1990 AWD Talon Flash Red 5spd

[dsmmario]

Just in case anyone is curious this is the OEM cyclone bracket. The last picture is how the PTU mounts to it.

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Just in case anyone is curious this is the OEM cyclone bracket. The last picture is how the PTU mounts to it.

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Very nice. I’ll keep that in mind if I try again with another cyclone.

 

[dsmmario]

Drove the car for the first time in 6 months. It drove fine, just need to break in the new brake set up. The dual pistons feel much better with my 3g brake master cylinder than the stock single pistons that felt like a rock. I added some fog light covers to pay homage to my last DSM back (teal 92 AWD) in the 90s. Just need to get some aftermarket fog lights to finish replicating the look.

 

[dsmmario]

Took my car to the SCCA Track night in America this week at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The event was well run and you get three 20min hot sessions and there were two paced sessions. I’ve done autocrosses and drag racing but this more fun than either. We ran the same Roval course used by the NASCAR Cup cars.

I conservatively did 90 in the high banks and up to 101mph the back straight, probably could have gone higher but I didn’t trust my stopping power. Even at the end of the slower parade runs I could feel the pedal softening. I also noticed that despite running the 16g on wastegate pressure my water temp gauge was creeping up as well with the 90 deg outside temp. I turned the heater on hi and cooked myself and that helped stabilize the temps. Both of my hot sessions got cut short since my rigged up lower intercooler pipe kept blowing off. Once I was able to limp back to the pits. The second time I had to get towed back.

I’ll look to get that pipe welded up and improve my cooling setup before I try again in the future along with better pads and fluid. I may consider the Outlander brakes to help the braking concerns. This was video from first hot session:

 

[Dericsh]

Took my car to the SCCA Track night in America this week at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The event was well run and you get three 20min hot sessions and there were two paced sessions. I’ve done autocrosses and drag racing but this more fun than either. We ran the same Roval course used by the NASCAR Cup cars.

I conservatively did 90 in the high banks and up to 101mph the back straight, probably could have gone higher but I didn’t trust my stopping power. Even at the end of the slower parade runs I could feel the pedal softening. I also noticed that despite running the 16g on wastegate pressure my water temp gauge was creeping up as well with the 90 deg outside temp. I turned the heater on hi and cooked myself and that helped stabilize the temps. Both of my hot sessions got cut short since my rigged up lower intercooler pipe kept blowing off. Once I was able to limp back to the pits. The second time I had to get towed back.

I’ll look to get that pipe welded up and improve my cooling setup before I try again in the future along with better pads and fluid. I may consider the Outlander brakes to help the braking concerns. This was video from first hot session:

Thanks for sharing that! Super cool!

 

[dsmmario]

My new favorite photo of my car. I probably wont make it back to the road course this year due to work but it was a good shot in the arm to push forward with the car.

 

[dsmmario]

Decided to pull the head off the car since I won’t be making any more track days this year because of work. I’ve been struggling with it overheating at idle so I was wondering if I had a small leak on the head gasket. But I couldn’t find any bad spots. I was also going to use this occasion for fresh rings and cam bearings since cylinder 2 is a lower than the other three. I did find some leakage from my exhaust manifold. I wasn’t expecting that since i hadn’t heard any noise from it. Took me about 3hrs to pull the head working in the heat. I’m trying not to think about how little I’ve driven the car this year, yet again.

 

[Mech Addict]

I find that for every hour of disassembly, there is one week of assembly (or sometimes one month), what with ordering parts and cleaning things up. It definitely bums me out to have a garage art project instead of a running car.
Cam bearings??

 

[dsmmario]

I find that for every hour of disassembly, there is one week of assembly (or sometimes one month), what with ordering parts and cleaning things up. It definitely bums me out to have a garage art project instead of a running car.
Cam bearings??

That math checks out. I’m guessing I’ll be running again in the new year. By bearings I meant the cam journals.Previous owner RTV’d everything in this engine from the front cover to rear main so it has had some rtv chunks run through it. Oil pump and rod bearings didn’t look too bad last time I had it apart.

 

[dsmmario]

I’ve decided to spend the fall doing a rebuild on the engine. I’m putting out a different oil pump with a proper BSE vs the cut shaft I’ve been running and flipping the front bearings. I peeled the rings off the stock pistons. Previously the compression was in the 155 range for 1,3,4 which wasn’t bad for the age although below the standard of 164psi and above the limit of 124psi. Cyl two was 4-5psi less than the others so I was planning to put fresh rings on while I was in here. I noticed the pistons had the top ring with the bevel up which is unlike what the shop manual calls for. The second ring was square with the markings up. I’m not sure if the bottom end had been rebuilt before. In fact I’m unsure it’s the original engine since I can’t make out a vin on the block. But I do know at some point someone went through and had rtv all the gaskets in the engine, even the rear main and front cover. So this motor was likely out of the car at some point. Im currently leaning towards hastings piston rings and was planning ACL bearings for the rod ends.

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

I saw a video on Facebook of someone who modified their bracket to fit on a 7bolt motor. I followed their lead and slotted the mount holes and drilled a new hole mounting hole. Not 100% the slotting was necessary but what was necessary was cutting off the metal emission pipes and a small tab that protruded out to clearance the AC compressor. So with that finally behind me I started back on the rest of the buttoning up.

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Are you using the Tach Filter that is on your intake bracket, (the little metal box with 2 wires and a pigtail)? It is a 1990 only component (and maybe you are running it in a 1990 car, but your profile said 1991) and if you aren't using it, I'd buy it from you.
Sorry to hijack the thread, but I had to ask since all I have are 1990 cars (well, one 1992). Love the upgrades you have done to yours!
Marty

 

[dsmmario]

Are you using the Tach Filter that is on your intake bracket, (the little metal box with 2 wires and a pigtail)? It is a 1990 only component (and maybe you are running it in a 1990 car, but your profile said 1991) and if you aren't using it, I'd buy it from you.
Sorry to hijack the thread, but I had to ask since all I have are 1990 cars (well, one 1992). Love the upgrades you have done to yours!
Marty

Mine is a actually a 1990 so yes I am still using it. I've read on here where people will bypass it when they experience a dead tach condition.

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

No no. Keep it. Use it as it is supposed to be used. I just didn't see a 1990 in your profile and figured "aw damn this guy doesn't know what that little gizmo is"
I just didn't want it discarded for "weight reduction".
Marty

 

[dsmmario]

My car has been down a few months while I refresh the rings and rod bearings. Recently I finally found a replacement for the cyclone intake I damaged while installing it. This one came separated so I made some replacement gaskets out of Felpro gasket material. Cost me $5 and 2hrs of time. I’ll probably spray it with copper gasket spray before installing it along with painting the manifold. I’ll also have to transfer the actuator setup I made since this one seems to be blown like my other one.

 

[dsmmario]

I’ve been making some slow progress on the car. Stock pistons are back in with fresh rings and rod bearings and the oil pan and transfer case went back on. I traded in my DSMlink V2 for the V3 with plans to move to speed density. Now I just need to work on the top end.

 

[Mech Addict]

How was doing that work with the block in the car ? Looks cool to see like that with the piston going back in.

 

[dsmmario]

How was doing that work with the block in the car ? Looks cool to see like that with the piston going back in.

It wasn’t too bad. I did the same with my last DSM 20yrs ago. I hand finished the bores with a loaner 3stone hone from autozone. The engine had been “refreshed” prior to me. Mogul bearings and rings, but they were too cheap to put new gaskets and rtv’d the old ones. I’m guessing this wasn’t the original motor, maybe a junkyard one that was thrown in.

 

[dsmmario]

I started the new year off by assembling the cyclone intake after painting it. Now I just need to knock the surface rust off the block and drop the head back on. I really hoping to get it back running by the end of the month before I get busy with work and life again.

 

[dsmmario]

I was trying to install my head but one of my arp studs wouldn’t bottom out. Turns out Autozone has a thread chaser set as part of their loaner program and has the M12x1.25 we need for our 6 bolts. After running in it down I was able bottom out the stud and return the head home.

 

[dsmmario]

When trying to get my 1g started after my rebuild and I was getting a bad fuel leak no matter how hard I tightened the flare nut on the “various mfg” PF8164 (PF5114) filter I bought from RockAuto.com. I believe it was a Purolator. So I tried a WIX Filters 33502 from Amazon. The nut felt like it threaded in more firmly and most importantly no leaks with the engine off and the pump running. Lesson learned.

 

[dsmmario]

First drive was a success. I drove her for about 25 miles. Engine temps stayed good and no weird sounds or smells once the initial burn off concluded. Of course she had to troll me with one more leak. This time my adapter for the vdo oil pressure gauge was weeping. I used sealant but I’ll try again with tape. But I put the plug back in for now. Made a few MAFComp adjustments with each stop. I kept it out off boost for the most part so I didn’t look to make any Wideband Factor adjustments. The exhaust sounds a little deeper to me which I’m assuming comes the larger exhaust housing and the mild cam upgrade. But overall I was happy to have her moving under her own power again.

 

[dsmmario]

Goodbye MAF. I installed my freshly welded intake elbow and air temp sensor. I used an intake pipe I found in the classified with an eBay cone filter. I also swapped out the factory BOV for a blitz unit. I had a similar one on my last dsm so I wanted another for the nostalgia even though this one doesn’t have the horn that last one did. I also took off the Hallman mbc since I plan to use a Mac electronic valve. So far it seems to be idling nice. I just need to work on tuning it.

 

[dsmmario]

I went for a quick first drive on #speeddensity. The car drove surprisingly good. I did one third gear pull till I noticed the knock light wasn’t happy. My wideband factor was pretty close at 99 VE but I was getting a ton of knock with the aggressive 1g factory map. So I’ll look to pull a lot of timing for the next attempt. Despite the 7cm housing and wastegate hole porting I’m still seeing 18psi but it doesn’t seem like it’s climbing more than that. I’ll also need to softened up the blitz BOV. I’m getting a lot of flutter at low boost. Not the kerpuuush it’s known for. I managed to get the short term trim manageable at idle but the stock table is very rich. I did suffer a loss with my intake plug disappearing. I guess I should have glued it in. I’m really liking the FP2 cams. They aren’t super aggressive but I can sense the lower mild change in the exhaust note.

 

[dsmmario]

After trying a different drain hose, new seals, different bolts, double seals, rtv, and even jb weld, I couldn’t get my turbo oil return to stop leaking. The right bolt wouldn’t stop leaking. I likely stripped it and even trying a slightly larger bolt didn’t stop the drip. I bit the bullet and bought a new oil pan off eBay. Rock Auto also sells the Spectra CRP14B Oil Pan. I used some Amazon m6x1.0x20mm flanged bolts, oem 1g gasket (MR258477) and the Evo8 self sealing crush washers (MR497720). So far it seems to be staying dry and the partout averted.

 

[Mech Addict]

I had a similar issue, although I was using an OEM return line. I had it leak several times until I used two gaskets sandwiched together and the grade 8 bolts with the rubber-gasketed washers. I used spray gasket adhesive on each face of the gasket. 1/4” torque wrench to the maximum of the spec range.
Your new pan looks good.

 

[dsmmario]

My power steering fluid was foaming out of the reservoir the other day. Initial I thought it was the pump but it turned out to be the switch fell apart and was causing a leak. I put a reman pump on and rebuilt a second hand switch to fix that. I also used this time to remove the factory cooler and put in a Hayden cooler I bought off Amazon. I fabricated a bracket out of square stock and used the fog light bolts. I’m still considering moving the factory oil cooler as well.