98 GS-T questions

[devintaylor1998]

hey guys, just became a part of the DSM community (finally). The one I am in the process of buying is a 1998 GS-T with some mods (Greddy axle back I do believe, 16g turbo, Greddy type S BOV, greddy boost controller, 650cc injectors, other stuff I can't think of right now but I will post later) but it has boost leaks and runs super super rich. The coupler from the intercooler piping to turbo inlet is dryrotted (the guy just wrapped some duck tape around it to help reduce leaks, also if anyone knows of where I can just get a coupler that would be really helpful) and the air intake (coupler?) is ghetto but it's an Injen and I'd like to save it if possible. I couldn't complain at all, car was less than 2 grand with a little over 150xxx miles. Guy also claims it has a 6 bolt but I won't know until I pull off the flywheel (if there's an easier way, please let me know). I know I need an AFR, and some ECU parts to get it tuned. I make about 400 weekly working where I do and would rather go a cheap but reliable way for upgrades, so if anyone knows of reliable cheap parts such as ECU parts so I can get it tuned and a cheap yet reliable AFR gauge that would be helpful in many ways. Also would like your guys opinions on Glowshift, I hear they aren't the best but if it makes due for now I'd go with that. Sorry for the long post but I need all the help I can get haha. Thanks for all the help

 

[Vegas Smith]

I have no experience with Tactrix stuff. Do you have any pics of engine bay? Most intercooler piping is 2.5" and I think you already figured out the intake pipe size.

 

[devintaylor1998]

I have no experience with Tactrix stuff. Do you have any pics of engine bay? Most intercooler piping is 2.5" and I think you already figured out the intake pipe size.

It's stock intercooler piping so I'm assuming it's 2.5, I'm at work so I'll try to get a picture of it later

 

[Andy0912]

OP good luck with the car! I recently found a similar shape/price car about 2 hours away, but after my wife (she's pretty mechanically savy) got there she started to look around and had to let it go. The ignition was all tore apart and he claimed he was installing a keyless start but it was butched and didn't have a title. Plus he said he had never ran any intake off of the 50 trim eBay turbo, also had big injectors and no tuning. Glad I waited, 2 weeks later she found a 100k mile bone stock (minus an atmospheric BOV) talon AWD turbo with spotless interior, engine bay, and under side for 3000. Good luck man!!

 

[devintaylor1998]

OP good luck with the car! I recently found a similar shape/price car about 2 hours away, but after my wife (she's pretty mechanically savy) got there she started to look around and had to let it go. The ignition was all tore apart and he claimed he was installing a keyless start but it was butched and didn't have a title. Plus he said he had never ran any intake off of the 50 trim eBay turbo, also had big injectors and no tuning. Glad I waited, 2 weeks later she found a 100k mile bone stock (minus an atmospheric BOV) talon AWD turbo with spotless interior, engine bay, and under side for 3000. Good luck man!!

Yeah I wish I was that lucky lucky . There's like no GSX's or TSi's on Craigslist in my area and if there was they would be in the price range of an SRT4.

Here's a picture of the engine bay, where the coupler is trashed. I'm pretty sure it's the piece right after the bov that is trashed. I have it circled in red, the turbo coupler is fine (somewhat, it'll be fine to drive home.)

Edit: found a Spectre piece on Amazon that might just work for right there, here is a link to that:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0008G5G4G/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1_1_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

 

[Andy0912]

Looks like you've got it figured out! Let us know how it all goes!

 

[devintaylor1998]

Looks like you've got it figured out! Let us know how it all goes!

Will do! I'll be sure to post some pics of it after I get it haha

 

[devintaylor1998]

Hey guys, no I don't have the car yet. Lol. But I've been searching all over for the past hour on here to find a good 2-step rpm. All I've found is stuff for GSX's (wish I was getting one, so rare in Wisco) and there launch is suggested around 4-5k but since there is the fwd situation, I'd like to see what all of you have yours set at. Since the car only has a little over 300hp ( whp if I'm lucky) and a 16g turbo I was thinking somewhere between 3,500 and 4,500. But I don't want major wheel spin because I don't have money to get new tires every month . Any suggestions?

 

[pauleyman]

Ecmlink can do a 2 step. If I may make a suggestion you are getting way too ahead of yourself. You don't even have the car yet. Speaking from many years if experience please research, make a good plan NOT a list of parts you want. Your enthusiasm is high and that's great but I'm telling you from experience you will get much more enjoyment if you're educated and have a plan. Above all else ALWAYS maintenance before mods. This statement was true 20 years ago but it's even more so now as the cars are so old.
Read this please.
http://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/project-management-and-building-a-dsm.421705/

 

[802gst]

That looks just like mine except I paid 189 good for you man. I bought an old Panasonic tough book with windows xp on it. Seems more tuning friendly. I know when you go to set up the software it gets confusing (I am pretty slow with computers). Probably won't be hard for most but on vista and 7 the files save different but xp was easy enough, only downside is windows no longer supports xp.
You will also need the Mitsubishi reflash adapter to flash your tunes/roms. Just the 2.0 cable will only let you log with evo scan. The adapter is cheap though. On tactrix site you can get both Mitsubishi and Subaru reflash connectors. Lmk if you have more questions I will be on the site all day on and off.

 

[devintaylor1998]

That looks just like mine except I paid 189 good for you man. I bought an old Panasonic tough book with windows xp on it. Seems more tuning friendly. I know when you go to set up the software it gets confusing (I am pretty slow with computers). Probably won't be hard for most but on vista and 7 the files save different but xp was easy enough, only downside is windows no longer supports xp.
You will also need the Mitsubishi reflash adapter to flash your tunes/roms. Just the 2.0 cable will only let you log with evo scan. The adapter is cheap though. On tactrix site you can get both Mitsubishi and Subaru reflash connectors. Lmk if you have more questions I will be on the site all day on and off.

thanks much, appreciate it.

 

[devintaylor1998]

Ecmlink can do a 2 step. If I may make a suggestion you are getting way too ahead of yourself. You don't even have the car yet. Speaking from many years if experience please research, make a good plan NOT a list of parts you want. Your enthusiasm is high and that's great but I'm telling you from experience you will get much more enjoyment if you're educated and have a plan. Above all else ALWAYS maintenance before mods. This statement was true 20 years ago but it's even more so now as the cars are so old.
Read this please.
http://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/project-management-and-building-a-dsm.421705/

Well the reason I ask is because after I replace the coupler I know I will still have to do a tune on it, hence the reason why I asked and just want to get the extra's done right away. But thank you for the link

Edit: Not sure if it was you or someone else that had posted in the thread before about Tactrix, but this is for anyone else too haha. Does anyone know if I can also screw around with a 3G with the Tactrix plug in? My buddy use to have one, and plans on getting another since they are good daily's (personally told him to go with a 2g, but the 3G was his first car) and I want to do a little fuel mapping upgrade on it.

 

[504gst]

Edit: Not sure if it was you or someone else that had posted in the thread before about Tactrix, but this is for anyone else too haha. Does anyone know if I can also screw around with a 3G with the Tactrix plug in? My buddy use to have one, and plans on getting another since they are good daily's (personally told him to go with a 2g, but the 3G was his first car) and I want to do a little fuel mapping upgrade on it.

Yeah the openport with the mitsu adapter works from 3g to 2g

 

[504gst]

....just gonna day it since no one else here has..* and this is meant in no bad way at all* but I really think your are trying to fly before you crawl. Wait till you get the car replace everything..you have no idea whats really been done to that car, and judging by what's been said about the car I wouldn't trust it. But if I were in Your shoes id really want to start knking whede your base is before you add all these parts and instantly blow your motor..follow the upgrade path here man it really will point you in the right direction and let you know what needs to be done in what order

 

[Andy0912]

I agree with what everyone said about getting ahead of yourself. Unfortunately, it is smarter to do all of the boring stuff first. Nobody likes to tell their buddies "yeah, gotta change plugs, timing belt, a few pulleys, and change the oil this weekend". Everyone wants to say they're doing a turbo swap or something cool like that. I've had many times (with my Ford 6.0L and 6.4L diesel trucks) where I was irresponsible with maintenance and went with go fast parts instead and ended up reading and slaving away all weekend instead of driving and tinkering.

 

[504gst]

Andy is right...the whole start of mine was getting the car and having the head torn apart and going back fresh with everything. Then spark plugs yadda yadda..gotta make sure she's healthy before you start playing around

 

[devintaylor1998]

Andy is right...the whole start of mine was getting the car and having the head torn apart and going back fresh with everything. Then spark plugs yadda yadda..gotta make sure she's healthy before you start playing around

I know what you mean, trust me I've thought about all of that too. That's on the list, but I just want to make a list of parts I will need/want to get down the road. The reason for asking about the Tactrix access port is because there is no tuning shops around my area and if there was, it's upwards of $500+ for even a basic tune and I would rather learn to tune myself and I want to only run it at a comfortable boost/afr rate where it won't destroy the car within the first week of owning it. I don't want to push the boundaries of the car until I know for sure it can handle it, meaning a full rebuild with some nice extras.

Now for the list I have already made, I am getting the compression test right away. Also plan on buying plugs and wires and replacing them before I even drive it home since I have the coupler ordered and will be here this upcoming week (old plugs aren't bad, just rather go fresh) and the wires I just want to replace because I don't know the last time they were changed. I also have an oil change on the list (guy said it was changed before winter... I would have changed it before Driving it after the snow melted).

Now, is there anything else I should do right away when I pick it up?

 

[GPLaserRS]

I don't want to sound a pessimist or deter you from officially joining the DSM Community, but if my experience can be helpful and save you from a financial mistake I'll elect myself to be the voice of realism.

I hate to jump on the bandwagon here, but if I were you I would go over that car with a fine toothed comb and scrutinize everything little thing. Just by looking at the pic you posted of the engine bay I can already spot that the battery has no tie down, the tubular manifold is probably an eBay special which means the 16g is also, then moving on to the vacuum hoses by the throttle body which look a mess and may account for some leaks there as well as in the aforementioned IC piping.

I suffered from boost induced tunnel vision when I got my first DSM in 1999, I flat out missed obvious issues and others I just overlooked because I was so dead set on getting a turbo car. Please be prepared to walk away from this thing if the situation seems worse in person, you already made a few statements that would be red flags me (i.e. boost leaks, running rich, no tuning/fuel management), so be wary. That's also a long drive home in a car with problems that really should be fixed before making a trip like that, I personally would look in the Classified section here for your first DSM but to each their own.

 

[Andy0912]

Yeah, nobody like to hear it, but he has a great point.

 

[Spideydsm99]

I also agree. I've done the same thing and I regretted it.

 

[devintaylor1998]

Got all the parts I need to get it in good running condition, picking it up Saturday on the 8th. But before the drive back I'm putting all the parts on. I'll let you guys know how the drive back goes

 

[Andy0912]

Got all the parts I need to get it in good running condition, picking it up Saturday on the 8th. But before the drive back I'm putting all the parts on. I'll let you guys know how the drive back goes

Awesome man! We're excited to hear back from you.

 

[devintaylor1998]

Awesome man! We're excited to hear back from you.

Picked up the car this past Monday, after driving it a few days came to the conclusion it's a misfire because it runs and hits boost fine for about a half an hour, then after it starts to do some weird s**t, I'll have a video of it eventually. But it's like it gets to much fuel? It feels like in leans out. Like it wants to hit boost, but it doesn't.

Also, when it is running good, after 4 1/2 grand it doesn't build boost anymore. Help? Haha

 

[GPLaserRS]

Picked up the car this past Monday, after driving it a few days came to the conclusion it's a misfire because it runs and hits boost fine for about a half an hour, then after it starts to do some weird s**t, I'll have a video of it eventually. But it's like it gets to much fuel? It feels like in leans out. Like it wants to hit boost, but it doesn't.

Also, when it is running good, after 4 1/2 grand it doesn't build boost anymore. Help? Haha

So what parts did you "replace" before driving it home? I gotta say from how you decribed the condition and the issues you mentioned I'm shocked you made the drive home without it breaking down... But I digress..

So let's start with the misfire; plugs, wires or injectors are where you should start. What is confusing is that you are asking if it's getting too much fuel, which is called 'rich', so saying it feels like it's 'lean' is a contradiction. Furthermore, if you are having a lean condition you should stay out of boost, or not drive the car, until the problem is sorted out.

 

[Mauispyder]

I wouldn't try to take it over 4500 until you change your timing components.

 

[Andy0912]

I'm also confused by the rich/lean mix up. If you think it's getting too much fuel, that's called running rich. If the car isn't getting enough fuel, its called running lean. Maybe it has bigger injectors and hasn't been accounted for in the tuning.