Buying a 1991 Eclipse GST today. Got a few questions!

[Dr Funkenstein]

Hey guys!

Checked out a 1991 Eclipse GST yesterday and even though it had high miles it seemed to pull pretty damn good. A lot faster than any car I've driven. I am going to pick it up after work today. Of course, it does have a few problems that need to be fixed before I'm able to drive it. I was hoping you guys could help clarify a few things for me.

I'm no expert mechanic, not even close to it. I like to tinker around with things though and am always willing to learn. So if I'm using any incorrect terminology or need to clarify about something further, let me know.

1. The first thing I noticed is that the intake system is missing. Or at least half of it. Basically, the part circled in yellow below is missing.

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I've been trying to find replace parts and came across Dejon. I was wondering if this is what I'm looking for. I was thinking about getting one with the BOV tube because I want it to be as stock as possible (aside from the Dejon intake pipe and air filter). For size (turbo end) I can either choose 2 3/4" or 3". Which one is the stock size?

2. The BOV wasn't plumbed into anything. I'm assuming its because its missing the intake pipe. Regardless, it drove fine and didn't stutter or stall out or anything, however I think it may be running a little rich because of it. What are your thoughts on this? Does leaving the BOV disconnected hurt anything? I plan on hooking it back up anyways.

3. The front driver's side caliper seems to be frozen in the closed position. I'm assuming out of all the things wrong with the car, this will be the easiest to fix.

4. The power steering pump is broken. The owner said that the power steering pump was leaking, so he just disconnected the belt and left it like that. I briefly read that the power steering pump is relatively easy to replace, as its only about 3 bolts and two lines. I'm just wonder, how easy is it to get at it? Meaning, is it underneath a bunch of other things I'll need to take off first, or is it easily reachable?


That's about it. Unless you guys tell me something like the power steering pump is ridiculously difficult to get at, I'll probably be buying this car later on today.

 

[DSM1G90]

What a lot of owners do is remove the can around the air filter to get more air into the system for more power. But not realizing that it offsets the air to fuel ratio, thus more fuel is required to get the system back to square.

Plus, with the aircan removed, it also pulls in the hot air that is trapped under the hood which also offsets A/F ratios since cooler air is more dense and more effective.

As for the P/S pump, you can yank one out from a busted up DSM out at a yard and as long as the hoses are intact and not cracked, just the pump needs replacing, BUT the whole system needs to be flushed out before putting in use. (yet, the pict above shows the pump belt in place-not removed as mentioned...along with the BOV hose still in place as well ???? Is this the car you're gonna buy, or just a pict for reference sake?)

that brake caliper will definitely will have to be rebuilt and rotors turned .. and do the other side as well. Check the rear brakes being also disc brakes.

Some tips .. good luck-DSM

 

[dsmdeliveryboy]

How much are you paying for this? Doesn't sound like a very good buy..

 

[MaddTuners]

I am in the midst of doing my Brakes and have had serious issues. Both rear calipers were seized as well as the bolts and the "sliders" or "sleves" for lack of a better word. I ended up snapping a bolt so i just replaced the whole caliper and retainer. Because of previous owners not maintaining their vehicles properly it makes our work harder for those of us who appreciate the older cars.
I agree on the power steering, replace the pump and flush the system. Its an easy job to do if you have some mechanical aptitude. If I can offer a really good peice of advice, get adobe document reader for pdf files and download the chilton, haynes books and ony other ones you can find.

 

[Jonman409]

Doubtful, but I wonder if the guy was running speed density.

 

[Dr Funkenstein]

What a lot of owners do is remove the can around the air filter to get more air into the system for more power. But not realizing that it offsets the air to fuel ratio, thus more fuel is required to get the system back to square.

Plus, with the aircan removed, it also pulls in the hot air that is trapped under the hood which also offsets A/F ratios since cooler air is more dense and more effective.

As for the P/S pump, you can yank one out from a busted up DSM out at a yard and as long as the hoses are intact and not cracked, just the pump needs replacing, BUT the whole system needs to be flushed out before putting in use. (yet, the pict above shows the pump belt in place-not removed as mentioned...along with the BOV hose still in place as well ???? Is this the car you're gonna buy, or just a pict for reference sake?)

that brake caliper will definitely will have to be rebuilt and rotors turned .. and do the other side as well. Check the rear brakes being also disc brakes.

Some tips .. good luck-DSM

That was just a picture of an engine bay I found on Google, not the car I'm going to buy. Replacing the power steering pump and hoses seems simple enough.

How much are you paying for this? Doesn't sound like a very good buy..

$1,000. I'm poor as hell and need a car ASAP for my new job (where I will be saving up for another car). I don't plan on owning this for more than 6 months. Believe it or not this is one of the better cars I've checked out for my price range.

I am in the midst of doing my Brakes and have had serious issues. Both rear calipers were seized as well as the bolts and the "sliders" or "sleves" for lack of a better word. I ended up snapping a bolt so i just replaced the whole caliper and retainer. Because of previous owners not maintaining their vehicles properly it makes our work harder for those of us who appreciate the older cars.
I agree on the power steering, replace the pump and flush the system. Its an easy job to do if you have some mechanical aptitude. If I can offer a really good peice of advice, get adobe document reader for pdf files and download the chilton, haynes books and ony other ones you can find.

Thanks for the advice. I planned on buying a Haynes manual, but if I can find it online in PDF form, that's even better. If I can't figure out the caliper or power steering issues, I'll just take it to a shop anyways. I just rather learn some things.

 

[Evo_This]

1> You can go with Dejon, Injen, or the ebay Injen knock-off to handle this.
2> Yes, as you noticed the car (your car, I must say that as others will say their car runs perfect like this which is true but not ALL DSM's are so lucky) runs rich with the bov open. Do run it back thru the intake.
3> Replace with stock or upgrade to 93-94 two piston calipers.
4> You do have to remove a lil to get to it but it's maybe a hour job. Grab a Hayne's manuel for step by step DIY.

If these are your only problems, you found a really good buy friend.

Too bad you don't live near me, I would take it off your hands in 6 months when you're done with it.

 

[97-gst]

why do you only plan on owning a dsm for 6 months? i plan on owning mine for LIFE

 

[Dr Funkenstein]

1> You can go with Dejon, Injen, or the ebay Injen knock-off to handle this.
2> Yes, as you noticed the car (your car, I must say that as others will say their car runs perfect like this which is true but not ALL DSM's are so lucky) runs rich with the bov open. Do run it back thru the intake.
3> Replace with stock or upgrade to 93-94 two piston calipers.
4> You do have to remove a lil to get to it but it's maybe a hour job. Grab a Hayne's manuel for step by step DIY.

If these are your only problems, you found a really good buy friend.

Too bad you don't live near me, I would take it off your hands in 6 months when you're done with it.

1. Awesome. Do you think you could take a look at the link I posted going to the Dejon website? I'm not sure whether to get the 2 3/4" or the 3"!

2. Thanks. I'll definitely hook it back up then once I buy the intake pipe.

3. I'm assuming I'll have to do something in order for the 93-94 calipers to fit, so I'll probably just go stock.

4. Sounds good to me!

 

[esoteric]

Get the 3'' with a reducer coupler.

 

[talontsi18]

1. Awesome. Do you think you could take a look at the link I posted going to the Dejon website? I'm not sure whether to get the 2 3/4" or the 3"!

2. Thanks. I'll definitely hook it back up then once I buy the intake pipe.

3. I'm assuming I'll have to do something in order for the 93-94 calipers to fit, so I'll probably just go stock.

4. Sounds good to me!

Either 2 3/4 or 3 will work. The stock turbo inlet is about 2 1/4 so you will need a reducer for both sizes for it to properly mate up to the turbo inlet. Get a intake pipe that have the recirculation fitting then pick up a stock recirculation tube.

The 92-94 AWD brakes bolt on. All you need is the bigger rotors. I would suggest doing this as they are two piston instead of one. All the parts can be found cheap in the classified section on this site.

The power steering pump is simple. The hardest part will be unhooking and hooking up the lines to the rack. Its all very do able.

 

[Dr Funkenstein]

Thanks guys! I'll be working on her the best I can the next month or so. Here she is in front of my house.

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[DSM1G90]

That's something that I'd keep for a long time .... Good lookin' ride there ...

 

[Dr Funkenstein]

Tomorrow at work I'm going to make a list of everything I need including all the little parts. Thanks again, guys!

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[dsmdeliveryboy]

Lets see pics of the bay.

 

[Dr Funkenstein]

Alright, so I'm making a list of everything I need to check over and/or replace. Some things are specific to my car, but let me know if I'm missing anything I want to look at.

1. Missing a windshield spray nozzle. A kit is like $10 at AutoZone.
2. Replace seized brake caliper. Was thinking about doing the swap like you guys suggested, but I'm just going to keep it stock for now. I'm poor.
3. Air filter. I think I just need to buy a cone filter, probably go with K&N and bolt it back in.
4. Power Steering Pump. Will tackle this when I finish 2. and 3.
5. Window buttons on the driver's side door sink into the door when pressed. Going to pop the door panel off and see if anything is broken.
6. Driver's side window pops off the track when rolling up. Not sure what to do here.
7. Spark plugs, wires and an oil change. Got some research to do on what's recommended for my car.

 

[Dserge]

Man you have to hang on to this thing. Once you get your feet wet you will be hooked I promise..

If my motor blew up today I would do whatever it took for it to see the road again.

 

[Dr Funkenstein]

Hey guys,

Heading to AutoZone and Sears today after work to buy everything I need to replace the seized caliper. I've never done any kind of brake work before, so I have a few questions.

The previous owner replaced the brake pads, calipers and rotors recently, but the front passenger caliper is frozen shut.

Can anyone make a list of tools and materials for me that I need to buy to do this?


So far, from what I've read I'll need the caliper itself, a new banjo bolt, new washers and a clamp for the hose so that the fluid doesn't drain out.


EDIT: I think I'm just going to buy a jack stand at Sears today and a Haynes manual at AutoZone and read up on the procedure first. Maybe tackle this next weekend after I get paid and have more knowledge on the subject!

 

[DSM1G90]

I'd let Sears do the brakes just to be safe - it's nice to want to take care of your own vehicle, but being confident sometimes overrides being safe and where you're not professionally trained on such procedures .... and I'd hate to see you having to pay for the consequences as the result.

Eat a little humble pie - doesn't hurt and it does taste good.

Good luck - DSM

 

[Dr Funkenstein]

Haha, I hear you. Do you know how much it'd cost, give or take, to have the caliper fixed at a shop? I'd probably just have both front calipers and pads changed to keep kosher.

I just bought the Haynes manual and it doesn't look too difficult.

 

[cookmeup272]

Replacing a Caliper isn't hard at all. All you have to do is remove the wheel, and the bolts connecting the caliper to the bracket. Remove the brake line as well. Take the whole assembly out and put the new one in. You might as well replace the pads on both sides because having new ones on one side and used on the other doesn't make much sense at all. Then get a buddy and bleed it. I wouldnt think it would take more than 2 hours to do both sides and bleed for someone inexperienced.

 

[Dr Funkenstein]

Hello everyone.

First off, if anyone has a power driver's side mirror and a windshield spray nozzle for sale, shoot me a PM. I guess I don't have enough posts yet to post a WTB ad.


Anyways, I'm trying to figure out what air filter to buy for my car and I'm kind of confused. There appears to be no room for one and I'm not sure what it would connect to.

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Any ideas?

EDIT: Am I crazy or does it look like the hoses and BOV circled in yellow here are facing the wrong way?

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[slickers111]

Oh boy. Get a SMALL air filter.
The previous owner took it off, cause his Intercooler pipes were going right where the Air filter was.
He wanted the BOV, so he had to run hard pipes.
It seems like you may have to make the intake pipe to the turbo, shorter so you can get a filter in there.
I have to do the same thing. But my filter was supposed to be 6 inches. It was slammed in, so now its 3 inches.
But just cut the intake pipe, going to the turbo a little, and throw on a small filter.
IF ANYONE thinks thats not a good idea, correct me on it. Just dont be a hater.

 

[rx7ttlm]

ok, make sure your basic things are done. Like timing belt that's been changed in the last 60k, pressure test the cooling system, if you don't know when its been changed swap out the fuel filter. stuff like that. If you need 1g intake parts I might be able to help you out. just lmk what you need.

Cheers,

Patrick

edit, part of why your air filter is offset to the back of the car is your water pipe is not stock/ stock routing. So its eating up space that it shouldn't be.

95% of people can do brake jobs etc themselves. Just takes some tools and time. Just make sure the hardware the holds the caliper and all the important crap on, gets put on and tightened in the same way it came off.

for parts like calipers junk yards can really be your best friend.

I will shoot a picture of my 1g intake setup (stock) to show you the proper routing.

 

[Dr Funkenstein]

ok, make sure your basic things are done. Like
I will shoot a picture of my 1g intake setup (stock) to show you the proper routing.

Thanks, I appreciate it.


Willing to buy:
- Driver's side power mirror
- Windshield Spray Nozzle (just need one head that clips onto the hood)
- Clips that hold down air filter onto intake plate

If anyone has any of those for sale, shoot me a PM!