1999 Eclipse Spyder (four seasons)

[99eclipsegs-2t]

This is the Build Thread for 1999 Eclipse Spyder (four seasons). Reply below.

 

[99eclipsegs-2t]

So after initially fixing the timing belt, I was able to get the car started and further assess any issues with it. I quickly discovered a couple bent valves in the head, along with some leaky valve seals due to high mileage (172k). I took out the power plant and proceeded to rebuild the head, and repair any immediate problems that appeared, such as wiring, missing hardware, etc. I threw in a fresh set of ebay valves and viton seals, along with a new timing kit, water pump, and thermostat to regulate temps. I also discovered the clutch was at its end. Everything from the clutch, both cylinders, and even the pedal assembly itself needed repair or replacement. Thankfully the transmission appears to be in good shape, but I'll be rebuilding a few of those for this car also.

 

[99eclipsegs-2t]

Big thanks to my wife for the assist, we got the clutch assembly finalized and ready to mate the transmission to the block.

 

[99eclipsegs-2t]

got the motor in and fluids ready for the first start!

 

[99eclipsegs-2t]

Started up great initially, but I quickly found my lower coolant hose with a leak. I wasn’t super happy with the toque to yield bolts, so I’m gonna do a 1 for 1 swap to arp head studs. It’s just some piece of mind! Clutch works great too!

 

[99eclipsegs-2t]

I addressed the coolant issue, the upper o ring on the water pipe was at its limit, so I got a new ordered and ready to install, along with the new downpipe, oil pan. I went through the brakes in the front, and decided after finding a seized caliper, to just go ahead and swap it all out for new stuff. I'll rebuild the OEM calipers though and have them as a backup. I've got plans to get a big brake kit utilizing the Cadillac calipers and mustang rotors, but that's a ways down the road still. I also got new cv axles and their seals replaced as well. I got the miller tool specific for our cars and it works perfectly! makes the job easy to do while the transmission is in the car! fixed a broken wheel stud too .

 

[99eclipsegs-2t]

After installing the new stock replacement calipers, I was still having issues with the calipers not releasing the rotor enough, so I then decided to replace the stock rubber brake lines and upgrade to stainless ones from Goodridge. They give the brake pedal a little better feel than the stock lines also. The rubber lines broke down enough to begin acting as a one-way valve letting fluid into the brake calipers, but not allowing a return to the reservoir. I also had to replace a torn up driver seatbelt, luckily I found one on ebay for a decent price ($30).

 

[99eclipsegs-2t]

Here’s the seatbelt repair for now, I’m sending the original assembly off to get new seatbelt webbing. The car drives great! Shifts great too with the new clutch assembly. Brakes work just as they should thanks to new calipers, pads, rotors, and stainless lines.

 

[99eclipsegs-2t]

It's been awhile since the last update, but I needed/wanted to enjoy driving the car for a while in order to further assess new issues as they surfaced. I realized the dowpipe that was on the car was rubbing the oil pan aggressively enough to put a hole in it. The transmission was also leaking from the passenger side cv axle seal, and after swapping out the old seal with a new one, the leak still remained active. I decided to remove and replace the transmission, oil pan, and the faulty built down pipe. The remove and replace process went pretty smooth, I also ditched the oil pan gasket for an rtv sealant, and I swapped the stock Spyder transmission with a used, but in great condition one from a '93 Galant, both f5m31's. The car drives exponentially better than before and doesn't leak anymore. After the remove and replace job was completed, and the first start was attempted, the car had trouble starting and maintaining a smooth idle, along with the passenger side fan running full blast constantly while running. I quickly realized one of the brittle wires near the connector to the ECT sensor had broke away. I decided to fix it the right way and re-pin a new Sheridan Engineering ECT sensor connector to the wire ends. Big thanks to Jafro and his plethora of useful information about these cars! Thanks to him I used the Hozan electrical crimpers to complete the wire job making it substantially easier and done with high integrity.