Hey getting my first DSM

[350war]

Getting my first DSM today! 1991 Talon TSi AWD lightened up to 2790lbs boost turned up 1.5lbs counter balance shafts removed,adjustable coilovers,2g front brakes.Looking foward to good info. If I ask stupid questions just point me in the right direction I wont be offended. Thanks in advance and nice to meet you all! Jeff

 

[viperlp01]

That is a pretty light awd.. should be quick.. Like everyone says make sure maint is up to date then the modding can start.. The tech articles is a great place to start gain knowledge on what possibilities you have for modding and the best path to take.. That car sound fairly stock for the most part so you have a good base. CONGRATS

 

[350war]

All maint is up-to-date new timing belt,syn.oil,boost leak test done ,new batt,new plugs,half shafts are new,inter cooler cleaned,brakes are new,shocks are new,timing is done and the head was just rebuilt.Yes it is quick! Getting it from a buddy of mine(he also has a stealth awd twin turbo and an S 2000)he likes to lighten things up.He lost intrest in this car(to many projects).I also now who bought this car new. Its never been beat on to hard(has always had syn.oil run in it).Cant wait til its in the driveway! (sorry if I posted this in the wrong area)

 

[DSM_PWR]

Congrats, you will definelty move quick with the lighter shell at top end...

As always, make sure you search for any questions you might have before making a thread. Almost every probelm/question you might experience has already been answered 1000xx times. So just do your homework and you'll go far

Here's some good reading for ya:
Tech Guide: 1G 4G63t Upgrades - DSMtuners

 

[350war]

Thanks! First upgrade is going to be the fuel pump and fuel pump power supply. Then I can change the injectors and turn up the boost a little.Also looking at 1 peice drive shaft in the rear. Any input on this?

 

[eazy2g]

Congrats on the buy! thats going to be an awesome ride!

 

[velocitysport31]

Just make sure you also have a way to control those bigger injectors when you install them.

 

[TofastForU_99]

sounds like a great staring point. and welcome to the family keep us posted when you get it and post some pics.

 

[Boost_Addict_88]

Congrats on the new buy! Also, you can check out VFAQ Site - Visual Frequently Answered Questions for any other questions you may have.

 

[350war]

I got it.Lots faster than I remember(I have driven this car a couple times before).Will get pics. up as soon as I can.Thanks to all of you for the help with links and positive feed back.

 

[JEFFREYCASTGSX]

Thanks! First upgrade is going to be the fuel pump and fuel pump power supply. Then I can change the injectors and turn up the boost a little.Also looking at 1 peice drive shaft in the rear. Any input on this?

Dont forget a adjustable fuel pressure regulator, your gonna need one.

 

[350war]

Definitly getting an adjustable pressure regulator.I'll be cruisin the classifieds here and craigslist looking for parts.

 

[bluegs03]

Thanks! First upgrade is going to be the fuel pump and fuel pump power supply. Then I can change the injectors and turn up the boost a little.Also looking at 1 peice drive shaft in the rear. Any input on this?

This isnt really a good mod to start out with, it will get results but you can take that money and get alot more like dsmlink, or a bigger turbo etc.

 

[350war]

This isnt really a good mod to start out with, it will get results but you can take that money and get alot more like dsmlink, or a bigger turbo ect. Thanks for the input. I dont like to spend money with little or no results.

Trying to post some pics.But for some reason I keep getting a security alert.

 

[350war]

pics posted (new to this cant get them in the post look in my photos)

 

[ineedagsx]

i would definetely go with something to tune first you'll get cleaner horsepower out of it without worrying about blowing up (for the most part ) good luck with her... welcome to the family

 

[srpjosh]

I noticed you mentioned replacing the drive shaft for a one piece. No one makes them, and they are HIGHLY unrecommended. The rear ends cannot hold the power. Even the fasted 1g's and 2g's are still running multiple drive shafts. However I do know that The Drive Shaft Shop does make a drive shaft to replace the first 2 shafts.

 

[350war]

I was thinking about the drive shaft to drop more weight off but I after every one pointing me in the right direction its going to be money better spent on some type of tuning. At one time someone was manufacturing aluminium and carbon fiber drive shafts. Currently I am chaseing an oil leak I think it is coming from an oil cooler line.Can anyone point me in the direction for clutch info.My clutch seemed to slip a couple of times in 2nd & 3rd. under boost.It did it 10min. after driving in the morning but then went away did this 2 days in a row. Anyone have anything similar?

 

[MichaelSuch]

If it is the stock clutch it probably is slipping due to the car making more power. A lot of people run ACT clutches, but they are pretty expensive IMO. They have a 2100, 2600, and 2900 I believe, which hold different torque ratings. I would lean towards the 2600 if you plan on going with an ACT clutch. Another option is Fidanza clutches. I run a 2.1 in my FWD, 6000 miles and zero problems yet. There is a thread on this forum with people having problems with their Fidanza clutches, the springs fall out, they slip, etc... but Fidanza has good customer support and has taken care of people that have had problems with their clutch kits. There are also twin disc clutches that run a little over $1000. But you won't need one unless you plan on making a TON of power.

Also look at getting your flywheel resurfaced or pickup a new ACT or Fidanza lightweight flywheel when you do your clutch job. I had my stock flywheel resurfaced and it puts the clutch fork at an awkward angle and the engagement/disengagement is a little awkward. Many people will recommend replacing the pivot ball and clutch fork as well. The heavier pressure plate may cause your old clutch fork to snap.

 

[350war]

Good info. thanks! We have a place locally that is suppose to specialize in DSM clutches check them out and let me know what you think( South Bend Clutch - Dodge clutch kits and Kevlar Pilot Brgs. Dnya Max Clutch Kits for high performance. )

 

[Oldsid]

A good radiator upgrade will help remove that heat espcially if you are planning on a big turbo later.

 

[inneed4dsm]

hey brah welcome to the family im in elkhart so not too far away a few of my buddies have been there and they stand behind there work plus good prices

 

[Spoolin4Ever]

How are you liking the car so far?

Welcome to the world of DSM ownership, and to the forum! Looks like you got a car that has been worked on that is good. And some local DSM'rs have chimed in, you are in luck.

You might want to wait and get to know the car, as well as the forum and upgrade paths before spending money on anything. Even though the previous owner seems to have maybe known what they were doing, it's best to take things slowly, get to know the ins and outs of everything, and examine and test your entire car, then once it is up to snuff, decide on your goals for the car, and then set a path to move forward.

Get all the maintnance caught up; oil change, NGK copper plugs (only $2 each, change them every 6 months), New plug wires (NGK is a good value here as well). Plugs and wires literally takes 10 minutes on this car.

Timing belt, water pump? Has this been done or not, if so, when? Extremely important to determine this, if not done, you will spend some money right here, before passing "GO".

Harmonic balancer pulley; they ten to seperate about 100K-150K or so, can leave you stranded. About $80-$100 for the part, easy to install yourself.

Tranny/clutch; check it out, if you need a clutch, do TONS of research first! Unless you just put a stocker in there, do mass reasearch and look at the experience of posters you are listening to (how long have they been into DSM's? Do they have experience themselves or just from what they have heard and read?), don't just take the first anwer that comes up, there are MANY opinions here!

Clutch adjustment; does the clutch engage properly when lifting foot? If it engages to fast, you can adjsut look it up on here (search), there is a bolt up on the clutch pedal thingy, you can turn and adjust, kind of a pain to get up in there, but it worked for me!

Tires? AWD car must have same size tires all around and even wear all around or it will burn up the transmission (viscous coupler).

Brakes? Test them out...any pulling on the wheel left or right when suddenly braking from a high speed? That means rotors...Also.Inspect the pads and rotors free at a tire store or other shop.

ECU: must be inspected to see if it has a fish smell inside or not, if not great, if yes repair or replace.

Boost leaks? build a tester for $15 and check for boost leaks and fix any found.

Compression tester is about $20. Test all 4 cylinders, easy to do. You want at least about 140 lbs. across the board, not a big difference from any one to the other, otherwise no need to upgrade anything yet bro.

Gear oil? What is in there? How old is it? Run Redline MT90 and you are golden, and it lasts for really long time, as it is thick, and synthetic.

Turbo! Burning any oil upon boosting? No? You sure? Ever have to add oil? Inspect the turbo; Take the intake off of the turbo inlet (just 2 minutes and a phillips scredriver). Now reach inside the turbo inlet, check the shaft for play, does it easily move side to side or in and out? If so, you will be needing a turbo in a bit. If not, great.

Oil leaking? Check the oil filter housing (there is a seal that goes out, easy to change, $14 bucks), valve cover gasket; is there any oil leaking from that? Easy to change them. Oil drain plug; get a new copper washers (one every oil change) for that.

Exhaust manifold? 1g exhaust manifolds always crack. Has it already been replaced with a 2G or an EVO ex. manifold? If not, it will need sometime. They are easy to find and not expensive.


Boost level? Is this safe? How much are you running? Is it knocking? $40 for a
datlogger setup; plugs into the ECU port and tells you how much if any knock is occuring during boost, and much other helpful info.

Any more then about 12lbs and it certainly possible to knock with stock fuel setup. See if not enough fuel and too much boost, you can burn a valve, or worse.

Hope you like the car. Let's see some pics!

 

[350war]

hey brah welcome to the family im in elkhart so not too far away a few of my buddies have been there and they stand behind there work plus good prices

Hey good to know theres somebody close Thanks I love the car! All maint. has been done. The previous owner is a good freind and the original owner is his brother in-law. Its running 14lbs of boost. All tires are the same(know about this all to well '96 ford exploder bad t-case) I had drivin this car when it was almost new and loved it then. Do you have more info on a $40 data logger?

 

[Spoolin4Ever]

Hey good to know theres somebody close Thanks I love the car! All maint. has been done. The previous owner is a good freind and the original owner is his brother in-law. Its running 14lbs of boost. All tires are the same(know about this all to well '96 ford exploder bad t-case) I had drivin this car when it was almost new and loved it then. Do you have more info on a $40 data logger?

Sounds cool, you are lucky to get a DSM from someone you know and you even already know the car.

Yeah as far as the datalogger, I am referring to the Palm style setup, and the software is free. Just search here for datalogger, and see which ones people are using. Oh and the cable you can get it on ebay, just search for dsm datalogger on ebay. Just make sure the palm you get is compatbile with the software you will be using. It's all over this site and online bro.

So 3 things:
Palm
Cable
Software

It's about $40-$60 depending on if you piece together yourself or buy a kit.

Here's another thing to look for in DSM's: Check your transfer case fluid level, make sure it is not leaking, if it leaks dry, all 4 wheels lockup. The leak is a recall and they fix it for free.