dsmcrzy's Eclipse 20g 420a

[dsmcrzy]

Well I figured I would share my DSM story as well.

GENERAL OVERVIEW

It all started in November 2007. I was a freshman in college and in between jobs working for a buddy doing some construction. Long story short the car was his girl friend's and she ran it out of oil on the highway and it threw 3 of the 4 rods right through the block. They had it for sale for $200 but when I showed interest in it he said he would trade me a pack a cigarettes for the car. Well that is the only pack of cigs I have ever bought and good thing because I had no idea I was about to start a habit that is probably just as bad!
So I towed the car home and it was all glorious I finally had a project car that I had always wanted! My plans were and still are big for this car but god did I not realize the amount of money this would really take!!
Here are a few pics of when I first got her.

INTERIOR

Now that I had her home I really needed to save up for a new engine so I figured I would do some fixer-up stuff. I tore out the whole interior and cleaned it all up. I eventually got the front seats reupholstered, new carpet and a new headliner. I also decided to delete the back seats and make just a shelf there, since I am 6'1'' no one can sit in the back seat! I eventually relocated my sub set up there and put the battery in the trunk.
Here are the final pics of the interior

 

[dsmcrzy]

Exterior

This needed a lot of help!! Rust on the rocker panels, dents and dings all over from years of abuse! I ended up getting new front fenders from miller import parts. I was going to go with some 'F1' style fenders but then I grew up . I also did the whole 2GB swap with a high rise wing. Since I was on a budget and all DIY the car was just primered for a while. I knew one thing I definitely wanted to do was a shaved door handle kit from Autoloc to give the car a good clean look. Now that it has been a few years I have mixed feelings about this since my goals with the car have changed from a street-able fun car to a street/autocross/track day car.
Within the past year I picked up a VIS OEM style carbon fiber hood and flush mounted a carbontrix hood vent from RRE.
Here are the exterior pics from beginning to current.

Suspension
Not much was done in this department until just recently.

I picked up a set of Tein basic coilovers and installed a full Prothane kit along with new arms. This really tighten the car up!
Sorry no pics of this.

 

[dsmcrzy]

Engine

Here is where the real story is!! Since I was still a newb with engines and my Dad being scared of anything past a tune up he twisted my arm into getting a rebuilt motor. Well without searching too much and looking more for a budget price I decided to go with Kar King from Cali. This proved to be a mistake. The install of the motor went smooth but slowly since I was painting stuff and replacing parts. I didn't want to have to take the car back apart for an alternator, starter, coil pack etc going bad. Finally after about a month of on and off waiting for parts I was finally ready to start her! Now I bought the car in 2007 and it is now summer of 2010! 2.5 years of work and dedication without ever driving the car! I was very excited to say the least!!! I turn the key and she started right up! Amazed I looked around for leaks and other things. Everything was all dry as she warmed up for the first time! I turned the car off after she warmed up and changed the oil. Then I took her out for a spin. It had open headers and an intake sticking out where the hood would be but it didn't matter since I was just going around the yard with it. What fun that was! I went easy but new I needed to get on it a little per discussions on here.

Well now for the bad... the engine ran for 4 miles and then would not start at all! I towed it to my mechanic where we did all the tests. Kar King offered a 6 month warranty so I got a hold of them and told them what was going on. They said they could not diagnose the issue over the phone and to send the engine back. So I bring the car back home and take the engine out. It is now September 2010. I pay to ship the engine back to them and then they call me saying I ran the engine with no oil and blah blah blah. After numerous calls, arguments and BBB threats another engine is shipped out to me (hindsight being 20/20 I should have got my money back!). Now I get the engine installed and running and it's the middle of Oct 2010. I came home every weekend to drive the car around town to get some miles on it before driving it up to school (2 hr drive).

November comes and the engine has 2000 miles on it and has been back and forth to school a few times. Well on my way back to school one Sunday the car just had no power all of a sudden. So I push in the clutch and pull over to the side of the highway. The engine dies before I get all the way over. So I turn on my hazards and pop the hood. Needless to say oil was EVERYWHERE! It was even all over the back bumper! Sad, pissed and just disgusted I called my Dad and he came up with my boss's 1 Ton dump truck and trailer. I had worked out a deal with him to store my car in his heated shop for the winter so at least I had some where warm to work on the car.

Over Thanksgiving break I tore the engine back out and decided it was my turn to rebuild this engine. So out it came and down into my parents basement.

My turn
So I take the engine all apart and it had spun 3 out of the 4 rod bearings. Cranck was damaged beyond repair, rods and pistons smoked! So I get a remaned crank, eagle rods and wiseco pistons for the bottom end. New PT style lifters, gates timing belt and a felpro MLS head gasket finished it up with everything eels being a stock replacement or OEM part. I measured the bore at the top before I ordered the pistons and decided that it was still the stock bore (mistake that I should have had the machine shop check when they honed it!). So I get all the parts and assemble the engine over xmas break. I have a bus spring semester so I won't have time to install the engine until I graduate in the spring.
Now I am out of school and ready to get the car running again! So I get it all installed in 3 days (I am very meticulous and can't throw stuff together). So it is ready to be fired up... again. I start it up and it just blows smoke out the exhaust and has a nasty tick. I thought maybe if I ran it the smoke would clear up since I used a lot of assembly lube and oil. So it is 12 miles to my mechanic and the car did nothing but billow smoke until I got there. So we run through everything and can't figure it out. He tells me my best bet to take the engine out again and bring it to his shop and we can take it apart piece by piece with him there inspecting stuff.
So being this is the 4th time I am taking an engine out of this car I had it out in 3 hrs (is that a record of some sort?). So we begin tearing it apart. Come to find out the pistons I ordered were too small. The block was bored 30 over and I had stock dia pistons so the tick was the pistons hitting the head! Now get it all ripped down and to the machine shop for a complete inspection. This is when life put a real rush on me. I had a job offer from GE Aviation 3 hrs from home and I was to start in a month. I looked high and low but could not find a set of low compression (goal is to turbo the car) 40 over pistons from JE or Wiseco! Anywhere in the US!!! So I settle for 10.5:1 wiseco's and get the block machined and engine all reassembled and back in the car. Now 4th time should be the charm right? Nervous as all hell I get in the car, push in the clutch and turn the key. The car fires up and runs smooth and strong!! Get her all broken in and down to Salem where I am now. 2 years later the engine is running great!!

Here are some pics of the engine throughout the troubles...

Engine management


Now it is the winter of 2011 and I am itching to start tuning this car for the basic bolt ons that I have for the car and really start getting it ready for a turbo. So with the 420A the only real way to do this is to install a megasquirt. Needless to say the reading and research began!! I decided to go with a disassembled MS3X from DIYautotune.com so I will have plenty of room to expand. The assembly was a lot of fun! I got the stock tune off of symtech labs website. From that I set up my own A/F ratio table based off of some 2gnt and neons.org info and auto tuned the car while I drove it around. Bit by bit the car ran better and better. Currently I am working on a COP setup using Audi A4 coils. I will post up more when I get it all set up and running.

Now my build is up to date with A LOT more to come! Mishimoto slim line fans, final paint of the car with a few more body mods to the front bumper, fuel set up for the turbo and then the turbo install.
Thanks for looking!!

 

[MN_Eclipze]

Mad props to you; nice job!

 

[99 gs iowa]

Glad to see another turbo 420a build
Can't believe all the setbacks you have had with your car, glad to see you still stayed deticated throw it all an that it is all paying off for you now, what turbo set up are you wanting to go with? What kind of hp are you shooting for?

 

[dsmcrzy]

I am going to use a treadstone manifold and an Evo3 16g with a 17c housing that way it's t3 flanged.

And HP goal is around 300.

 

[eclipse420ags]

Engine

Currently I am working on a COP setup using Audi A4 coils. I will post up more when I get it all set up and running.

Never heard of the COP setup for a 420 sounds interesting.

 

[chinola69]

Nice build keep up the good work, car is looking very nice.

 

[jayson427]

my build story was pretty close to yours it took me 3 eclipse's to get my motor running. how hard was the MS to hook up? but nice build i know what its like to deal with problems and seem never ending.

 

[dsmcrzy]

Never heard of the COP setup for a 420 sounds interesting.

I have all the parts to do it I just need the time to finish it up and test it. but like I said A4 coils with a 2.4L valve cover since the coils won't fit into the stock 420A valve cover.





The megasquirt was actually very easy to install. I had alot of fun doing it. best part is Mass only OBD2 tests 98 and up cars so I dont have to worry about any check engine lights.

 

[mitecl96]

Looking clean. Like the build so far, you are doing a good job.

I've been thinking about going megasquirt for a while. How long did it take to do.

Also glad to see another 420a build. We need more on this site and less dogging them. Making something with what you got is what its all about.

 

[dsmcrzy]

the install of actually wiring it into the car took about 8 hrs because I am very meticulous. The megasquirt sits in the glove compartment and the wires run out down under the alternator area. then over to where the ECU is. the stock ECU is still in place for the gauges and sensors.

the assembly was maybe 12 and then I am not sure how much time I have into tuning it and then the research because I wanted to build it from scratch. It is definetly worth the money and its fun. Just make sure to read alot alot alot!

 

[mitecl96]

So with the megasquirt you still need the stock ecu. I haven't looked much into it yet.

 

[grothe3297venge]

So with the megasquirt you still need the stock ecu. I haven't looked much into it yet.

You don't need to, but you can leave it to control fans, cruise and what not. Just depends how you want to set it up really.

Also awesome build dsmcrzy, glad to see it go from to almost

 

[dsmcrzy]

Thanks for all the kind words everyone.

And yea my stock ecu is still there. All it really does is power the gauges and sensors and regulate the alternator. I plan to remove it all together and clean up all the wiring.

Also awesome build dsmcrzy, glad to see it go from to almost

Yea it's getting there bit by bit

 

[mitecl96]

Oh okay. I was looking at the megasquirt kit that says its a complete 420a kit. So i would still need the stock ECU to run the gauges and cruise control. I'm working on saving for a more powerful engine and wanting to run megasquirt but also want to keep all the luxury thinks like A/C cruse and power steering as I want a daily driver out of it also.

 

[dsmcrzy]

Ok so today I finally got around to installing the pusher 12'' Mishimoto fans that I got from Extreme PSI on black friday. I wired them into the stock connectors. Here are a couple pics.

I also received my PEP stainless steel valves today for my spare head. I will be going to the machine shop sometime next week to put the new valves in and resurface it.

Parts going into this head:
-Stage 2 turbo grind Crower Cams (Got a killer deal on them with only 10 dyno pulls)
-PEP stainless steel valves
-Felpro valve seals
-stock retainers and keepers
-4G63 valve springs
-PT Cruiser lifters
- 2.7L rockers
-ARP Head studs
-Cometic Head Gasket

I will update with pics when I get it back and then when I get it installed (probably a couple months away due to work)

 

[Stmguy42]

Good luck on the build.

 

[jayson427]

what exhaust are you using? what about cam gears? i seen one thread you were talking about turbo? are you heading in that direction now and what turbo have you thought about using if so? nice work tho i would love to line up side by side and see what happens!

 

[dsmcrzy]

The header is just a cheapo eBay one. I have the cat still in place then ss back to a borla pro xs muffler. I have a set of onsoku (I think that's how it's spelt) they are older cam gears. I am still a little in the air on using them.

I am going to turbo it eventually just doing it all bit by bit the right way and doing stuff once.

I actually have an evo3 16g that I plan on using. I picked up an 8cm 17c hot side that is t3 flanged that way I can use the treadstone race manifold.

 

[dsmcrzy]

Not a huge update but I got the head back from the machine shop.
PEP stainless steel valves
Felpro valve seals
4g63 valve springs

Here are a couple new pics of the car all shined up.

And here is a pic of my eclipse and my altima.

 

[dsmcrzy]

Finally got some time to get the car apart and get the new head on. I fired it up today but it was skipping. It was then that I realized I was an idiot when I was wiring up the new injectors it the ms3x board. I didn't wire them in firing order I wired it 1,2,3,4 instead of 1,3,4,2... I blame it on the heat . Well here are some pics during the process. Should be set to get really fired up tomorrow.

 

[dsmcrzy]

Got the new valve cover back from Justin at detective coatings! Man did he do an amazing job!! Can't wait to get this on and the Audi coils installed.

 

[dsmcrzy]

I also painted my Brembos... Just need to find some wheels that will actually fit them.

 

[DJ Raydiate]

That 420a is looking good. I was just looking for a c.o.p set up on a 420a on Google and came across your thread. Keep up the good work. I look forward to seeing the cop set up (and everything else).