Altered Mental Status (1G AWD 5spd)

[Justin DuBois]

Since I have to wait another week to do the wheel bearings and stuff, I went ahead and ordered the rest of the suspension stuff too. Ball joints, inner and outer tie-rods. So that way it'll all be nice and tight again. If I had the cash, I'd love to get the Volk Metal Craft adjustable upper and lower control arms for the rear, but alas. Funds are looooow until the new paychecks from the new job start rolling in.

I will probably just eyeball the alignment until I can afford those, then take it to get professionally aligned since I'll have the upper/lowers from VMC. Either way, fun stuff.

Eyeball it with strings. Wrap a tight single loop of string around the 4 tires through the centerline of the wheels - you can set the toe front and rear. Its not perfect, but as a baseline to keep your tires from scrubbing, it's better than eyeballs alone. - You test drive to see where the wheel center ended up and adjust equal amounts on the left and right tierod ends to move the wheel back to center.

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

I will probably just eyeball the alignment until I can afford those, then take it to get professionally aligned since I'll have the upper/lowers from VMC. Either way, fun stuff.

You'd be surprised how quickly that can ruin tires. Especially soft ones. I've done this a few times in the past and usually had to rotate the tires every 500 miles because they were visually wearing abnormally.

Watch some tutorials on YouTube about at home alingments. You will still need it professionally aligned but this can save some tire wear in the meantime.

 

[CrackedDSM]

Well, decided to do the front hubs while I wait for parts and man...look what I found. I need you guys to tell me if this is normal or not.

Driver's Side



Passenger's Side



Both of those videos were taken without loosening the nut on the ball joint. That's exactly how it was on the car.

Is this normal? Am I crazy and this is typical, or was this a huge problem and big disaster averted? The passenger side one's nut was only like...valve cover bolts tight. Not tight at all! The driver's side nut came off fairly easily too but the pass side one was like it wasn't even there. It was so loose I thought the ball joint was spinning when I attempted to impact it off...but it wasn't. The nut was just that loose!

But yeah, I got the knuckles off. Gonna take the knuckles tomorrow and press the old bearings off and new bearings on. I don't see any smoking gun with the bearings, however the passenger side one feels gritty like dirt is in it. Both of them make noise when you spin them. Not sure if they're supposed to be whisper quiet when new or not, but either way...they gettin' replaced!

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

In your first video, it doesn't look like the nut is even touching the spindle. Not good. I don't know the torque spec from the top of my head, but far more than zero!

 

[CrackedDSM]

In your first video, it doesn't look like the nut is even touching the spindle. Not good. I don't know the torque spec from the top of my head, but far more than zero!

It wasn't! You could wiggle it back and forth!

 

[chrisman287]

Man, you’re lucky that shit didn’t fall apart on you.

 

[CrackedDSM]

Man, you’re lucky that shit didn’t fall apart on you.

It's definitely sobering, man. I'm gonna double check over all the rear suspension things too. I think the only thing that saved the nut from falling off, is they're teflon locknuts. A normal nut would've vibrated off.


The amount of things I have accidentally touched and its been loose has been...ridiculous.


So here's your daily advice folks, when you get a new DSM project...check EVERY SINGLE NUT AND BOLT. Seriously. I thought I got it all, but apparently not. Cam cap bolts were finger loose, VC bolts were loose/half of them needed repair w/ helicoil. T-case only had 4 "bolts" and was missing one entirely. T-case, rear, and trans were all absolutely bone dry. Upper trans mount bolts were loose, same with intake manifold bolts and on and on and on.

This thing would've grenaded immediately had I just trusted the story I got and just slapped a battery in it and ran it.

 

[dwb]

Very lucky you caught that. If those bjs have been like that for a while it's possible they wallered out the knuckle side. Make sure your new bjs press-fit in the knuckle before you go full bore replacing wheel bearings.

 

[CrackedDSM]

Very lucky you caught that. If those bjs have been like that for a while it's possible they wallered out the knuckle side. Make sure your new bjs press-fit in the knuckle before you go full bore replacing wheel bearings.

That’s a really solid idea. Thank God I have a parts car. And a spare new ball joint I can try.


Edit - I tested out the spare new ball joint I had, and it fits in the hole super firm and tight. I think I'd need some gentle taps on the knuckle itself to fully seat it inside or use the nut to pull it all the way, but the hole seems fine. That's a relief.

 

[CrackedDSM]

Got the hubs all done.


The old ones weren’t like obviously bad but one side definitely got dirt contamination in it. And I swear they had a little play in them. They were OEM bearings but yeah. These new bearings feel so much nicer. And they’re quiet when I spin them. The old ones make a whirring noise when I spun the hubs.

With this and the ball joints fixed I’m extremely curious how the car sounds and how it drives. Now I’m waiting on the rear dust shields for the hub side, and the ball joints to come in. Excited though.

 

[CrackedDSM]

There is something almost perverse about new in bag parts from Mitsu. My inner child is always so pleased when I do stuff like this.

Still waiting on a few more suspension parts and other parts I ordered, and I work the rest of this week. Hopefully though by the time this weekend comes we can slam it all in there. More pics later of all the new stuff as it comes.

I say "hopefully" because my kid was sick, and now my wife has it and usually always means I'm next. So hopefully it doesn't incubate and wait until riiiight on the cusp of this weekend to strike.

 

[CrackedDSM]

More pictures and details later but the dipstick came in before I went to work. Jesus I didn’t realize how loose my old dipstick is until I tried to pull this one out.

If it blows this dipstick out even without the spring on it, something major is wrong. .

But yeah. Hopefully the ball joints and inner tie rods come in later today and I’ll get more pictures for you guys. This dipstick is so nice. I have the worst feeling it’s gonna be a huge pita to install though.

 

[CrackedDSM]

New parts pile came in. Feeling these new tie rods has me realizing just how loose and terrible the old inner tie rods are. Holy crap man. This is gonna feel insane…

My favorite part is this though.

Look at how new the dipstick itself is! So shiny! And I love the powder coat on the tube too. But as I mentioned before this thing is in there TIGHT. If this pops out even without the helper spring we have major issues.


But yeah. Genuinely excited to see and feel the difference this all makes. I’m gonna end up doing the rear upper and lower control arms from Volk too. I’ll just pay for an alignment twice.

But yeah. Stay tuned!

 

[jesse12345]

What's with the spring on the dipstick? Is that for crank case pressure? I thought you had a catch can, so many questions. Your cars going to feel brand new after all that is on, I just have this weird feeling. I'm pumped for you!

 

[CrackedDSM]

What's with the spring on the dipstick? Is that for crank case pressure? I thought you had a catch can, so many questions. Your cars going to feel brand new after all that is on, I just have this weird feeling. I'm pumped for you!

I do have a catch can, but the lines going to it are the stock tiny sized lines and the current dip stick is so loose that it takes 0 effort to pull the dipstick out. So under boost it pops it out and sprays oil on the manifold. The spring is a bandaid to help keep the dipstick in place but man I don’t think it needs it with how tight it is.

My plan is twofold. One is the dipstick, two is to get -10an fittings welded on my VC and run -10an lines to my can to evacuate ALL the pressure.


But, thank you! I’m excited to feel any/all difference.

 

[Anfurnyy]

My plan is twofold. One is the dipstick, two is to get -10an fittings welded on my VC and run -10an lines to my can to evacuate ALL the pressure.

Make sure to get some really small height fittings. Like banjos or something. Mine were already low profile AND cut and they still hit the hood.

 

[CrackedDSM]

Make sure to get some really small height fittings. Like banjos or something. Mine were already low profile AND cut and they still hit the hood.

I’m gonna get them welded in the stock locations pointing straight out. I’ve been researching! Lol

 

[Anfurnyy]

I’m gonna get them welded in the stock locations pointing straight out. I’ve been researching! Lol

Oh that works

 

[Stapl3]

The AN fittings on the valve cover to a catch can with AN lines and all that is the biggest contradiction to this community I can think of. DSMrs are known as frugal and getting shit done without spending hundreds for no reason. Bang for buck. Then the crankcase pressure "issue" becomes the achilles heel. The overkill on this system that has been normalized is insane to me. The crankcase pressure is super low and with larger exits of the valve cover it goes even lower, like low single digit values here. These AN fittings and braided lines are intended for extreme high pressure. Guys are spending hundreds and hundreds on expensive lines and fittings and welding etc etc for only the interest of it looking cool. It's rice. Just use barb fittings and rubber hose for the same result, shit probably don't even need clamps on the hose.

 

[CrackedDSM]

The AN fittings on the valve cover to a catch can with AN lines and all that is the biggest contradiction to this community I can think of. DSMrs are known as frugal and getting shit done without spending hundreds for no reason. Bang for buck. Then the crankcase pressure "issue" becomes the achilles heel. The overkill on this system that has been normalized is insane to me. The crankcase pressure is super low and with larger exits of the valve cover it goes even lower, like low single digit values here. These AN fittings and braided lines are intended for extreme high pressure. Guys are spending hundreds and hundreds on expensive lines and fittings and welding etc etc for only the interest of it looking cool. It's rice. Just use barb fittings and rubber hose for the same result, shit probably don't even need clamps on the hose.

Honestly, I have never been convinced of the need for this system on a low/mid range powered car. If you say my current lines are good enough that works for me!


Fun fact: there’s a guy here on these forums that loves me so much, that he trolled me endlessly on Facebook about 8 years ago because I simply asked if huge lines and catch can stuff was necessary for our cars. So glad I was right to question.

 

[Anfurnyy]

The AN fittings on the valve cover to a catch can with AN lines and all that is the biggest contradiction to this community I can think of. DSMrs are known as frugal and getting shit done without spending hundreds for no reason. Bang for buck. Then the crankcase pressure "issue" becomes the achilles heel. The overkill on this system that has been normalized is insane to me. The crankcase pressure is super low and with larger exits of the valve cover it goes even lower, like low single digit values here. These AN fittings and braided lines are intended for extreme high pressure. Guys are spending hundreds and hundreds on expensive lines and fittings and welding etc etc for only the interest of it looking cool. It's rice. Just use barb fittings and rubber hose for the same result, shit probably don't even need clamps on the hose.

So what exactly are you mad about? People spending money on their cars so they Look better?

Personally I'm one of the "idiots" you're referencing. I'd wager I'm well over $600+ in fittings and line alone for the whole car, not including the -12orb fittings and -12an push lock I bought specifically for my catch can setup. I blew my new dipstick out with -10 fittings vented to atmosphere at 35psi with .027" ring gaps.

There's people that want to to the bare minimum and there's people that over build.

Now what IS ricey is braided stainless that goes over rubber line that makes it LOOK like braided line.

 

[CrackedDSM]

But, I had a Facebook memory pop up where I installed my black leather interior 2 years ago(2 years! Holy jeebus) and it just made me realize how far not only the car has come, but how far I’ve come with working on DSMs and knowledge.

I have directly all of you to thank for that, and I really do appreciate everyone who has helped me out and given me a share of your hard earned knowledge. I legitimately never thought I’d be at the point where I’m rebuilding hubs, pulling axles, transmissions, and all this stuff I’m doing now. It’s not just the car that’s come so far, I have too.

Thanks guys. Truly. Bear with me and please keep helping me when I get stuck in the future or have to do something else for the first time.

Y’all are truly great and appreciated.

 

[SixBolt_16G]

The AN fittings on the valve cover to a catch can with AN lines and all that is the biggest contradiction to this community I can think of. DSMrs are known as frugal and getting shit done without spending hundreds for no reason. Bang for buck. Then the crankcase pressure "issue" becomes the achilles heel. The overkill on this system that has been normalized is insane to me. The crankcase pressure is super low and with larger exits of the valve cover it goes even lower, like low single digit values here. These AN fittings and braided lines are intended for extreme high pressure. Guys are spending hundreds and hundreds on expensive lines and fittings and welding etc etc for only the interest of it looking cool. It's rice. Just use barb fittings and rubber hose for the same result, shit probably don't even need clamps on the hose.

Thanks, this actually helps me along with my build and answers long standing questions that I never got around to asking or didnt know exactly what I needed to ask. My dipstick blows out with just my little Evo16g and wasnt sure at what point and how necessary it would be to go with a catch can setup/AN fittings and such. To each their own on the AN fittings/lines because it does look nice, but wasnt sure how much of it was overkill for a setup like mine as ive ONLY seen catch can setups using AN fittings (Fair statement to say that i just hadnt been noticing setups without them.) In my case, id rather just solve the issue than splurge right now and now I know that I can.

 

[jesse12345]

Is it a ring gap that causes that? I'm still on stock pcv stuff and I have none of those problems. I was thinking of adding a catch can just to be safe when I crank up the boost. I was running my 16g at 20 psi. I am just trying to play it safe.

 

[dwb]

Is it a ring gap that causes that? I'm still on stock pcv stuff and I have none of those problems. I was thinking of adding a catch can just to be safe when I crank up the boost. I was running my 16g at 20 psi. I am just trying to play it safe.

Not limited to ring gap, but that does contribute. In general it's blowby and gas expansion. A sealed catch can is a good idea but it doesn't increase the efficiency of the stock PCV/CC vent. It helps remove oil vapors and thus keeps your intake cleaner.

I once heard that a half worn engine will pop out a half worn dipstick. A healthy engine will pop out a worn out dipstick. A worn out engine will pop out a healthy dipstick. A healthy engine should not pop out a healthy dipstick. This is assuming your PCV and CC vent are not obstructed.