New Member- from North Carolina

[originalowner]

Hello, my name is Tom. My user name is fitting- I am the original owner of a Baja Red 1988 Mighty Max SPX. It has 343,000 miles and runs like a top. I was a service advisor at the dealership level for over 20 years...Asian, German and domestic car makers. I also ran the detail shop at a Chevrolet/Acura/Saturn/BMW dealer, so there is not much that I have not seen over the years.

The truck is a MacroCab with a 5 speed and 2.6 Liter. Basically a loaded SPX, it had every option, I bought it from the dealer group I was working for at at the time. I have every receipt/service record from day one, which was 2/15/88. The records fill a 1" binder LOL. The truck will not die, you cannot find cheaper transportation of any kind, so I will continue to drive it. These vehicles are what I call "automobile freaks of nature"...They just refuse to quit.

The reason I have joined here is I want to do a carb to EFI upgrade, and I have to start accumulating the parts to do so. The original factory Hitachi(?) or Mikuni(?) carb crapped out several years ago, so it has been retrofitted with a Weber. (Not uncommon at all back in the day.) As far as I can tell, it is a fairly straight forward swap...as far as I know, all that is needed is an EFI intake, ECU, injectors and so forth from a 90 or up 2.4 liter. My personal mechanic is actually the tech who did the PDI new car inspection on the truck, so he will be doing the work. Bottom line, I am just sick and tired of fucking with that carburetor, and will reap tons of benefits from switching over to MPFI as it came off the assembly line in 1990.

I do not wish to swap motors to a 2.4, I just want to switch over to EFI. There is nothing wrong with the original motor, and although I am a homeowner, I don't have the room for extra motors. This seems like the right place to get what I need, so here I am. I will put up another post in parts wanted, but I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce myself.

So help a brotha out...LOL.

[92bluemax]

Welcome to the forum,and good luck with the swap:thumbup:

[DroppedMitsu]

No that wont work. Only the 2.0(g63b) can use the 2.4l f.i. accessories because they're in the same engine family, the 2.6l(g54b) isnt. Maybe find the parts from a starion/conquest as they came f.i. and used the 2.6l(g54b)

[originalowner]

No that wont work. Only the 2.0(g63b) can use the 2.4l f.i. accessories because they're in the same engine family, the 2.6l(g54b) isnt. Maybe find the parts from a starion/conquest as they came f.i. and used the 2.6l(g54b)

That I did not know. I thought the 2.4 and 2.6 were from the same engine family. Learn something new every day. LOL. I was never interested in messing with any of that stuff until now, I just did regular, routine servicing. Sounds like I need to find a Starian/Conquest motor and take what I need. No? Yes? Thanks for your input!!! Anything else I need to know?

[Acuta73]

Try and find an 88 or 89 Starquest for a donor, better ECU. Much better.

May as well pull a turbo and drop it on while yer at it, all comes from the same car!

[originalowner]

Try and find an 88 or 89 Starquest for a donor, better ECU. Much better.

May as well pull a turbo and drop it on while yer at it, all comes from the same car!

I hear you, and in a different circumstance, I would consider that. But I am on SS disability from a couple of strokes. So no, I'm not into the "hot rod thing" (nor lowering for that matter), never was, and prolly never would be anyways. I am just so sick of fucking with that carb...there are not enough cuss words in the world to describe my mindset right now. I spent most of the day fucking with it trying to get the idle down. (It was idling at almost 3000RPMs. Finally got it down where it is 'supposed' to be- at least it's not racing like hell. Still not 'right' though)... I changed oil every 3K faithfully since it was new, the motor's fine. Damm it...

[recian]

A fellow MM owner in NC. Welcome. I'd love to see pics of the truck.

[camoit]

I know that Nissan made a 2 barrel TBI unit that was quite simple. All that was needed was computer O2 and just a couple of other parts. If I was going to swap over my self I would look at something like that. I don't think anyone has tried to swap it to a Mitsu engine. But something like that might be worth wile looking into just to see. Just an idea I'm tossing out there. i do know you can get different size injectors to for different engine sizes.

http://nissannut.com/projects/z24i_fuel_injection/

[recian]

I was a big nissan guy prior to having a falling out with my last dealer where I dumped them and went on to mitsubishi's. Ya know I've never thought of that swap camoit but It may work. I dont think there will be much problem dealing with intakes being on the different side. These TBI systems didn't use cam/crank/TPS etc. The late 80s hardbody's (First years of the hardbody had the Z24) had TBI and it was one of the few 4 banger TBI's that nissan had. It only lasted 3-4 years tho. Good thing is theyre easy to find in the junkyard since most guys want the KA24 instead of the Z24 in a hardbody since it's more powerful and you can use 240sx parts on the KA. Of corse the downside is These engines used orange ECM's which were prone to failures and are hard to find in good shape and nobody rebuilds them anymore. If I went for a hardoby I'd have The Z24 since its the most bulletproof engine nissan ever made. I think it's ONE of THE strongest engines made non diesel since they led to a buy back recall where the engine would leak all the oil or coolant out and get so hot it would ignite the floor of the vans. That's why you dont see the nissan VAN anymore. Back in the 80s my old dealer had to blow them up. They would drain the oil/coolant and let them run all day and they would drive them around and they'd keep running with no issues. You couldn't kill em. Bout the only thing I've seen do that is a chevy 350 in a 70s suburban.

[pennyman1]

Holley made a projection kit in the 80s that was a bolt on for most 2 bbl carbs of the day - single injector and ran in an open loop configuration with the control box for under the dash. All adjustments were right on the front of the box to tune on the fly. Not sure why you have had so much trouble with the weber on your truck - I have one on Geronimo, a 1980, since 83 and mine works fine. If you are trying to run it with the mechanical pump it will overwealm the needle and seat, and force fuel through the carb uncontrolled. Switch over to an electric pump back at the filter 5-7 psi at 50+gph, then set the float level to the correct height - it should solve the idling problem unless the gaskets and seals are shot in the carb due to the over pressure. Normal pressure to a weber inlet is 2-4psi - the mech pump is 9-13. The electric pump at 5-7 psi at the tank works because of the line loss of the fuel line. Also look at the threads about installing a oil pressure safety switch to prevent the pump from running with no oil pressure.

[originalowner]

I am not turning another wrench on that thing until I have all the carb gaskets and hardware to remount and properly torque the adapter, spacer, and carb. I'll get stuff that from the place I bought the Weber carb. Damn thing has to have the most severe vacuum leak on the planet, to idle at 2...3...4 grand. Haha.

[manorchurch]

I know that Nissan made a 2 barrel TBI unit that was quite simple. All that was needed was computer O2 and just a couple of other parts. If I was going to swap over my self I would look at something like that. I don't think anyone has tried to swap it to a Mitsu engine. But something like that might be worth wile looking into just to see. Just an idea I'm tossing out there. i do know you can get different size injectors to for different engine sizes.

http://nissannut.com/projects/z24i_fuel_injection/


I saw a 2-inch S/U carb for sale somewhere -- probably UK website or some such. That would be interesting.

[manorchurch]

Tom, there was a 3rd-party OEM head available for the 2.6L a few years back. Don't remember who made it, as I sold the only 2.6L I've ever had along about then. Original heads seem to have had some issues, or so I understood. Warping being one.

Are you using an original Mitsy head still?

[Acuta73]

If you went the Starquest route, keep in mind Boost is not just for giggles when you drop the hammer, but also increases efficiency...IMHO, all 4-bangers should be boosted, and most 6.

Check yer brake booster for vacuum leak. Is a possibility.

Weber progressive (32/36) all by itself should be a great answer...I think you must just have a bad one? Or some other carb?

Any standard 8-valve Mitsu head will beat the snot out of a jet valve head. Get rid of it if you have jets.

[originalowner]

If you went the Starquest route, keep in mind Boost is not just for giggles when you drop the hammer, but also increases efficiency...IMHO, all 4-bangers should be boosted, and most 6.

Check yer brake booster for vacuum leak. Is a possibility.

Weber progressive (32/36) all by itself should be a great answer...I think you must just have a bad one? Or some other carb?

Any standard 8-valve Mitsu head will beat the snot out of a jet valve head. Get rid of it if you have jets.

I think you may be on to something. The vacuum hose to the booster is original, so it is hard as a rock. LOL

Your point is well taken regarding the jet valve head. However, I am not going to swap heads, even though that motor will not pull a sick whore off a piss pot...:lmao:

The truck is an extra vehicle. That said, I've got other things I can spend what little discretionary income I have on. My primary vehicle was driven 3000 miles in a year and a half. The truck gets driven even less...remember, I'm on SS disability and don't work.

If money was no object, it would get a 289 or 302 Ford. I think it would fit without a problem. ;]

[originalowner]

It's fixed. After feddling for a couple of hours, a vacuum source on the intake had a plug that had deteriorated badly. (The original carb setup had several of those.) It came apart when I went to replace it. I tidied up the rest of my previous install, and it's good to go. Hasn't run this well in 5 years.

I have a love/relationship with that truck. It's like a psycho girlfriend that gives the best blow jobs in the world. LOL

That thing must be one of the most cheapest c

[originalowner]

cars to own and operate since the original VW Beetle.

[92bluemax]

Im glad you got it fixed:clap:

[ikeepzitclean]

welcome to the board Tom. hope ur here to stay. enjoy the resources :thumbup: ohh and if u got some pix, we'd love to see ur rig.


It's fixed. After feddling for a couple of hours, a vacuum source on the intake had a plug that had deteriorated badly. (The original carb setup had several of those.) It came apart when I went to replace it. I tidied up the rest of my previous install, and it's good to go. Hasn't run this well in 5 years.

I have a love/relationship with that truck. It's like a psycho girlfriend that gives the best blow jobs in the world. LOL

That thing must be one of the most cheapest c

i feel u on that. LMAO this made my night :lmao:

[92bluemax]

Glad you got a good laugh, enjoy the warm weather and laugh, cause it's cold as hell here and snowing:shakehead: