New'99 RS, Several Issues

[TheMaverik]

Hey Everyone,

So I just recently bought a '99 Mitsu Eclipse RS. I really didn't want to, but the wife begged me for it....and yeah, you know how that goes. Well seems my intuition was right, because now we're having problems with the car after only having owned it for two weeks. I forsee this being a long post, so I'm going to Index and break it down into several questions, so those that only want to answer one or two questions and not bother with a huge post, can. Thanks in advance.

INDEX

1. Over Heating / High Pressure Issue
2. Weird Compression Test Numbers
3. Performance ECU
4. Pulley Issues (Always throwing a belt)
5. Chikara Hedman Header Gaskets
6. 420 Online FSM (Found one for the other engine)


1. Over Heating / High Pressure

EDIT: There is no coolant in the oil. Oil that was in the car was dirty, but no contaminants (Coolant, shavings, etc..) Have 10w-30 Synthetic in it right now with 700 miles on it, and still no coolant mixing.

When we bought the car, we had to drive it back 2.5 hours. We had NO issues with the car that night. Now, fast forward two weeks (and a leaky upper radiator hose and thermostat housing gasket. Both fixed now) on my way to Houston, about 1.5 hours into the trip, the Temp gauge rose from 1/2 to 3/4. I hit the A/C button and turned the interiro fan on, and the temp gauge began slowly going back to 1/2.

Now, within 30 minutes or so, driving around town, I'll always have to do this otherwise the temp gauge starts going up. Interesting note: Last night the gauge was spazzing out and SHOOTING from 0 to 1/2 to 0 to 3/4. It finally fixed itself.

Second part of the issue: After it's ran hot, even after cooling it down, as soon as we stop and shut off (only when you shut off the car) it SHOOTS coolant out of the Reservoir Tank from that little drip hose (The hose that leads outside the bottle and is not connected to anything).

Also, the coolant has gold flecks in it. Stop leak? If it makes any difference, the heater does work.

Here is what I've tried:

1. New Thermostat
2. Checked the fan to make sure it runs (It Does)
3. Filled her all the way up with coolant and bled the air out for like 30 minutes.
4. Changed the upper hose and thermo housing gasket because I thought I was leaking coolant.
5. Water pump is timing belt driven. Both water pump and timing belt are new.

Any Ideas?


2. Weird Compression Test Numbers

EDIT: There is no coolant in the oil. Oil that was in the car was dirty, but no contaminants (Coolant, shavings, etc..) Have 10w-30 Synthetic in it right now with 700 miles on it, and still no coolant mixing.

The guy I bought it from, said it had Forged Crank and Forged High Compression pistons. Well, it seemed like the car was a little sluggish for the mods it did have on it (with or without the pistons) and it was pretty sad when my little SOHC Neon with only an intake and muffler, beat the shit out of the Eclipse in a little highway fun on the way back home.

So I went through just checking stuff, and the compression numbers REALLY stump me. All FOUR (4) cylinders are at 90 PSI. They are all the exact same pressure. I thought maybe my gauge was faulty, so I checked my neon (which the numbers I got on it worried me now too) and I got: 120,115,125,120. So I know the gauge does not stick at 90. I threw a cap of oil into the 1st cyl (on the eclipse) and got 120 as a reading.

If I had that low numbers, I should be gaggin in a cloud of smoke everytime I come to a stop. I do have MINOR smoke (as well as water?) coming out of the tail pipe. It's white in color, and no particular odor to it. I do currently have a CEL for either O2, Clogged cat, or exhaust leak, and I'm thinking it is exhaust leak because my header gasket is shot, so I was wondering if the smoke was just running rich from trying to make up....but once again, it has no smell.


3. Performance ECU

The guy I bought it from claimed (he did a lot of that) that the ECU on this car was a Stage 1 Performance ECU..... Never heard of such a thing. The ECU did have a sticker on it. It was a round yellow sticker that said A.C.E. and "Proudly inspected by #71". I'm thinking this is just a rebuild/reman ECU. Any way to confirm this?


4. Pulley Issues (Always throwing a belt)

I think this issue is more maddening than the rest. Put a belt on the P/S and A/C and you can bet, within ten minutes, the damn thing will go flying off and have a nice cut on the outside rib. I jerrie'd it for a little and cut the 5 rib into a 4 rib belt, and it actually ran like that for awhile. Then it over heated, spewed antifreeze, and that belt is somewhere on Highway 59 in Livingston right now.

I know right off the bat, the crank pulley seems to be a cheap OBX UDP from ebay. I'm not having any issues on the Alternator belt. When looking at the pulleys, The tensioner and A/C line up, but the P/S does not. Also, since the A/C does not work anyways (previous owner crushed a line) I went ahead and this past belt throw, threw on a belt that just went from the crank to P/S. So far, it hasn't burnt, rubbed, thrown, or been cut. Could the P/S and Crank be alligned, but the Tensioner and A/C not?

I can provide a picture for this upon request, but I think it might be hard to see. The tens/AC is toward the block about 1 rib length of a belt Thus the reason it always cuts the ouside rib.


5. Chikara Hedman Header Gaskets

This car has a Chikara Header by Hedman on it. Where it goes from 4-2, that gasket is leaking. Anyone know if Hedman would sell the gasket or if there's a cheaper part I can use at the part store. I heard buying a gasket from a header company can be pretty expensive.


6. 420A Online FSM (Found one for the other engine)

I found a link to a FSM for the other engine. They did not, however, have a link to a 420A manual. Anyone have one? If not, I'll try to find an auto store around that does. All three stores around me are out of the Mitsu eclipse book.



END

Sorry for the long post and gazzilion questions. This car could be a nice little car if I could get everything going. The interior wiring is a tad bit of a mess as well... I finally got the dash lights working after they messed something up by the radio. But wiring is my specialty, so I won't have too many questions on that (except maybe a random wire guide or a lower driver side fuse box guide since mine didn't come with the cover. Thank everyone for their help. Hopefully I'll get this ride running as one smooth eclipse.

I know it might not be everyone's taste (I personally think it's a Tad rice) but I think it still looks pretty decent (Front tire has already been replaced. All rims now match, ):

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[bradselph]

pull the dipstick and check for milky oil.
I'm betting you have a blow head gasket and the original owner knew it that's why theirs most likely some stop leak in it.

 

[TheMaverik]

Forgot to mention that I already did that. Oil is clean as a whistle. The oil that was in the car was definitely dirty but had no contaminants at all (shavings, coolant, etc..) I put in new 10w-30 synthetic and have had NO mixture of oil and coolant. I keep checking it because that's what I'm expecting, but nope. Have about 700 miles on the new oil.

 

[gusu]

Are you sure your water pump isn't out? It would explain the over heating and why its throwing belts. Apparently on 4g63 motors you can put them on upside down. I'm not sure how they are set up on 420a motors but I'd look into that.

That stop leak could also be causing the water pump to seize up causing it to throw belts every 30 seconds.

I'd flush the radiator first thing and replace the water pump just to play safe and see how it runs.

 

[TheMaverik]

Water pump on the 420A is timing belt driven. If it were to seize, I'd be jumping (or worse, breaking) the timing belt. Also, pump and timing belt are new. Whenever I open the rad cap, I CAN see the water flowing, so I'd imagine the pump is working and nothing came loose.

All pulleys roll free and don't have any side to side play.

 

[gusu]

Water pump on the 420A is timing belt driven. If it were to seize, I'd be jumping (or worse, breaking) the timing belt. Also, pump and timing belt are new. Whenever I open the rad cap, I CAN see the water flowing, so I'd imagine the pump is working and nothing came loose.

All pulleys roll free and don't have any side to side play.

I totally forgot about the water pump being like that on a 420a. I'm all out of ideas, good luck though.

 

[TheMaverik]

I totally forgot about the water pump being like that on a 420a. I'm all out of ideas, good luck though.

Thanks, needing as much luck as I can get with this car, .

I was wondering, because I don't know how a radiator works, could there be a small clog in the rad?

What I mean is, are radiators single line items? Where the flow could only go like ====== and if there's a clog like ====x=== then there would be no coolant circulating. Or are radiators multi stage lines? like:

======
==X===
======
==X===

Where even with a clog, your getting stuff by, so your still in a sense circulating fluid. I'm wondering, because if they are multi-line then I could assume that the stop leak is clogging lines, and a new radiator might keep things flowing a bit better. Would make sense since the 1st fan can only cover a certain area, and if that area has the clog, of course there would be nothing getting cooled there.

Just want to check myself before I go plopping cash out on a rad.

 

[Silver99OZ]

Thanks, needing as much luck as I can get with this car, .

I was wondering, because I don't know how a radiator works, could there be a small clog in the rad?

What I mean is, are radiators single line items? Where the flow could only go like ====== and if there's a clog like ====x=== then there would be no coolant circulating. Or are radiators multi stage lines? like:

======
==X===
======
==X===

Where even with a clog, your getting stuff by, so your still in a sense circulating fluid. I'm wondering, because if they are multi-line then I could assume that the stop leak is clogging lines, and a new radiator might keep things flowing a bit better. Would make sense since the 1st fan can only cover a certain area, and if that area has the clog, of course there would be nothing getting cooled there.

Just want to check myself before I go plopping cash out on a rad.

I would go ahead and flush the system really good before spending the money on a new radiator.

 

[TheMaverik]

When I do a flush, do I want to loop off the heater core lines so it doesn't flush through the heater core? Or will it not make that much of a difference? I'll try a flush here soon, maybe I can get it done today before I leave Houston.

 

[rough]

1) Change the radiator cap!
2) My car does the same thing, will leave water under the exhaust port, but no smoke, Could very well be valve seals, but putting a cap of oil in the cylinder, then getting more compression, could be the PO didn't put the oil seal rings on right.
3)Pull out the ecu, see if it has a eprom, if it does not, he's full of shiat. Check for leaking caps as well while you have it open.
4)Pulley issues suck, If it's coming off, it's not tight enough or you have extreme wobble in a pulley.
5) Call headmen, they will hook you up!
6) I have had a FSM for every car, and rarely used them due to great forums and the internet. There are some PDF's on here , just search for them!

 

[eclipse420ags]

1) Change the radiator cap!
2) My car does the same thing, will leave water under the exhaust port, but no smoke, Could very well be valve seals, but putting a cap of oil in the cylinder, then getting more compression, could be the PO didn't put the oil seal rings on right.
3)Pull out the ecu, see if it has a eprom, if it does not, he's full of shiat. Check for leaking caps as well while you have it open.
4)Pulley issues suck, If it's coming off, it's not tight enough or you have extreme wobble in a pulley.
5) Call headmen, they will hook you up!
6) I have had a FSM for every car, and rarely used them due to great forums and the internet. There are some PDF's on here , just search for them!

Dude I dont think he was sittin around for 2 years waiting for your answer. The last time he was on was 5-30-11.

 

[Deadpool25]

I hate buying cars like that Check your sensor for the coolant gauge if the plug wobbles than its broken Ive had that problem

 

[TopGun8818]

How deep are you into it so far money wise? Might be a better idea to take the loss instead of investing more and more money on a car with that many issues. I personally would never buy a car that looks all "Fast and Furious" on the outside because it's a dead give away the owner raced and abused the car.

 

[eclipsyco]

Guys this is a 2 year old thread chill! As mentioned by "eclipse420ags" I bet he solved his issues by now!