Project: Zach's Green Rice Rocket, 1993 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS 1.8L Options

[93dsmowner]

Bought the car on Easter day for $1600. Filled her from 1/4 tank for $30, drove home from Coal City to Washington and used 1/8 tank of gas. This thing is CHEAP on gas.

Since I brought it home, I have checked all my belts and fluid levels, adjusted the clutch linkage and bled the clutch. Clutch needs replaced but all in good time fellas. Start working at NAPA Saturday, April 12th.

Bought a set of wheels from a 2000 Eclipse from GSXRacer80 (Thanks again!) wrapped in Dayton (ZR's I think?) tires, 225/50/r16. Going to mount and balance them Saturday.


Also removed intake silencer and valve cover tube to intake tube. Valve cover breather and zip-tied plastic over nip on intake. Need to take care of EGR next (Will I get a CEL from a sensor or not and how should I go about doing this?)

I'll update this thread as I do work on it. I eventually want to rebuild the 1.8L and turbo it, but that's at least a year from now. Thanks for reading guys.

[awd4kicks]

Good start Zach - Keep us up to date on it!

[treydawgs4g63T]

yeah good start. But instead of rebuilding the 1.8 why dont you just build a 2.0 thats already turbo and just swap it in with the necessary parts.

engine
tranny
wiring harness
ecu

thats what i would do.

[SCCA Stang]

cut a piece of aluminum from a coke can the size and shape of the EGR valve.... then mount it between the valve and the flange (on the flange side of the gasket) and reinstall the valve... keep it plugged in and it will not throw a CEL.

[93dsmowner]

I couldn't find the EGR valve but i didn't look hard.

Anyways, I found http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/90-94-ECLIP...1QQcmdZViewItem

OE clutch for $75 shipped. Would that be alright? I figure I have around 100hp right now with the exhaust. Would that clutch handle some abuse or do I need to spend double for the stage 1?

Clutch drops right now don't yield wheelspin on wet pavement. It's sad.

Another side note, my car sat for a day being started once to let a friend listen to my stereo. Today when I pulled out, it sounded weird and was cutting out. When I turned onto the main road near my house, I got a ton of cutting in and out through 1st and 2nd, mostly in the low to mid range. What's the problem? I shut her off, re-snugged all my connectors (none seemed loose)

It was rainy so could it be water getting in my intake? Also, I have a slight oil leak on my valve cover. I never put RTV on the mounting surface, just to seat the gasket. D'oh! Gotta get some RTV and fix that soon.

[treydawgs4g63T]

shouldnt need RTV as long as the surface and gasket are clean. they only torque to like 5 ft. lbs. also!

as far as the cutting out, i wouldnt go towards water in the intake unless you have a long as cold air intake that almost his the ground. might be a gunk'd up injector or a plugged fuel filter.

[93dsmowner]

Well the weird thing was that when I started her back up (It was a 5min pit stop at Walgreen's, lol) it was a completely different animal. It was almost as if the car was leaning out. It would pull hard and then cut. Upon restart, powerband was back to normal and no sputtering, normal 750rpm idle...

Good thing I love this car. :] I read something about the set screw on the MAF controlling A/F mix somehow? I don't think I will mess with that until I get a A/F gauge if it even matters.

Also, with removing the honeycomb, is it just that topmost visible one? Because I didn't tear into the MAF to find out, in fear of breaking something I can't fix.

Quite sad though, already "shopping" for a 1G GST. Crankwalk gives me the heebiejeebies.

[treydawgs4g63T]

i gotta 92 tsi awd for sale at the moment! 1400$

[93dsmowner]

That would have been nice to know 2 weeks ago.

[93dsmowner]

Getting a Mother's Polish ball so I can polish up my wheels before I put them on.

Also going to go over the car with a rubbing compound and remove the scratches in the clear coat. Gotta wax it afterwards. That itself will take a long time, going 2ftx2ft at a time. Anyone know where to get boxes of rags for cheap? My dad hasn't been able to snag one from a job site for a while and I'm out. :/

Oh well, I did the hood already and the difference is insane, although I didn't do a very good job removing the scratches. Went for a Dukes of Hazard and bit the dust though. Good wax job. Enough rambling

[black92_tsi_awd]

Harbour Freight usally has a bag of shop rags for $7

[93dsmowner]

Sounds good, I'll have to head down there soon.

I'm going to need to get some money. Going to have a lot of free time to work on her seeing that I'll be grounded for my grades soon...

[SCCA Stang]

not to sound like an old man, but if you are going to be grounded for your grades, the idea is that you will have more time to study so that you can get them back up.

[93dsmowner]

Lol I know. I knew that all honors was a little much for me and it shows in my English grade. My Chemistry grade is because my teacher Cant Understand Normal Thinking but it's ok. I can get them up I hope.

Went and got some car care things at Walmart a little bit ago.

Microfiber sponge, huge microfiber drying towel, microfiber wax applicator, a microfiber wash mitt, ArmorAll Car Wash, and a pack of 10 huge shop rags.

Woo.

[SCCA Stang]

I wanna see what those wheels look like on your car

[93dsmowner]

Yeah I do too. Didn't have time to do it yesterday so we might be doing it Tuesday after work.

[93dsmowner]

Ok, well I have the rears on the car! Holy hell were these tires hard to mount, but they're balanced and all now.

Now I need to know. How the hell do these front wheels come off? I hoped it was as easy and remove nuts and pull. Do I have to remove the halfshaft nuts and cotter pin?

Ugh I tried for like 30 mins to get the damned things off. Quite frustrating. Sitting in PB Blaster at the moment...

[mitsu90]

kick it

[93dsmowner]

I did....

And I punched it.

And headbutted it.

And set it on fire.

Seriously though... I'm gonna go kick them from the inside and see.

I just wanted to know if they need anything else taken off.

[mitsu90]

just kick it at the bottom.

[93dsmowner]

I
Can
Not
Remove
These
Ignorant
Wheels.


This is insane..

[mitsu90]

I have never had one that didn't come off with a good kick..

where do you live?

[93dsmowner]

Washington, IL. 3 blocks from the square.

You?

[mitsu90]

I am in pekin. if you was closer i was gonna come kick it for you.

[93dsmowner]

Lol I see. Well, I'm going to give it another shot this morning and probably again later tonight if it doesn't go this morning.

Maybe I'm just not kicking hard enough.

[black92_tsi_awd]

Kick the rim, not the tire.

Wait until you try to remove the brake rotors from the hub! Just start stock piling PB Blaster....you're going to need it.

[93dsmowner]

Yeah, I have 2 cans of it already. I'm going to lather it up some more. Where should I be spraying the PB blaster to get the wheel off? I got the lugs and behind the wheel but I don't know exactly where I got it. I thought about dropping it off the jack and turning the wheel but with no lugs.... nahh.

*sigh* oh well.

[93dsmowner]

Well guys, I got them on the car! Took hammering away with a huge sledge hammer to bust them loose, but we got them off. Washed and waxed the car as well. Going to polish them up tomorrow and put some 10W-30 oil in it and this RisLone oil treatment (clean her out, Slick 50 after the next 3k miles) stuff. Quaker State 10W30 oil. Made a deal with the parents, do the labor and I don't buy oil/filters/etc. Perfect.

I'll get some pics tomorrow if at all possible.

Thanks Ben. These things ride, grip, handle, and look, a TON better than stock... I had a street slick for a tire on the inside of the fronts so meh.

Next on the list, an OEM replacement clutch for $75 shipped. I'm getting slippage in the top of 2nd gear now so it needs it.

Hopefully buying the previously mentioned 92 talon tsi in this thread, if I can get the funding.

[SCCA Stang]

your welcome... glad to here that you got those stockers off there finally....

next thing... get it aligned so that you don't wear out those daytons out unevenly like your stock tires.

[93dsmowner]

That is also on the list. Eclipse is pretty much parked for the next couple months while I work and save some cash. Buy a clutch and set it aside until the install. The day I get my license, I'll go to NAPA and go to work and allign her off the clock.

What kind of time am I looking at to replace a clutch? I was told 7 hours but I'll have access to a lift and like $50k in tools and a ton of knowledge.

Also, do I need an entire clutch, or should I just replace the disk? Should I go OEM or step up to something like an eCM Stage 1 clutch for $160 shipped? It holds like 210hp. I'm assuming it would still be driveable, but I don't need long term driveability. If I get 50k mi out of this car, I'll be happy.

And now I'm rambling so I'm gonna hit the sack.

[JBone]

If you indeed get that turbo model, then don't get the aftermarket clutch. If you are already getting ideas about that other car, then don't waste any more in the 1.8. Besides, it will take almost that much to turbo the 1.8 and get that power level.

It's discouraging to hear, I know. But take it from a dude who had a 1.8. Make it look cool, if that's what you want. But, if you need to make upgrades, just keep it at a stock level so you can sell it to someone down the road and make sure it's still in great condition.

[93dsmowner]

Right, that's basically what I'll be doing.

[93dsmowner]

Replaced my thermostat. Old one was stuck wide open. Coolant was a little dirty too, so I think my oil burning smell is from a slightly blown head gasket. Thing is, it doesn't smoke anymore so who knows.

Now my car warms up and stays there at highway speeds. Mixed it roughly 60-40 for summer. Now I need to order that clutch. I'll be 16 in a month and five days so I have some time to save $$$ for gas/insurance/parts. Going to get a case of oil and an oil filter or two tomorrow. Is it worth it to spring for a Mobil1 filter again, or just go with a FRAM and be done with it?

Going to wash and wax again tomorrow (Let's say draining that coolant was a nightmare and it needs it.) Going to buy some SuperClean and clean out my engine bay first though. Polish the wheels nice (remove and clean the insides as well) and thoroughly clean the interior (lots of 409 and a shop-vac). I love doing this stuff so it should pass the weekend fairly nicely. Doesn't even feel like I'm grounded right now

[SCCA Stang]

don;t waste your money on a mobil 1 filter, but I don;t use fram either.... I used Wix... less prone to coming apart at the end of their life and spreading the filter material throughout the motor.

[93dsmowner]

Alright sounds good.

[treydawgs4g63T]

i always use the Purelator PureOne oil filters, they have the micro filter element and seem to be the best ones on the market. and they are only like 6 bucks.

[93dsmowner]

Finally got the cooling system full of coolant I think... jeez.

Fixed my oozing valve cover (no sealant on the mating surface, d'oh) and also tightened the bolts a lot more.

Still need to wash it down. Hope it doesn't rain tomorrow..

[93dsmowner]

So today, instead of cleaning, I changed the oil again. Only around 300 miles (I had a can of SeaFoam in as well.) and it was black and a little gritty. That SeaFoam stuff works alright but lifters were still noisy. I had a blue tint to my exhaust as well so I figured I was getting some blow-by from a bad lifter seat.

So I went from:
5W-30 Advanced Auto Oil
Mobil1 High Capacity Filter
3/4 can of SeaFoam, (1/4 in tank)

To:
10W-30 Quaker State Oil
Purolator PureOne Filter
STP Octane Booster/Fuel Injector Cleaner in tank
Rislone Oil Treatment

My lifters are quiet, my exhaust is back to normal and doesn't smell like oil anymore. I bought some Engine Brite so I'm pumped to use it tomorrow hopefully. As far as I can tell, no leaks or anything so I'm happy.

Also changed my driving style for a little bit. I usually shift at around 3000-4000RPM. Tonight though, I was out on Rt 24 and decided to let it stretch its legs from a stop. Shifted at around 6000-6200 rpm every shift and it put a smile on my face. I know 92hp isn't crap but I'm 15 and it was fun so hey.

Going to put an intake on it soon, after the clutch. Although I would rather hack the hell out of my aircan and replace the ribbed tube with a hard aluminum one.

Now, since I'm a little retarded, would something like an intake, cams, and a head rebuild be worthless?

[black92_tsi_awd]

I would just get the clutch fixed and enjoy driving the car.

I wouldn't necessarily spend a bunch of money (cams, head etc) on the 1.8 motor. I don't think you'll get too much bang for the buck.

[93dsmowner]

Yeah... bleh, I'll just save my $$ this summer and see if I can get my hands on a project car.

[SCCA Stang]

any current pics of the car with the wheels on it yet???

[93dsmowner]

Yessir.

Car's dusty from driving it but you get a look at the stance and whatnot. Also did a short video clip of my stereo. I had it playing in my garage and could feel it a block away (no direct way for pressure). You can make the reflection dance on windows of buildings if I'm parked in front of it.

Going to upload my pics and video and get them on here. Had an exhaust clip but I accidentally deleted it and it's a little late for another one.

[93dsmowner]

Pics of new wheels on car and whatnot. Eventually want to sand those couple rust spots and hit it with some touch up.

[SCCA Stang]

car looks pretty sweet with those wheels on there... make sure if you sell the car for a turbo model, keep the wheels to use on the next car.

[93dsmowner]

Definitely. They rock. For those who know the 90 90 corner on Nofsinger Rd, I took that at almost 50mph. These things hook. Need to get rid of my negative camber though. Hint of understeer when the car leans hard.