Can someone please post some basic tech info for new people like myself. For example, all the engines (4g63, 420a and what not), transmissions and what ever else would be helpful. I personally dont know what these engine codes are and would like to know. Maybe even the differences between the items/good and bad points, swappable parts from other vehicles? I am not new to cars, but I am new to the DC vehicles esp. the 4 and 6 cyl ones. It would be very helpful and very much appreciated.

 

I4, V6 CEL Codes

 

Lowering Info

OK You want to lower your car , First off how do you drive it ....
Is the car a daily driver ?? or is it an all out show car??Is the car kitted??what are your local roads like??Snow and ice in the winter?? All of these will influence what type of lowering you might want ...
For a Daily driver I highly suggest a Drop spring , less maintenance/more reliable/Easier on the wallet
All out show car/kitted Think about coilovers or the Tiens for adjustability , ability to slam at shows
Bad local roads /big potholes/steep drives/roadkill galore think of a lesser drop or coilovers/tiens
Snow and ice in winter /think coilovers or tiens for ability to raise it back up for winter(will require alignment)

OK Now What do I need:
Lowering springs that WORK:
Eibach pro kit 1.8" drop settles to about a 2" drop
Suspension Techniques 1.3" drop settles to about 1.75" drop
Intrax 2" drop settles to around 3" drop or more
Dropzone 2" drop settles to 3" or more
OK these are from MY experience on a V6 ... I HIGHLY recommend either the Eibach Pro kit or the Suspension Tech springs... They provide the BEST stock like ride and are VERY drivable on less then perfect roads...
IMO The Intrax and Dropzone springs are VERY VERY low and VERY VERY bouncy
they seem to be remarketed Eclipse springs that have too low of a spring rate to handle the V6 ...

Coilovers that WORK:
Maxspeed/Dreamspeed coilovers
SkunkII Coilovers
These provide good spring rates/driveability and adjustability... They Require an experienced installer to give best results...Poor installation you will have noises bumps rattles ect that will never go away ... Properly installed they are descent but require modification of the struts that VOID warranty...
I DO NOT suggest getting no name ebay coilovers for the eclipse , With too low of spring rates they WILL collapse/They will ride poorly/You will end up replacing them ... Even some Named coilovers will not hold Up , I purchased a set of WeaponR's and they were junk after 3 months...

Tien all in one unit
These include coilovers AND Strut combo's built together ...These are 95/99Eclipse parts but have a high enough spring rate to work
These have great spring rates, are made as a unit so you do not have to assemble them are very reliable and easy to replace the entire suspension...There are several Tien units from the basic to the EDFC adjustable

Struts:
Will I need Struts , YES any lowering will require struts... Can I use my stock struts?? Yes but they will blow and be worthless in no time...So WHY bother, I don't care if you are broke, save your money do it once and do it right !!!
KYB GR2's are very inexpensive CAN be used , But IMO they are not the RIGHT choice they are basically Upgraded stockers... Many have used them , but they fail pretty soon on Springs that are 2" or more, Same with coilovers

KYB AGX's Are more money/more adjustable hold up well to being lowered/ there are two part#'s one for 2" lower one for lower then 2" The lower set is better for coilover use as they have a shorter rod and prevent BOTTOMING...

Koni and Tokkiko both make excellent struts but are normally more expensive and harder to find...

Camber Kits:
After lowering will I need a Camber kit ??? YES you will definately need at least a REAR KIT, this can be done with longer bolts and washers, OR you can purchase a premade kit
Will I need a front kit ??? POSSIBLY I've dropped numerous cars for members/non members and here's what I have found, I've seen 1.3" springs require no kit to up to a 3 degree kit ... What I suggest is dropping the car/let springs settle for at least a week then take the car in for an alignment check, they can then get the car up on a rack and TELL you what kit you will need.... Do your homework on the alignment shop ask locals with local cars that are dropped where they got the alignments done... Try to use a shop thats used to lowered cars and able to get them up on the ramp...

OK how much will all this cost me ???
Plan on spending around $1000 on parts/alignment ... If you are not a do it yourselfer then add $300 for labor to install some shops will be more/less depending on your area.. Of course those prices are new parts , you might be able to get a deal on used parts but remember you can't be sure on used struts...

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Strut replacement : http://www.2gnt.com/www/corbin/struts.html

 

Brake Info[/align][/align]What's brake fade?

There's a couple kinds of brake fade. Brake fade is the inability of the car's
braking system to function properly due to overuse of the brakes.

Heat is the main culprit. There are many things to upgrade to prolong maximum
brake performance.

What performance brake pads do I buy?

Again, another heated issue (is this getting to be a cliche yet?) You need
to determine whether or not you car needs race brake pads or street
enthusiast ones.

Racing brake pads tend to leave a very stubborn dust on wheels and the body
paint. This requires constant cleaning lest it bonds permanently. Some race
pads are extremely noisy and may even destroy rotors in a few
days/weeks/months (depending on how you drive!)

Many people have had good success with Repco/Axxis MetalMaster pads. Other
brands to look into are Hawk, Performance Friction, and Porterfields.Currently I'm running KVR Carbon Fiber pads


Why should I use cross drilled/slotted rotors?

Theoretically, the extreme heat build up between the brake pad and the rotor
causes gases to be released from the brake pad. The pad is then riding on
this thin layer of gas and is not able to fully contact the rotor. You push
harder on the brakes but even more gases are released and so the braking
effectiveness is decreased. This is known as pad fade. A cross drilled or
slotted rotor provides a channel for the gases to evacuate.

Be careful using drilled rotors since they may cause uneven brake pade wear
and sometimes are prone to cracking (the drilling causes weakness in the
rotor)Although I've been running crossdrilled since98

It should be mentioned by drilling the rotors, you will actually create less
surface area to dissipate heat. Your mileage may vary with cross drilled
rotors.

Other shops slot their rotors. This involves creating a groove (slot) into the
rotor. The idea behind this modification is to allow an edge on the rotor for
the brake pad to bite into. By slotting the rotors, you can ensure even brake
pad wear as well. Theoretically the slotting of rotors would increase surface
area, so you might be able to expect a cooler rotor.

IMHO, I upgrading your rotors may not be a worthwhile effort. I would only
do so if you have a severe brake fade problem. Most street enthusiast
driving does not punish the brakes hard enough.Although it does help prevent WARPING that we are famous for...


What kind of brake fluid should I use? What's wet and dry boiling temperature?

When brake fluid gets hot enough it boils. Like many other aspects of
automotive performance, high temperature brake fluid has its compromise.
In order to make a brake fluid withstand high temperatures, it tends to
absorb water very quickly. Thus all brake fluids are rated at two
temperatures, wet (absorbed water) and dry (no water).

WARNING! High performance brake fluids tend to absorb water quickly,
and some need to be bled before each race. Bleeding your brake fluid is
important to your master cylinder life. On aged hondas, its common for the
Master Cylinder to go bad gradually. If you notice that the brakes are mushy
and start to fade in traffic or on hot days, especially if it you've just bled
the brakes, then you've got a bad Master Cylinder. Your local big parts store
should have rebuilt master cylinders with a life time warranty for not too
much money. Fix it fast or you may regret it. We don't want to have to tell
your next-of-kin that we told you so.

Again a lot of people have their favorites of fluid to purchase. Motul, Castrol
Heavy Duty, Wilwood 570, Lucas Girling DOT 5.1, and Super ATE.


Do aftermarket brake lines improve stopping distances?

In a word no. Aftermarket lines improve the feel of the brakes; offering
a firmer, more positive feeling of control to the driver. A low buck tuner
way to make the brake lines firmer feeling is to use zip ties around the
softer OEM brake lines.


Who makes brake lines? And is DOT approval necessary?
"When Z.Speed looked into getting DOT approval for their stainless lines, they
found that there is no certification process. There is a spec for brake lines
however. Z.Speed's lines meets or exceeds the DOT standard.

When SMC first started selling lines (early 96), they were selling Goodridge
lines (which claimes to be the 1st DOT approved lines). I'm not sure if SMC sell
their own lines now.

Stillen also recently started to market Goodridge lines."

How are brake fluids classified?

DOT3= 284
DOT4= 311
DOT5= 356

But these are MINIMUM standards. Thus Adam is correct in implying that
Motul (Motul Racing Brake Fluid 600) actually meets the boiling point
standards for DOT5 since it has a dry boiling point of 585?F (307?C), wet
421?F (216?C). And they COULD call themselves DOT 5.1 but not DOT 5, which
is what they call SBBF, or silicone-base brake fluid. If you read the
Federal regulations closely (TITLE 49, PART 571, Subpart B, Sec. 571.116,
Standard No. 116; Motor vehicle brake fluids.), it says that DOT5 must be
labeled as either SBBF or as DOT 5.1 non-SBBF. There are other
requirements for DOT5, too (such as color - purple). I suspect Motul (and
most other manufacturers) find it easier and less confusing to call
themselves DOT4 than to refer to their fluid as DOT 5.1 and take the risk
(proven here) that people will THINK they are the silicone-based DOT5
fluid.

So as it turns out Adam was right that there are boiling point standards
for each DOT grade of fluid. Live and learn. I found this out about it at
the DOT website at http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/c...le-search.html
where I found the reg noted above.
[/align]

 

3000GT Front Brake Conversion Information

I felt like posting this because lots of people have been asking about it recently, so I want to make it easier to access when someone asks for it.

I did this mod almost a year ago, and if you have problems with your stock rotors warping than this would be the best mod to look into. You can find parts at a dealer or autoparts store, you can even find some of the parts at a junkyard although I wouldn't recommend rotors/calipers/pads from junk yards because they may not work as well as the should, and there's no guarantee that they're in perfect working condition. I got all the parts for about $320 brand new, and $90 of that was refundable. If you choose to do it yourself, here's what you need (off of a 3000GT base/SL, Stealth, Eclipse GST/X, Talon TSi...and I believe 92+ Diamante will work but I cannot be certain on that because it hasn't been done yet):

- 2 calipers
- 2 rotors (10.1" compared to our stock 9.1")
- 2 caliper brackets
- 4 brake lines (2 on each side)
- 2 brake line connectors that connect the 2 brake lines on each side
- 4 brake pads (2 on each side)
- brake fluid (for refilling and bleeding the brakes afterwards)

There you have it...everything will bolt right up to your car. You will need 15" rims or larger to fit them, meaning if you have 14" rims it won't work because these calipers/rotors are much larger. PLEASE PLEASE make sure you don't get 3000GT VR4 OR Stealth TT brake parts, as you will have quite a bit of trouble fitting them.

As far as the rears are concerned, 3000GT/Stealth/Eclipse/Talon/Diamante all have the same rear brakes as us.

Here's some pictures...I hope onetrav doesn't mind me posting them here:

old brakes

http://www.imagestation.com/mypictures/inb...aption=oldrotor

new brakes

http://www.imagestation.com/mypictures/inb...&caption=rotor2

with wheel

http://www.imagestation.com/mypictures/inb...tion=wheelrotor


If you've got any questions let me know, chances are I can help you out. I might have forgotten something in this write up so I'll add things once I find them.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rear Disc Brake Conversion Information

Background:
- While there is negligible performance gain, many Avenger/Sebring owners wish to upgrade their rear brakes from the stock drums to discs. The benefit here is better modulation, heat soak capacity, and looks. The only downside is a slight increase in weight (rotors + calipers are heavier than the drums)

Tools:
- metric socket set
- 8, 10 & 12 mm wrenches
- Phillips screwdriver
- knife to cut carpet
- floor jack and jackstands
- pliers
- hammer
- DOT 3, 4 or 5.1 brake fluid (1 qt)

Parts:
(these must be sourced from a 1995-1999 Eclipse GS, GS-T, GS-X, Avenger ES, or Sebring LXi)
- 2 rear calipers
- 2 brake rotors
- 2 brake caliper hoses
- 2 emergency brake assemblies/caliper mounting assemblies that has the emergency brake cables attached. Installs as one unit.
- complete sets of rear brake pads

Installation:
1. Remove center console in car to have access to parking brake cables

2. Remove airbag ecm(4bolts) and disconnect the E-brake cables(2each).

3. Remove cable retaining clamps about 5 inches back, underneath the carpet. There is a retaining block that holds the retaining clamps and that stays in place. The bolt head is 12mm and is difficult to reach. I cut a slit in the carpet (3 inches long) to help me gain access. Lift the carpet with one hand and ratchet with the other. Use a 12mm socket with 3/8 ratchet. When the bolts are out, spread the clamps and remove them. You will have to replace them when the new cables are hooked up. The cables are now free to be pulled out.

4. Raise car on lift or jack one side at a time, using floor jack.

5. Remove rear wheel and drum cover (screw a bolt into it to loosen). Disconnect rear brake line clamp at the knuckle and at the (10mm) b-nut fitting in the forward part of the wheel well. Slide the retaining clip out (pull/tap toward you with a pliers and hammer if necessary). You will not need to reconnect the new brake line to the knuckle assembly. The new line goes directly from the caliper to the b-nut fitting.

6. Remove the hub assembly by taking out the 4 bolts that retain it and them the emergency brake/drum brake assembly will come right off.

7. Remove the three retaining clamps that hold the emergency brake cable to the underneath of the car. Pull the cable out from underneath the car. It might take some extra pulling to get it released from the sealed grommet plug.

8. Install the new parking brake assembly so the caliper mounting bolt holes line up to position the left caliper in the 10 o'clock position and the right caliper in the 2 o'clock position. The emergency brake cables (from the bottom of the assembly) will also point to the first mounting clamp.

9. Install the hub (4 bolts) in the same position it came off. There is a slightly rounded side (internally) and three flat sides. I am not sure if it makes a big difference, but do it anyway.

10. Push the parking brake cable into the grommet hole (have fun) then connect the cable/mounting clamp from inside the car. I just stuck the cable in the mounting hole, connected the end to the E-brake T-bar assembly and then installed that nasty retaining clamp under the carpet.

11. Install the rest of the clamps for the cable under the car.

12. Install the new rotor, slide the caliper over it and tighten down the two bolts. Make sure your brake hose and bleed screw (8mm) is already installed on the caliper. Connect your brake hose then slide the line retaining clip back in and tap with a hammer until it locks into place. Do not force it or you will bend the clip.

13. This side is done. Now do the other....this one will go much faster...LOL

14. When both sides are done, put in new fluid and bleed brakes. I recommend buying 1 quart of brake fluid and flushing the whole system. The old fluid will look milky and the new fluid is clear. Install a small vacuum tube over the bleeder and pump fluid into a can. You can bleed with only one person if you have speedbleeders and do not have to tighten down bleeder between pumps. I do suggest someone else to monitor the fluid coming out and then you will know when the old fluid is completely out.

15. Tighten down bleed screw and clean off any brake fluid on painted surfaces. I suggest using Dot 4 or Dot 5.1 fluid. There are even some high temp Dot 3 fluids available that will not brake the bank. Ford heavy duty dot 3 comes highly recommended. I used Wagner severe duty Dot 5.1.....one quart will take care of an entire car. Remember to fill reservoir before it gets empty and then retighten the cap down before applying pressure on the brake pedal.

16. Put wheels back on and attempt to spin freely. I know the pads will rub slightly, but you are looking for proper freedom of movement from parking brake assembly. If too tight or too loose adjust it at the T-block assembly where the cables are attached in the center console. I did not have to adjust anything when I did this.

17. The parking brake is much harder to engage than with regular drum brakes. It is also an instantaneous engagement. What I mean is.....it is not gradual like before and to watch out doing any e-braking slides. You WILL lock up the rear end and spin out......a friend in his GS-T told me this.

18. Install airbag ecm (4 bolts) and center console. If you do not know how to take out your center console, do not attempt to do this brake job....hehehe.

19. Drive car slowly and pull your e-brake handle and make sure it works properly. The feel is totally different and does take more effort to engage it.

20. Seat your brake pads in properly. If you need directions, just ask. If you are using a high coefficient pad (performance street) they tend to squeal with light braking applications. Medium to heavy they do not make any noise. The price we have to pay for killer brakes.


Comments:
- This job can be done without a lift, but I highly recommend one.
- The whole job takes 4 hours your first time from removing the rear wheels to bleeding the brakes. If you buy speed bleeders, you can do everything yourself.
- Specs on SpeedBleeders:
- Size of bleeders: 7mm x 1.0 Overall length 34mm
- Part #'s Russell #3957 Earl #28005
- The same size bleeders are used in the front and rear. Each package come with 2
bleeders. 2 packages are required per car.
- You do not need a proportioning valve. The brake proportioning valve in the RS-drum/GS/GS-T is all the same part number verified by my mitsubishi parts manager.
- Conversion kits are available from Dan Gill at http://www.allmitsubishi.com or 1-800-899-2933

 

Front strut diagram

 

Changing engine mounts[/align][/align]http://www.deyemeracing.com/ST/ST1MTM_install.htm

Engine mount blow up diagrams

http://www.trademotion.com/schematic.../P/PT95185.gif[/align]

Making urathane mounts

http://www.2gnt.com/www/corbin/mount.html

 

V6 timing belt water pump replacement

1. remove the overflow tank, its only going to get in the way later. All you have to do is remove the cap/hose and pull it straight up.
2. loosen the tension on the p/s pump belt and remove it. Do the same with the A/C belt.
3. remove the mounting bolts for the p/s pump. No need to d/c the hoses, just lay the pump aside.
4. There are a few wire harnesses attached to that side of the plenum, remove them and shove them aside as well.
5. If the front end of the car isn't already on jack stands, go ahead and jack it up.
6. Remove the right-front tire.
(now would be a good time to drain the coolant system and you may as well flush it too.)
7. The splash guard hangs from two bolts and two screw-rivets. Be gentle with the little plastic screws, they strip easily. You also don't want to apply pressure, as that will push them back in.
8. Once the splash guard is off, remove the harmonic balancer (crankshaft pulley). you will need a 1/2" drive breaker bar and the right socket. wedge the breaker bar in under the frame piece to your left and tap the starter to loosen the center bolt. loosen the center bolt with your hands several turns and then leave it, you will need it there in a few minutes.
9. You will need a Chrysler 3-arm puller. Autozone will loan you one for about 60 bucks. Once you pull the pulley out as far as the bolt is unscrewed, you should be able to pull it off. If not, unscrew it some more and repeat. Put the harmonic balancer aside.
10. Put the bolt back into the crankshaft.
11. Remove the bolts holding the plastic timing covers and set them aside. The timing cover is a three piece set. (remember to always take special care with keeping track of bolts)
12. Put the breaker bar back into the crankshaft bolt and rotate CLOCKWISE until the timing marks on BOTH camshafts AND the crankshaft line up with their respective marks. It is fairly simple to tell where the marks are. There is a small dimple in the gears that correspond with grooves on the engine behind them.
13. This is important as if timing is lost it is a very tedious job to find it again, and failure to do so can possibly KILL YOUR PISTONS AND VALVES as they can collide with improper timing!
14. Remove the two bolts holding the hydraulic belt tensioner. It is a cylinder looking device with a pin protruding out at the belt-facing end. Set it aside.
15. Remove the belt.
16. The water pump is the pulley in the middle directly above the crankshaft pulley. Remove the larger two sizes of bolts first, as this will remove the flange piece as well as the pump.
17. Remove the flange piece from the pump. This is done by removing the smaller bolts. Again, take special care to keep track of them.
18. Clean up the flange piece and block and make sure the sealing surfaces are in good shape. It would not be a bad idea to hit them with a good residue free solvent like M.E.K., then wipe it off good. DO NOT use toluene!! (This would also be a good time to look for any leaks and make sure the engine is clean and tidy down there.)
19. Put a small bead of BLUE atv sealant around the surface of the flange that seals to the pump. (BLUE!!)
20. Do the same on the new pump.
21. Drop on the gasket and put the pump and the flange together and SNUG the bolts. DO NOT tighten them yet just enough the keep it snug and from moving at all.
22. Put a bead of atv around the other side of the flange piece and on the side of the gasket that will seal to the block.
23. Mount the whole shebang back to the block and snug all the bolts down.
24. Torque all the bolts to spec in two stages and in a criss-cross pattern.
25. Put the new belt around the rear camshaft sprocket and clip or GENTLY clamp it there. Go under the pump and over the front cam sprocket TIGHTLY, clip it there too. Go around the idler pulley (the one just under the front cam sprocket), under the crankshaft (TIGHTLY!) and finally put it around the tensioner pulley. It should be a snug fit. If it wont go on, there is to much slack elsewhere. Also make sure you don't move anything out of time while doing this. It may take some time to get just right.
26. Put the hydraulic tensioner in a bench-vise at a 90 degree angle to compress the pin into the cylinder. Make sure you don't put it at an angle and risk it flying out and shattering your face. There are corresponding holes in the body and in the pin that will line up when under the proper compression. When this happens, insert an Allen wrench or similar pin in there to hold it in place. It should be inserted in such a way that you can get it out after remounting the tensioner.
27. Mount the tensioner back to the block. This really doesn't need to be torqued down, just make sure its good and tight.
28. Double check all the timing, and if it's all correct, pull out the pin and the belt will be tensioned.
29. Rotate to engine CLOCKWISE twice. If the engine will not move at a certain place, the timing is wrong.
30. Now its time to put the timing covers back on.
31. Now its time to put the pulley back on. Tighten the center nut down as much as you can before the engine starts moving. When that happens, whack it with a pipe-wrench or something until it stops getting tighter.
32. The rest is the reverse of disassembly!