the odometer numbers back in the odometer housing, I missed one detail that made the numbers point down a little in the bezel, and I almost lost the "baby-small" retainer clip that holds the numbers in the housing. Gratefully my friend was here and eventually found it. (I was already going to the truck to try to swap the odo from the original cluster.) Seeing the old odo showed me how to align the new one though, had to take to small clip off again, but i learned from my mistakes and kept it close this time. (*note* friends don't let friends take apart small things on carpet)

When I put everything back together this time, the numbers lined up, everything was properly adjusted and we were finally good to go. I put the gauges back in the truck, and when I was able to test drive, the numbers roll over as the should. (*I'm glad they didn't roll backwards, or have bigger numbers roll before smaller numbers) :lmao:

So, now the gauges are in and the numbers are true and I can put this chapter of the build to rest...#whew!:clap:

I'm not sure what will be my next mod, but I'll definitely keep you posted.
Thanks for checking me out.
Stay "tuned"! :thumbup:

27832784

[Fordubishi]

Next is taking the turbo out of your "Rice" oops race car and drop it in the truck :rolleyes:

[Finnie3d]

This is coming from Fordubishi, who's clearly at the top of the list for brand loyalty... Dodge truck, Ford engine, Mitsubishi in the name, and you're in Canada... :shrug:
We're having a party tonight. Please siphon some of that moonshine out of your gas tank so we can have plenty of drinks for everybody. Thanks! :thumbup:

[LethalEthan]

I'd love to see a proper built and boosted awd talon run a v8 mini-truck anyday :))

I've heard it before, it's rice until it blows past a turbo v8 cobra. Then its "oh they sprayed it."

[Finnie3d]

I'd love to see a proper built and boosted awd talon run a v8 mini-truck anyday :))

I've heard it before, it's rice until it blows past a turbo v8 cobra. Then its "oh they sprayed it."

Apples to apples, talking power to weight, 400HP from the V8 v. 400HP from the 4G64B (everything else being equal) = Mighty Max #winner
So more is not always more... That's the whole point of this build - to to stylishly demonstrate exactly that.

In a minute, domestics will be able to get their doors blown off by the Laser or the MM. :cool:

[Finnie3d]

I'd love to see a proper built and boosted awd talon run a v8 mini-truck anyday :))

I've heard it before, it's rice until it blows past a turbo v8 cobra. Then its "oh they sprayed it."

I agree though Lethal - DSM over V8M any day. :thumbup:

[Fordubishi]

Wish I could find the pic Laser that we have running around the city in the summer, Guy put a blown 440 in it full tube chassie and would run low to mid 10's fully street legal. (3600ft elevation at track). In the 30 years I've been doing this I have built stupid 4cyl turbos, monster V8's and blown V6's each have their place and it still comes down to power to weight. Best one we built so far was a Omni GLH that was pushing just over 400hp at 31lbs boost. the damn thing would eat Vipers and spit out Corvette's.

Finnie one day we'll race :)) and see how a 2200lbs 380hp D50 does against your car. probably kick my butt, but it would be fun :devil:

[LethalEthan]

we need video! There was a video of a single turbo ls1 conquest floating around a little while ago, it was a monster. But I haven't been able to find it.

[Finnie3d]

I'm just saying, I feel like Mitsubishi 4 cylinders are strong enough to compete with American V8's all day...WITH the proper care and attention in the build. You're right Ford, it does come down to power/weight, but I guess I'm a bit of a purist... Would you put a Ford V8 in a Ferarri? Or an LS1 in an Aston Martin? That's how I feel about putting an American V8 in a Mitsubishi anything. Yeah, they're super fast as a result, and I'm sure a blast to drive and all of that. But come on man? Where's the pride in the brand? Does anybody at Mitsubishi believe anymore? I do. So, if It's a Mitsubishi truck, it gets Mitsubishi parts and engines, period. At least for now. Once we show what THEY can do, then I might branch out and cross brands. But even then, I'd probably put another Japanese manufacturer in the engine bay before I go American. When I buy a 69 Camaro, please believe, it will be red white and blue through and through. (How would you feel if someone took a classic American muscle car like this and put an Infiniti V8 in it?) I'm sure it would be fast as hell. :devil2: But something just seems wrong about that to me.

The Laser makes it hard because Mitsu already blended with the Plymouth body, but that was more business move than mechanical join. For all intents and purposes, it's still a Mitsubishi Eclipse.

Ford, I love competition and look forward to racing you. Hell, I might even win! lol
At the end of the day, even though we may do it different ways, we're all just a bunch of people who like going fast. #winning

[camoit]

Here is the one I would love to get. Oh the things I would do to get one.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXFSVoVqhYw

[LethalEthan]

ehh thats no skyline

[Fordubishi]

Yep I'm kind of the same way for brand loyalty for the most part,but it is fun to do different things too. Also remember here in Canada till 2002 we didn't get "Mitsubishi's" so we were stuck with the Dodge versions and parts were stupid money. When I first got the POS with the blown 2.0L in it, it was cheaper to drop in a Domestic engine then what the parts alone for the 2.0 would have cost (pistons were $128.00 each) and I happened to have the 5.0 sitting around the shop at the time.

Friend had a 1st Gen EVO that he brought over from Japan and we did a bunch of work to it and OMG was that thing fun and fast. 4000rpm launch 4 wheels spinning, car drifting sideways and leaving a ZO6 Vet like it was a 10 speed bike at the lights.Guy in the Vet lost so bad he slammed on the brakes and turned off at the next intersection.Guy must have been crying his $100.000 penis extension was beat by a "Dodge Colt 4 door"

One day I would love to drop a Toyota Crown V-12 Twin turbo into a mid 80's Celica Notch. then put the 5.0L badges on the side. it would confuse the crap out of everybody thinking I dropped a 302 in it till I open the hood.

[Finnie3d]

Alright, these are from the wayback machine a little bit. This was a few weeks ago now, but it was interesting Camoit had just talked about the GT-R... must have talked it up. Enjoy!

293729472946294529442943294229412940293929382948

[Finnie3d]

Here is the one I would love to get. Oh the things I would do to get one.

Cam, This one's for you. Video still doesn't do it full justice. Awesome exhaust note. (Driver said he had a cutout switch to go from muffled, to direct out 3" open.) Enjoy!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6IEiXKDq1o&feature=plcp

[Finnie3d]

Spotted some Mighty Rams on the ride back. #family

294929502951

[Finnie3d]

Ok, back to the build. We talked about the oil pan for the Laser. Never did find a reasonably priced aluminum replacement, so I had to sniff out a tried and true OE. Gratefully there was an AWD Talon with just what I needed. (hated to see an AWD like that, like it was an awesome horse left for dead in the open plain to get picked apart by vultures...) Well, it is what it is, so I had to be the vulture this time. Pan had a nice pickup baffle already in (not sure if the OE Laser pan had that too - long time since it's been off), but that will help when I'm on the road course. I've decided to campaign the RS-T in NASA Pro Racing's "Performance Touring" Class -(final mods determine who you actually run against on track, as long as there within that base class). But a stock '90 RS-T is classed PTE.

It was a milkshake that brought this Talon to the yard... Water/Oil mix in the pan when I pulled the plug. Good sign that it still held fluid. I pulled the pan, and the bolts, and kept the cut oil return line. All threads good, plug good, even filled it with water and let it sit for a while to ensure no cracks before I bought. #allgood :thumbup:

So hopefully, that will put the day the Laser is on the road, that much closer. Thanks for "tuning" in! :cheers:

[Finnie3d]

You know how you can buy the ground wire kit from Hyper Ground? Well, if you're on a budget, but want to improve performance (for real) make your own. You need 4GA wire, copper or gold plated ring type end connectors, electrical tape, a compatible battery terminal and some time.

It's actually pretty easy, and you save a decent bit of money off the $100-$115 retail price tag. Pick your mounting points ahead of time, cut your wire to length, put connectors on each end and hook it all up. *IMPORTANT* Daisy chain from the battery to your first point, to your next point, to your next point - instead of making one wire from the battery to each point. I decided points based on some crap I read on the net. But i found out from an audio installer, that if you want to be more scientific about choosing points, get your multimeter and check resistance between the neg terminal and the potential point. If the number is like .00045 or something super small like that (or super small like the motor in a Honda), then you're good. It's as simple as that. If you pick different points, you get different results, and they have been proven time and again on the dyno. If you dyno each time you change points, you can get a specific read on how it affects your power and torque curve. My daisy chain looks like this - Battery to Coil to Distributor to Exhaust Manifold to Wheel Well(Body) to MAF Sensor. (Honestly I haven't checked the function of the MAF wire. I copied somebody who said it worked for them.) I'm looking forward to a new Dyno Run to see the true effect. I'll definitely repost when I get the results.

*NOTE* There is no way I can tell you how much HP and TQ this mod will gain for YOUR truck. Depends on your truck and your chosen mounting points. But it DEFINITELY does work. Don't listen to those nimrods on the net that say there's no way these few wires will help performance. THEY WORK!!

Thanks for stopping by. More to come... Stay "Tuned"! :thumbup:

2956296429632962296129602959295829572965

[tanzytinkerz]

I don't think it beats my record of 9 people in my truck, that sucked, at least we only had to go a mile. There were three in the front and six in the bed, the truck hated that, lol.


I had 9 people in my 1991 geo storm gsi. that was horrible. if you know storm's 2+2 back seats, you knew my buddies pain. same night I blew my turbo:(

[Finnie3d]

OK, so I know our stock exhaust is already a little anemic, but MAN! There's no way a proper Mighty 50 engine can breathe through the nasty "last bend" in the tailpipe... (maybe it was just my truck), but it was hardcore. See...

30063007 :shock:

So, if you've got a nasty bend like this, here's a low-buck way to beat the system...
You'll need:
1 Reciprocating saw with a metal-cutting blade
1 Can Lubricating Spray (no judgement on where you might get this from) I used PB Blast
1 12mm socket and Rachet

That's it. Take the passenger rear tire off (make sure to support with jack stands), slice the pipe above the bend and free up some flow! (for the newbs) Make sure to spray the lube as you cut to save your blade and keep your cut as smooth as possible. You can cut yours wherever you want, but I tried to catch a place in the pipe that was as open as possible and points toward the ground as much as possible. That way it won't blow directly on the spare, it still uses the heat shield at the top and is easy to get to with the saw.

30083009

Here's why you need the socket and ratchet... If you want to keep a stock appearance so you don't have the "fuzz" wondering why you don't have a tailpipe , attach the pipe to the bottom hole of the bracket that the doughnut was on before. It bolts right up and looks stock. Voila...Magic!

3010

*NOTE* Do not expect this action to gain you 20WHP!! But it may get you 2 or 3 and help you smooth out your powerband. It definitely has made a difference for me. Try it out and see.

More to come. Thanks for "Tuning In"! :thumbup:

[Finnie3d]

Soooo, the wire ends I hooked to the Exhaust Manifold Heat Shield started corroding - especially after the electrical tape at the very end of the connector started melting from the heat...

3011

So I got a stiff wire brush and some battery terminal sealer from Wally World and cleaned it all up. Hopefully it holds, I'll let you know...

3012

[pennyman1]

Daisy chaining the ground is only good while the connections stay tight - if they loosen up you are done. A better way for those on the cheap would be to get a grounding buss bar from a circuitbreaker panel - you can buy them separately. Then run a wire to the negative on the battery after grounding each point to the bar. Not every point needs a 4 gauge wire either - if your main ground cable from the battery is clean and tightly grounded at each point, the auxiliary grounds are extra insurance. Adding grounds are always a good idea, but they need to be neat and away from heat.

[Finnie3d]

Daisy chaining the ground is only good while the connections stay tight - if they loosen up you are done. A better way for those on the cheap would be to get a grounding buss bar from a circuitbreaker panel - you can buy them separately. Then run a wire to the negative on the battery after grounding each point to the bar. Not every point needs a 4 gauge wire either - if your main ground cable from the battery is clean and tightly grounded at each point, the auxiliary grounds are extra insurance. Adding grounds are always a good idea, but they need to be neat and away from heat.

No disrespect Penny, but any electrical connection that's loose is gonna be no good... even if you use the grounding bar... #justsaying
But tell me my friend, why do you feel a bar is better? Even less resistance? Easier installation? Looks? It's science, so there's more than one way to do everything. I definitely want to know your perspective on this.

[pennyman1]

I was just giving another way to ground to a common point without spending big bucks. The grounding bar is simply a means to attach a lot of wires together to a common point, which then goes to the negative terminal of the battery. I was in no way inferring that your method was wrong or problematic - just another way of doing it. I am running Phoenix Contact grounding connectors - they attach to a Din rail and is grounded to the body and I also have a wire run to the battery. These are industrial connectors and can take up to a 4gauge wire in the ug 4 version I am using. I will take pics and post them on here to show the way I did it. Please accept my apology if I offended you. I also am not thrilled with the daisy chain method the factory used for their grounding on the body, chassis, and block - it causes problems on a regular basis and requires yearly maintainance to keep it totally connected i.e. low resistance.

[Finnie3d]

What's up everybody. Sorry it's taken so long to post. It's a crazy time in my life right now #transition. Regardless, I put this video together to give you a glimpse at me and some of the things I've gone through to keep my Diamonds together. Here's the PR description...

Here is a history in pictures of a few of the obstacles I've overcome with my '94 Mighty Max and my '90 Laser Turbo. I'm selling myself and my dedication as I work to raise money for the research and development of an innovative aftermarket part I have a concept for. The part will be applicable to ANY aftermarket platform, but my heart belongs to the 3 Diamonds. If you'd like to contribute to my cause, feel free to transfer funds through PayPal to my email address - finnie3d@yahoo.com. Thank you in advance for any help you're able to give. I'm grateful for my progress so far, and looking forward to even more and more success in the near future. Thanks for Watching!

I won't quit until I reach my goal. I'm going to represent Mighty Ram 50 and the Mitsubishi-Powered community well!
And if you have a project that's been a pain in your bucket seat, if you really love it, don't quit. Keep building! Just believe in yourself and you can get it done! Three Diamonds (and family) Forever! :thumbup:

Finn


http://youtu.be/PlrR8TsRuuo

[Fordubishi]

:clap: well done Mike

[MaxinOut]

Until I just watched your video I had no clue you lived so close to me it can't be anymore than about a thirty Minuit drive. Do you ever go to jenros in the summer

[Finnie3d]

:clap: well done Mike
Thanks Fordubishi... more to come. :-)

[Finnie3d]

Until I just watched your video I had no clue you lived so close to me it can't be anymore than about a thirty Minuit drive. Do you ever go to jenros in the summer

Yeah, I haven't been going because last summer I didn't have as much done to the truck, and the Laser wasn't running yet. But I definitely plan to check it out more. How many other Tidewater MightyRams are on the board that you know of? We should get together some time.

[MaxinOut]

we are the only two that i know of

[Finnie3d]

we are the only two that i know of

My friend says he knows a couple guys w MightyRams in Richmond, and there are plenty of Mitsu family member around in general... let's see what we can organize. Might be the first, or a least a Mitsu Club of Merit in our area. Whatdyathink?

[camoit]

My friend says he knows a couple guys w MightyRams in Richmond, and there are plenty of Mitsu family member around in general... let's see what we can organize. Might be the first, or a least a Mitsu Club of Merit in our area. Whatdyathink?


Get em on here.... That will help you to organize them and put together meetings.

[MaxinOut]

sounds like a good plan to me =)

[Finnie3d]

https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/s720x720/68957_10200375261647877_1035105294_n.jpg

Drove the Laser home in time for Christmas. Sat for three years, now runs and drives on her own power. Timing is good, engine sees boost and vac, trans shifts smoothly. I'm VERY grateful. Next we get her consistently reliable for daily driving, and then focus on upgrades to get her truly 'teack-ready' - road course racing (NASA). More to come...

[Finnie3d]

Also, I tweaked my M/M MAF with hack concepts from the DSM, and FINALLY got that EGR light off. I have to re-dyno to confirm the effects to the a/f ratio, but the idle is way smooth and it feels good pulling in third.

[MaxinOut]

Hey man by chance do you have a scanner that would read my truck code? Since you have a truck of your own I figured I would inquire

[LSR Mike]

Go to the manuals section, 216 manuals post, get the Haynes Manual, go to page 6.26, the fault code table and instructions on how to read them with a simple analog Voltmeter are there.

[MaxinOut]

I know I was told this before, but to be honest I forgot about it -.- Thanks for the reminder =). I will get on that as soon as I wake up. Thanks again

[DroppedMitsu]

Go to the wiki and i posted a how to read your ecu codes with a $2 12v buzzer from radioshack.

[Finnie3d]

Last time I said the EGR code was cleared, the CEL came back on. So far about 170 mi and still no CEL. Number of miles per tank is up, and this winter air makes the engine feel brand new. Next i'd like to do some solid maintenance and a few more upgrades... including that Paired Port Tri-Y Header from DG. #pieceBypiece

[MaxinOut]

I got it thanks all. It twas the Airflow Sensor. Hopefully they have one out at the junkyard but I am not getting my hopes up

[Finnie3d]

Slow going on the build while I'm searching for another income source... Next goal is to upgrade the exhaust - DG Paired Port Race Header, Hi-Flow Cat and (prob 2.25") Cat-Back.

[Finnie3d]

6974
BEFORE

6975
AFTER

So after digging this up from the archives, I decided to try it. I wanted to keep function as close to OE as possible, and gratefully there was enough hose to just bypass the throttle body with no other mod needed. I only had to disconnect the intake manifold support and run the hose under it. Then I topped off the coolant and took a test drive. Haven't adjusted timing or anything, but so far so good - started, ran, and Temp Needle was on point. That's a good start, and we'll go from there.

[meandmit]

any updates on that truck?

[Finnie3d]

any updates on that truck?
Just started a new job the beginning of this month so I'm rebuilding my "parts fund". I've played w the A/F setup enough to get about 23 mpg in the city on 91oct, but that's the best I've got for you at the moment. I think it's time for the Timing Belt/Water Pump service, so I'm pricing a full head refresh (w/upgraded springs) as step one.

It's still my daily so I stick to reliable stock platform performance tweaks until I get that Laser on the road reliably as backup. Thanks for checking on me though. Hopefully within the next few monthsI can revive this from being the most boring build thread known to man…

[Finnie3d]

So my blower motor quit on me, and I decided to take it out and see if I could fix it rather than pony up the cash for a new one.
1st I checked voltage at the plug w my multimeter and had 12v solid in each position of the switch. So w switch good, I pulled the motor itself. I pause here to say that the third screw (phillips inside w 8mm outer head) is very (not) conveniently placed at the back of the assembly just above the hump of the wheel well. I had to take my time with a combi wrench and eventually got it out.

I jumped 12v direct to the motor - no dice. With the wires connected (but careful to keep them from touching and shorting) I tapped the side of the motor (like a starter) and presto. So motor's not dead, just tired...

Pics are briefly what I found inside the housing (just three phillips heads screws to open it). Years and miles of normal wear and tear - dust, gunk and corrosion. Scotch Brite, Wire Brush and carb clean later (and long story short), reassembled and reinstalled the working motor and I'm good to go. *Note* the slits in the gold thing holding the springs will allow space for the wires so you can compress the springs with the contact points for reassembly.

Good to go ***(except for this)*** Somehow, when everything was back together, position 2 of my fan switch no longer works... :confused1:
But I don't care. Cost me nothing but time for this fix, soooo I'll take it for now.

For all you guys with a bad blower but no $$, maybe this will get you by (and keep you warm or cool) until you can get a new one.

Laterz.

[Finnie3d]

Crazy enough, the second position of the fan motor started working again on its own...:scratchheadyellow: Not sure when or why but, I'll take it.

[royster]

Hi Mr. Finnie (I'm a fan of your work!) (And not a blower fan :cheesygrin: )

Probably the switch contacts finally rubbed away some schmutz.

Little miracles are just as important as the big ones :)

[Finnie3d]

Thanks for the support Royster! Sorry I haven't been on the board lately. Fan Motor still going strong!

[geezer101]

Nice job resurrecting your blower fan Finnie. I have saved vacuum cleaners and power tools with an armature in it by tearing it down and pulling the armature out of the centre of the motor, then using fine wet and dry sand paper to reface the copper conductors so they are smooth (worse case scenario I'll take a needle file to it first if there are significant grooves/high spots on it). Next I give the copper a good polish up and lastly remove all the debris from between the copper conductors as this stuff is partially conductive and will create bridges (not much point doing it beforehand as you're going to foul it during the refacing process). I gently stretch the retaining springs holding the brushes in place so they aren't as loose and tired when they're re-installed. Taa-daah, fresh electric motor!

[Finnie3d]

Thanks Geezer! Now it's time to treat the engine like that... #IWish lol soon though.

[Finnie3d]

12017

Beginning of a custom airbox project. The difference in performance is not extreme yet, but very noticeable. Everything just happens more smoothly with the engine. Box is a transplant from a V6 Montero. Clips right to the top w the OE Mighty Max MAF. Box is deeper so more volume, and the box inlet is pointed at the grill air inlet pretty nicely. And w the OE pipe, the charge still gets to straighten out before the throttle body. More to come...

Oh and I finally got two rear tires and got the trans drained and filled, and the diff serviced w new pinion seal, diff cover gasket (RTV), and all Lucas Fluid. Soooooo, not super exciting maintenance to L0_0k at, but long overdue so I'm glad it happened.

This has been torturously slooooooooow progress up to this point. But slow progress is better than no progress.
So thanks for checking in and Stay Tuned! :thumbup:

[Rahtid]

good to see your back,how is the dsm

[Finnie3d]

Thanks! Dsm is trans deficient right now. Need a replacement input shaft, or a donor FWD trans to get the shaft out of. (4cyl F5M33) Engine is fine but car is a no go. Plus it's still in VA right now with my mechanic. I'll get her home eventually...

[Finnie3d]

Wow... *blows dust*. I'm surprised the lights still work in here. Is this thing on?

[geezer101]

Thread from the dead! Soooo... what's the low down - you still in the game?

[Finnie3d]

Man! There has been lots of changes, none of which include turbo, but yep - still Maxxing, same Max, and (despite these home stretch speed bumps) in a pretty good place. Where do I even pick this story up? When last we left our hero...

A lot of these posts will probably be flashbacks until I catch you up.