The Top Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 Resource

Join the best E39A 1991-1992 Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 community and document your GVR4 journey.

  • Software Upgraded - Reset Your Password to Login
    In order to log in after the forum software change, you need to reset your password. If you don't have access to the email address you used to register your GVR4.org account, you won't be able to reset your password. In that case, follow the instructions here to regain access to the forum.

#139 - CF hood & Nitrous install

Polish

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 10, 2005
Messages
8,936
Location
NE, IN
Holy crap the freaking irony is in overload.

Best of luck with getting it fixed before race day.

Could you save a few bucks and have them swap the windshield out of the GVR4 you're parting? Or is it no good?
 

GreenGSX

Well-known member
Joined
May 15, 2005
Messages
681
Location
Rochester, New York
Nate, I am really sorry that hood popped on you and I hope the damage to the car is minimal. The wind shield in 255 is only a year old so I would have them swap it and try to save a few bucks.
 

turbowop

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 29, 2001
Messages
11,972
Location
Yakima, WA
I paid Safelite a hair over $200 to come to my house and replace my windshield last fall.

Sorry about the bad luck. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif If the windshield on 255 is in good shape, you'd probably be out less than $100 to swap them.
 
Last edited:

NateCrisman

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 22, 2008
Messages
2,054
Location
Blairstown, NJ
Bigger fish to fry. Car won't start now, seems that fuel solenoid got stuck open and that was the cause of the flooded plugs, smoke, and eventual non-run situation. I think the motor had damage from fuel hydrolock now, will check tonight after dinner, but basically my season is over now.
 

atc250r

Staff member
Joined
Sep 11, 2003
Messages
13,235
Location
Orange County, NY
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/uhh.gif
 

NateCrisman

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 22, 2008
Messages
2,054
Location
Blairstown, NJ
OK WTF. Just got back from the shop, I can really only explain this in a timeline sort of way, so here goes.

Car ran like ass today after finishing install on nitrous kit. Even though I tested both solenoids before installing, somehow the fuel solenoid got stuck open. That huge amount of fuel (~70hp worth) at idle was making it smoke and misfire and run like junk. I fouled all 4 plugs and barely made it back to the shop.

Pulled plugs, cleaned them, put back in. unhooked the fuel supply line to nitrous kit and reconnected the main fuel lines like they were before.

Go to start the car...won't start. making clacking and crunching sounds while cranking the starter which seem to be coming from the tranny side of the engine. My immediate mental image was hydrolocking the engine on fuel and major damage to valves, broke piston, cracked ring lands, thrown rockers, valvetrain damage.

Pull plugs again...slightly wet but should fire. no oil.

Remove valvecover and Tbelt upper cover. Tbelt is lined up perfect. all rockers are on. nothing abnormal in the head. oil looks clean. sigh of relieve

lift up car...inspect the flywheel ring gear teeth from below thinking maybe bendix in the starter motor went bad and the grinding is the teeth not engaging. but it isn't a smooth grind sound of high rpm, it's a clunk clunk clunk clunk rythmic sound. If you can imagine the sound a 4g motor makes when you mixup the plug wires (inner to outer mixup..totally out) when you crank it kicks back against the starter and eventually give you a scarey backfire out the exhaust. Anyway...flywheel looks good from the back, teeth on flywheel seem normal. ring gear is solid.

Turn crankshaft over lots of times with 1/2" ratchet. back and forth. turns smooth. If a piston was broke, you would hear it now crunching around.

put car down. run the starter motor without spark plugs in.....motor turns smoothly. no odd sounds at all. again...if piston was busted, Id hear something now too.

decide to do compression test. unplug injector balast resistor & start with #4 since that would be most likely to hydrolock first. 155psi cold. pretty much what it gets normally. But Im hearing a clacky/crunchy sound again. f***

#3 compression was 155 also, again crunching sound. Same deal with #2 but slightly less crunch sound. I don't test #1 as the crunch sound is freaking me out, I bet it would be 155 as well, it's least likely to hydrolock.

After comp test Im thinking there is no way the motor could be hurt and test this well. bent rod or broken piston would see major compression loss, ditto on any valvetrain damage.

crank the starter without any plugs in....no sounds & smooth spinning.

decide to unplug the lower clutch switch so I can crank motor without my left hand holding down clutch pedal....no change in anything.

Put a set of old ngk plugs in, set valvecover back down, put on the plug wires and crank starter...engine fires and runs for like 5 seconds. (without injector balast resistor...must have been running on residual fuel in manifold) engine ran with no odd sounds.

crank it a little more trying to restart (forgot balast resistor still unplugged) and Im getting the crunchy/clanky sound.

plug in balast resistor & crank starter. engine fires and runs great after a couple revolutions on starter and making one "clank" sound. no missfire. no studdering. no crazy sounds. it revs up clean, no sounds that would indicate any damage.

Seems the clunk sound only happens when cranking on the starter when the cyl are making compression via either spark plugs or compression tester. There is no abnormal sounds cranking the starter with the spark plugs out. No abnormal sounds after the engine fires and starter disengages.


Any ideas from the peanut gallery? I'm seriously out of it and can't think straight after a day like this. Im now leaning to the conclusion that the engine is fine and there must be something wrong with the starter motor. The starter motor failing could either be coincidence that it happened on the same day I install a nos kit w/ bad noid. Could it be possible the starter motor was damaged from cranking the engine in a hydrolock situation but the engine survived fine? Maybe the starter was damaged previously due to the loose trans bolt issue and I didn't notice it till today, possibly since it always fired up instantly and today I was riding the starter for a long time with the over rich/fouled plug deal?
 
Last edited:

sleepyvr4

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 25, 2003
Messages
2,359
Location
Key West
LMFAO - this thread is like a damn mastercard. I'm glad someone else is suffering out there...

Keep on truckin man...


img.php
 
Last edited:

sleepyvr4

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 25, 2003
Messages
2,359
Location
Key West
Nate - seriously - walk away and have a few beers. Go back at it tomorrow.

"These cars are cursed Peck..."

- Mad Mardigan


 

atc250r

Staff member
Joined
Sep 11, 2003
Messages
13,235
Location
Orange County, NY
Since you probably have a harem of starter motors there I would try that first. Just don't take the sawzall to the car. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devil.gif
 

charmcity

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 19, 2007
Messages
283
Location
baltimore
SOOOOOOOOOOO is the hood any good maybe you need to get rid of it to change your luck thats where i would start. Its running now so it cant be that bad youll get it tommorow...
 

NateCrisman

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 22, 2008
Messages
2,054
Location
Blairstown, NJ
Quoting atc250r:
Since you probably have a harem of starter motors there I would try that first. Just don't take the sawzall to the car. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devil.gif



First thing tomorrow Im swapping starter motors. The sound only happens when the starter motor is engaged. And only when the motor is seeing resistance from pumping compression. I guess it has to be a starter related issue.
 

GreenGSX

Well-known member
Joined
May 15, 2005
Messages
681
Location
Rochester, New York
Don't forget to check for a loose flywheel. The aluminum ones can make a pretty nasty rapping sound that will make you think you spun a rod bearing.
 

nrvous

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 16, 2003
Messages
308
Location
Penfield, NY
I think I went through an entire swing of emotions reading through the post like reading some greek tragedy. So proud to see the hood back on a proper car, even prouder to see it shine again. Then wa-blamo the tragedy and irony of it all kicks in with a full Tommy Boy maneuver.

Stephen
 

onesickcrx

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 3, 2007
Messages
1,076
Location
NY
What's wrong with nitrous solenoid? plunger or magnet? I probably have both parts new in box tell me which solenoid your running power shot?
 

gtluke

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 16, 2001
Messages
4,210
Location
dirty jersey
Jesus Christ.
You would think that after being friends with Nate for over a decade I'd get used to his complete clusterfuck insanity. But no, I read this thread and I'm still shocked as if this type of disaster isn't a weekly event for him /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

NateCrisman

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 22, 2008
Messages
2,054
Location
Blairstown, NJ
Quoting onesickcrx:
What's wrong with nitrous solenoid? plunger or magnet? I probably have both parts new in box tell me which solenoid your running power shot?



plunger sticks open. The magnet will pull it up fine, but doesn't release now unless you give it a "whack" with a wrench. it's the small powershot fuel noid
 

atc250r

Staff member
Joined
Sep 11, 2003
Messages
13,235
Location
Orange County, NY
Quoting charmcity:
maybe you need to get rid of it to change your luck thats where i would start.



Don't blame the hood for Nate's lack of patience. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

John
 

NateCrisman

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 22, 2008
Messages
2,054
Location
Blairstown, NJ
Swapped a different used starter motor in today, it's making the same rythmic clack/crunch noise when the starter is turning the engine. But it fires up and runs good without any noise. The noise is ONLY there with cranking. I called up GTLuke for a phone consult, and he thought it was a broken tooth or few on the flywheel ring gear. I spun the motor over twice while car was up on the lift and checked all the teeth with flashlight, and didn't see anything unusual but a little bit of metal shavings. Didn't think to see if the shavings were steel or aluminum via magnet. So the noise mystery is yet unsolved, but I bet has to do with the flywheel.

New windshield went on today, $200 installed. guy swapped my inspection sticker and it looks good. sucks, but not the end of the world. With hood pins, the CF hood will still be on my car, it's not damaged bad enough to where I'd rather not use it. might just have to straighten the bottom a bit and screw in a small flat brace under the spot where the fiberglass underbrace cracked.

Sunday: I'm planning to go run, most likely sans nitrous. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bawling.gif only way would be if a powershot fuel solenoid falls in my lap before sunday or I find that a NOS Purge solenoid could be used as a substitute temporarily (have a purge kit, but not installed. the noid looks same but Im not sure if there are any internal seal differences that would make it unsuitable for fuel flow)

Damage:
704511386_xM9wp-L.jpg


Old One out:
704510179_T5wqK-L.jpg


Hood is pretty shiney and still in good enough shape. the low spot on the drivers fender edge is where the underbrace is cracked.
704513478_UZTAn-L.jpg



704515422_kPQrU-L.jpg

 
Last edited:
Support Vendors who Support the GVR-4 Community
Boosted Fabrication ECM Tuning ExtremePSI Fuel Injector Clinic Jacks Transmissions JNZ Tuning Kiggly Racing Morrison Fabrications RixRacing RockAuto RTM Racing STM Tuned
Top