Need serious help with a modified 4G63!!

[V8_Reaper]

Ok, let me start off by saying that I've never owned a DSM before. I'm mechanically inclined and very capable of rebuilding motors. I bought a 97 Eclipse Spyder GST with a 5spd. My main issue was the aftermarket alarm had me locked out of the starter so I installed a push button. Now the car runs and drives but it seems like the fuel cuts off when the turbo starts to build pressure. My top speed os approximately 75mph right now and I think I have good reason to be unhappy with that. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[V8_Reaper]

So what you're telling me is that if the airfilter isn't connected with a clamp or other such device it could potentially cause these issues?

 

[JayB12]

It won't cause your issues, but it's not good to run it like that. There's a filter there for a reason. You wouldn't want to suck up something large and knock the honeycombs out and/or damage the compressor wheel. It was just an obvious problem in your pic.

 

[V8_Reaper]

Oh ok, I have some more pictures that I just took so I'm about to upload them now

http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j468/V8_Reaper/7.jpg
http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j468/V8_Reaper/6.jpg
http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j468/V8_Reaper/5.jpg
http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j468/V8_Reaper/4.jpg
Let me know if theres anything specific you need a picture of

 

[Black-Out]

To me it looks like your blow off valve isn't recirculated and your air filter is not connected to the mas. I would start with that and see if it helps

To a degree though that shouldn't make that much a differnce.....You should technically be able to run the car without an airfilter at all as long as the maf sensor is relaying the info it should be showing... and the valve being recirculated shouldn't be an issue until the car comes back to an idle from a 3/4k rpm shift and lift.

My best educated guess is its going to be a fuel issue with mixture control which can encompass everything from a bad tune (say for example a set of 750cc injectors and a wally 255lph pump without the appropriate mapping for those changes) bad coolant temp sensor can cause it, contaminated maf sensor (oil from an over oiled high flow filter), debris like grass and such,I've even seen a common house fly make a car run like it had a blown engine, boost leaks (as mentioned earlier by several other people) Bad front 0/2 sensor, bad TPS sensor, bad timing can also cause this...the list is truely leangthy....

The best bet for you is to approach it like your at a dealership and get a scan tool first check your long term and short term fuel trims and look at the Grahms per second (gps) airflow across the maf sensor as well as the Coolant temp sensors output and the 0/2 sensors output to ensure you know where to start with the diagnostic process....even if you don't have a scan tool you can still borrow one from an orielly's or autozone and scan the car in the parking lot,write the codes and the real time data down for refference then limp it home and begin your repair and diagnostic process.....

What ever you do get as much info from the car that you can before you start so you waste less time on the other end of your repair process....it'll also help prevent throwing parts at the car in hopes of fixing an issue you haven't pin-pointed yet...saves a lot of money in the long run.

William-

 

[V8_Reaper]

I found out it had a bad coolant temp sensor other than that theres no check engine light runs fine without a load and like I said this is my first mitsubishi and I'm used to toyta's and honda's so I want to learn as much as I can but by the same token I want to make sure the car will be reliable

 

[tron2119]

Check all the Intercooler piping! I almost guarantee that is your problem. When a coupler is blown off the turbo still sucks air through the mas and the mas reports all that air to the ecm. The ecm thinking its getting all this air starts pumping all the required fuel for that volume of air. When that air doesnt show up, it runs like shit under boost. Because its not seeing any. DO A BOOST LEAK TEST

 

[V8_Reaper]

Ok I will do a boost leak test as soon as I can get the neccesary hardware to perform one but on the boost note it wont build boost past maybe 4psi occasionally

 

[XiKeiyaZI]

Looks like a smurf puked in your engine bay.

Other than that - it looks like everyone else has pointed out the obvious issues. The only other thing I could offer is to check your wastegate flapper and make sure it's closing completely. And that it's even connected.

 

[tron2119]

Does it sound like your turbo is spooling up ok? You should be able to here a healthy whistle with your aftermarket air intake.

 

[V8_Reaper]

As best I can tell the actuator is doing its job but like I said I really dont know much about mitsubishi's. As for the sick smurf I think he needs some pepto!!

Yes you can hear the turbo spool and it is a beautiful sound!!

 

[tron2119]

The its not a dead turbo. Do aboost leak test and check all piping connections and couplers and report back with your findings. It happened to me when I had my fist dsm and I was like " What the hell?? It sounds great, I can hear the turbo spooling but it runs like shit when it comes out of vacuum!!!" Then I saw the IC piping was blown off. Good luck man. Let us know

 

[V8_Reaper]

Ok will do it might be tomorrow before I know something but when I do I'll deffinetly pass on the information. I'm going to go pick up the coolant temp sensor here in a few but it will probably be tomorrow before I can install it and do the boost leak test

 

[V8_Reaper]

I haven't been able to get the pieces to do a boost leak test due to lack of funds buti did check all the couplings and tightened them all up. When running the car with the aem boost controller off it runs somewhat like a normal car, when I set it to A which is set at 15psi it goes to take off like a rocket but around 5k it kicks like an ox and it loses all the boost but it doesn't make it to 15 psi. I know I need to do a boost leak test but unfortunately I don't have the parts laying around to make one. I don't know if this information helps any. Also I took it to a shop to have the ecu checked and neither one of the scanners where able to communicate to the ecu...

 

[V8_Reaper]

Just wanted to say thank you for everyone's wisdom and advice. I performed a boost leak test as suggested and sure enough I had a half inch hole in a coupler that was by the motor motor mount. I replaced the coupler and the car runs fine. Right now it's running at 4psi but once I get a few wires run properly I'll take it to the track and see how she does at 10-15psi

 

[tron2119]

Glad to hear it bro! Oh, and that hitting a brick wall/getting kicked by an ox you feel when you're about 14-15psi is fuel cut. Its when the maf is overwhelmed by the amount of air and goes into safe mode to protect your engine. Do you have anything to tune it? DSMlink's the best

 

[V8_Reaper]

I don't have a tuner yet but she runs fine at 10psi other than blowing the couplers off! I gotta find some better clamps

Also would it be worth it buy a 93 eclipse awd turbo 5apd for $2500? I found one but I'm not sure if it's a good buy