The Top DSM Community on the Web

For 1990-1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse, Eagle Talon, Plymouth Laser, and Galant VR-4 Owners. Log in to remove most ads.

Please Support JNZ Tuning
Please Support ExtremePSI

The worst night of my life with cars

This site may earn a commission from merchant
affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

TurboLaserRS

10+ Year Contributor
512
6
May 14, 2011
Dayton, Ohio
I was just cruising down the highway on I71 north bound to Cleveland, and my car started buzzing. I turned the radio down and knew something was wrong. I go to take the next exit and can't get over in time. Not very long afterwards my engine destroyed itself. Piston 4 went through the block and I think 3 went through the oil pan. In absolute terror I stopped the car on the shoulder.. Smoke rolling out. Popped the hood and the front of my engine is on fire. Oil and coolant leaking every where and the front of the oil pan has a hole in it and its on fire inside the pan. I ran and got my fire extinguisher and did my best to put it out. It wasn't quite enough and it continued to smolder. I get back into the car to call 911 and my phone is dead. I flagged people for what seemed like an eternity before a man stopped. It began pouring rain by the time a fire truck got to us. The man that stopped to help gave me a ride to a friends house in Cleveland and I'm grateful for his generosity. I'm completely devastated about this. I just want to know what happened.. My afr was fine..my oil pressure light never came on.
 
The car is rebuildable. I mean the engine is a total loss but atleast the entire thing didn't burn to the ground. I've never had any major problems with cars before... I have a feeling that the sound of the motor letting loose like that will haunt me for some time to come. The brand new 20g was on my car for 500 miles.. And I bet you if the motor starved for oil its trashed too. Sorry if I seem like I am being a ***** about it..I have pretty severe anxiety debilitating even and this has been really hard to wrap my head / emotions around.
 
Mechanical. It took a second to sink in.. Then I realized passing that one exit that it was rod knocking. A second later BOOM! Going to look at a short block on Wednesday.. Not going to give up on DSMing just yet. There's people on this forum that have blown more engines than I can probably count.
 
Man that really sucks. I was actually on 77N just outside of Cleveland 3 years ago when pretty much the same thing happened to my GST. Just less fire. Instead of rain it was a 90 degree day. Hope you get her back on the road soon.
 
The car is rebuildable. I mean the engine is a total loss but atleast the entire thing didn't burn to the ground. I've never had any major problems with cars before... I have a feeling that the sound of the motor letting loose like that will haunt me for some time to come. The brand new 20g was on my car for 500 miles.. And I bet you if the motor starved for oil its trashed too. Sorry if I seem like I am being a ***** about it..I have pretty severe anxiety debilitating even and this has been really hard to wrap my head / emotions around.


I understand anxiety bro. It sucks and when shit like this happens it feels like the world is falling apart. Grab a couple mg of xanax, step back, relax. Try to assess everything slowly. I hope this isnt your DD. I find myself looking at the entire project and the anxiety is overwhelming. Try and compartmentalize each task. You are actually in pretty good shape. Just take worst case scenario so you wont be disappointed and expect the entire longblock to be junk. Maybe the head is still good but just count on the worst. So? What do we have? We have a car that needs the bay cleaned up a bit, ok, no big deal. We have to find a used complete shortblock at the least and get it to a machinist to prep and install aftermarkets. Then if the head is toast just go to JAM or SIM and call it a day. Plug n play, ya know? Oh, and a gasket set top to bottom, probably a front case, and maybe some tensioners/idlers/timing belt. Tubo as well.

Its not THAT bad. Im so glad there's other people out there that know you MUST keep a fire extinguisher in the car at all times. That saved your ass bro, you could be looking at a total loss and my money says you dont have full coverage and even if you did, it wouldnt have paid for the parts/labor that have went into it.

Just give yourself a reasonable time table so stress isnt that high. Personally, I have a project that, for a normal person would take 3 weeks. I gave myself 6 months to a year to complete it. I have no urgency and have a very busy life too though. Anxiety is debilitating if you LET it creep up. There are coping mechanisms. This is straying from tech talk to mental health talk LOL, I'll back off on that shit.
 
This is the hang out so it doesn't really matter what we talk about. I'm glad that there are others who know what it feels like. Not that I'd wish this on anyone of course. But my family does not understand why I like this car. I've been told I'm pouring too much money into the car and when I get it where I want it then I could have just bought a more expensive nicer car. I hope to get my Dad or brother in the car for a 20psi pull when it is back together and if they have any questions I'll just say "I guess you'll never understand."
 
Oh probably. I meant the mental health comment. I'm really open about stuff and sometimes it gets the wrong kind of attention from people. I'm a different breed compared to most.
 
Nawww bro, you know how many people are popping antidepressants daily in this country? We have an epidemic of mental health problems. Thing is, doctors stopped trying to fix people, rather control the symptoms. Thats akin to me throwing a towel under the sink every week because i cant figure out how to stop the leak( i was a plumber when i was a kid, LOL, theres my analogy of the day)

GAD sucks. How old are you? Im 33 and looking back i had it since adolescence. Just started "treating it"(read: taking xanax) 5 years ago. I feel ya, and no shame in talking about it. No one knows til they've walked a mile in your shoes. I can tell you sound like a young guy. Here's the good news: you learn to start coping with things a lot better as you mature. You can find outlets. I go to the gym a LOT. Then i have golf, wife, kids,... that stuff is fun and relaxing to me. The mitsu??? LOL, that gives me anxiety all the time!

Off the mental health/anxiety talk and to your statement: Here's the truth, you could go out and buy a 02 camaro z28 or ss, drop 5k in it or less, and put down 500whp minimum. It would be reliable. VERY reliable. These cars are just so god damn fun but at a point you DO have to say enough is enough.

I had a problem,guess technically still do. Motor was built twice. First time machinist jacked up the crank and that lasted 300 miles. More money, more down time, i get it back. Start wondering why im missing and it feels.....just not right, ya know? Well, turns out the valve on #2 was not cut right according to the machinist who just cleaned my block and vac tested my head.
Im almost 11k in. FWD wasnt cutting it so i picked up a stock 95 gsx awd to swap into my 97. LOOOONG story short, im rambling, I made the decision when i dropped the block and head off to the machinist a few weeks ago to figure out why i had half compression on cyl2. I had done leakdowns 6 ways to sunday and it looked like the rings. I said then that if the block needed to go .040 over or my rotating assembly had problems then THAT was the last straw and im done. Sell everything to someone for 3 grand and walk. I would have done it. I swear. However a valve not seating properly is much much cheaper so im going to continue down this road. These cars man, damn theyre addictive but they require deep pockets and patience. I have the former, not the latter LOL.

Just a taste of what ive been through. Theres way more bad shit, too much to rant about. But others have went through way worse with these cars than you or I and they are much better mechanics for it. Not to mention im sure they were taught patience and many other good lessons along the road. I know ive learned a ton in just tearing down a 4g63 and having them break all the time!

If you have the money and you really want to, then continue on. More bad shit will happen. These cars are old and a lot of us are trying to build them to outrun 150,000 dollar Porches, things break! A lot of things are just old. Plus the complexity of the forced induction only adds to the potential problems. V8 land is always an option. But we stick with these cars cause we can say " Im making 300hp per LITER, what r YOU making?" haha.

Ughhh, im tired just writing this, im sure its way too much but i just wanted to cover a number of things. I can empathize, I can see the options, etc.... Best of luck and hope you get it up n running the right way in due time, sir.
 
Thanks man, I tend to reach out to people when I go through stuff like this. Sometimes its good to have a reassurance that people care. when you have debilitating anxiety you begin to feel as if the walls are closing on you. Your mind is a prison at that point. I'm 24 and have dealt with it since I was 10 years old. I don't even know what being normal feels like anymore. I take some Zoloft and it helps but it's not always enough. I have a supportive boyfriend that means well and really tries to help me, but he doesn't know a catalytic converter from a cam shaft. I'm not trying to out run 150k Ferraris and Lamborghinis. I genuinely just saw a 1g on the side of the road for sale and thought 'damn! That's a cool car!' As I got to learn about them and realized the potential of the platform I decided it was a really great way to make a fun car. My thoughts are still the same. I feel cool driving my laser. She shall live again this fall/winter.
 
Last edited:
So I got back to my friends from the convention and looked the car over. I don't see any leaks from where I would have lost oil besides from the hole in the frickin block. My car made a whining sound that I always thought was the timing belt. I am now wondering if maybe my oil pump failed somehow. Is that a thing? Do oil pumps fail? When I left my house for the convention I checked my oil level and it was fine. I had driven it 180 miles just a couple days prior without it leaking a drop. That is partly what baffles me. If there is something to take away from this I want to find out how it failed and why.
 
So after a hiatus from DSM I am back. Took apart some of the engine and I think I may have lucked out big time. Its a bittersweet kinda of feeling but I'm gonna roll with it. I think my cylinder head is ok, the timing is shredded but in tact! The engine is still in time, minus two pistons and rods of course. No popped rockers. The new 20G still spins free and I'm going to have the chra hot tanked and back flushed to minimize riskof metallic fragments getting in to my new engine. Overall I remain hopeful that she will once again terrorize the road.[DOUBLEPOST=1413249246][/DOUBLEPOST]Add
 

Attachments

  • WP_20141013_001.jpg
    WP_20141013_001.jpg
    578.9 KB · Views: 63
  • WP_20141013_002.jpg
    WP_20141013_002.jpg
    495.4 KB · Views: 65
  • WP_20141013_003.jpg
    WP_20141013_003.jpg
    563.5 KB · Views: 65
  • WP_20141013_005.jpg
    WP_20141013_005.jpg
    571 KB · Views: 66
Last edited:
I know how you feel. I had basically a brand new engine fail after 1200 miles because the stub shaft wasnt torqued onto the oil pump gear properly, causing it to fall off and knock around in the bottom end. All the oil that previously got pumped through the engine now just streamed out the hole left by the shaft. The reason I mention this is that my car made a whining noise when I got it (almost sounded like a supercharger sorta) and we had no idea what it was. What we now know is that the shaft was not in all the way, which let the gear not be lined up properly and causing the noise. I'd check the gears on the oil pump itself and the balance shaft to see if something is wrong with one of them. Good luck with the rebuild. And dont get too down on your car. My Talon burned up in an engine bay fire before I got this car. Got this one, the engine ate itself. Now I have a built 2.4. You can rebuild it!
 
My car whined too! I always wondered why it whined. I just looked closer as I was pulling the fuel rail off and yep, the balance shaft belt is snapped. I bet you the damn bearing went out and the motor chewed itself up and shat out some rods and pistons. Thanks for the motivation and the info.
 
My balance shaft belt took out my last motor in my gst :(! Time to remove them all together LOL! My belt and timing was all new too! Somehow when mine went it took out the #4 rod and then everthing else with it, shattered the piston LOL! I found this about 200ft from my car :(
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    754.3 KB · Views: 67
I couldn't imagine going through that, now i'm going to look up balance shaft removal so this doesn't happen to me :( Sorry about your Motor TurboLaser, at least your ok, and it didn't burn to the ground!
 
Damn that sucks man! Just get right back on that horse tho. I've been working on my car for 3 years built it from a rusty empty shell and I'm having nothing but problems something different every time. So I some what understand what your going through, I have yet to put 5k miles on my car in the last 3 years of ownership. My family says the same thing as your's about my car, just go buy a newer one f that!
 
More carnage
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
 

Attachments

  • WP_20141019_017.jpg
    WP_20141019_017.jpg
    475.8 KB · Views: 50
  • V__6E9D.jpg
    V__6E9D.jpg
    85.2 KB · Views: 50
EH it can be welded, sanded, buffed out, your all good !!

Looks like the block is gone, but the head might be salvageable!

Thanks for the pictures!! Still wondering what caused the failure, and if you will find out.
 
Well lets test my automotive logic skills here. I found that my balance shaft belt was snapped. From what I can see the balance shafts or the balance shaft bearings seized and caused the sprocket to be unable to be turned, that in turn snapped the belt. Then the car slowly lost oil pressure. A few miles cruising at basically 0 PSI oil pressure and the rest is history. 90% sure that this is what happened.
The only thing that I don't understand is why the dummy light for oil pressure never came on. Or did it come on and I just didn't notice because it was so sunny and bright outside? I'll probably never know.
 
I feel for you man. I just posted about my spyder loosing oil and burning up. (I also suspect the balance shaft bearing being spun) My son was driving it and a friend and him changing the oil probably caused it so he's feeling pretty bad about it.

Honestly I bought the spyder for the 2.4 in it for a future upgrade for the talon but wasn't wanting the future to be now. Hopefully I can save the block.

Hope your build goes well. Save that laser. Not alot of them left.
 
Support Vendors who Support the DSM Community
Boosted Fabrication ECM Tuning ExtremePSI Fuel Injector Clinic Innovation Products Jacks Transmissions JNZ Tuning Kiggly Racing Morrison Fabrications MyMitsubishiStore.com RixRacing RockAuto RTM Racing STM Tuned

Latest posts

Build Thread Updates

Vendor Updates

Latest Classifieds

Back
Top