801/2k Restomod

[Drew84]

After years of wanting a Galant VR4 I finally found a decent one for the right price. Of course it doesn't have and engine or trans. Simply minor details of course. It just so happened a Tech I used to work with needed to get rid of his 1991 Talon that was in storage. The engine was already pulled because it ran low on oil and rod knocked. The car also has a nice condition stage 1 Shep trans, lucky me. So the right Galant happened to showed up at the same time the right parts car showed up, fate I guess. The goal for this car is to get it back to nearly stock condition first. I need to make sure it runs right before any mods. I'm not building a crazy HP drag car. I just want to restore it back to it's former glory. So I can drive and enjoy it.

The paint is in really nice shape. The body is rot free with some small surface rust spots here and there. Nothing scary.


I've already located some needed parts thanks to members on the board. I picked up a Stock fuel tank, Engine harness and front body harness. Those where three of the most needed things.




IMG_0432 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr



IMG_0431 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr


IMG_0438 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr


IMG_0439 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr


Next question, why does the Driver's side strut tower have 3 bolts like a E/L/T but the pass side has 4 bolts?

IMG_0437 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr


IMG_0441 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

Parts car

IMG_0440 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

Engine was already pulled ! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

IMG_0449 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr


IMG_0450 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr


So we (my Dad and I) tore down the engine last night. The last time we were inside one of these engines was back in 2004 when we rebuilt my Talon. The head looks to be in nice shape. This engine wasn't together long before it ran out of oil. I guess the Tech damaged the front crank seal when installing it. Then at one point his "friend" borrowed the car and it ran low on oil. He did tell me he had put Crower valve springs and retainers in with stock cams. Those where there. He also put Arias low compression pistons. They look wicked sloppy in the cylinders. I don't think I can save those. This block doesn't appear to have been bore out before, but I'm really doubting the round ness of the cylinder walls. Inspecting the lower end it appears most of the damage was done to the 1 rod bearing. It completely spun out of the rod and damaged it. So I need a new rod. I think I have a set in my attic from the donor block I used in my Talon. The crank needs to be polished but it's not too bad. Just have to get both over to the machine shop and have it inspected. It does have ARP head studs which if I remember correctly can be reused ?


IMG_0451 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr


IMG_0452 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr


IMG_0453 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr


IMG_0457 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr


IMG_0460 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

 

[Romanova]

So clean!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Adorsey]

Looks real good man. Hope to see it out and about some day!
And again Welcome to the board /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

Thats looks like Al's old car did you pick it up in manchester CT?
I almost bought it but I had nowhere to store it if its the same
car you have yourself a nice clean vr4 some pics when I went to
go look at it cool guy by the way kept that car garaged all the time

 

[Drew84]

That is the same car.

 

Nice got yourself a nice clean vr4 keep us updated...

 

[Drew84]

Finally got some stuff done, a small amount of work but progress none the less. The motor was at the machinist for a month. Mostly because I told him I wasn't in a hurry. Had the engine bored .20 and the crank polished. Today we installed the main bearings and and crank. I also wire wheeled the crusty stuff off the block and gave it a coat of flat black. On my Talon I painted the engine block a nice cast gray color. Only to never be able to see the block while its in the car. So basic black did the trick for this car.


IMG_0466 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr


IMG_0469 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr


IMG_0471 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

 

Any reason you didn't just get a good used crank? I wouldnt trust a turned crank on one of these cars....

 

[Drew84]

Because a good used crank is hard to come by and expensive vs using the one I have. This crank came with the block and we checked the oil clearance with plastiguage yesterday during the install. The main bearings are all at .02 which is within factory spec. I don't plan on making huge power so I see no issues with it. Put it this way, I could spend money on a "used" crank only to find out it's not straight or in worse condition than mine. Pictures from a For sale add can't give me specs. I mean it could damaged in shipping too many variables for me that are out of my control. I would rather risk a quality job from my machine shop. At least if I have an issue, these is some accountability.

 

[BadVr4]

factory cranks come with a nitride coating on them and it is not reccomended to use a cut crank. i would find a good used one and have it checked out by a machine shop rather than run a cut one. cut cranks have a higher risk of bearing failure

 

^^^^^^^^ What he said...

 

[Drew84]

Well I respectfully disagree. From my research, these are not nitrate coated and cutting them does not negatively effect the durability enough on a stock rebuild to warrant a replacement crank.

 

[BadVr4]

6 bolt cranks are nitride coated from the factory. people have mixed feelings about running a cut crank, I personally would never run them again as the only motors that have ever had bearing failure for me, had cut cranks.

 

[Drew84]

ARP head studs and Mitsu MLS head gasket installed


IMG_0578 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

Head fully torqued down.

IMG_0579 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

 

[Drew84]

I finally made some major progress on the wiring. I started by unwrapping it and cleaning it.


IMG_0619 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

Ughh, what a mess


IMG_0620 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

Found some interesting stuff as I unwrapped the wires. Butt connectors are cheap, was twisting them together by hand really the only way?


IMG_0623 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

At least this one was twisted and soldered. We used uninsulated butt connectors. Then soldered and heat shrinked the wires. JDM pink yo !


IMG_0767 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

All wrapped up, we couldn't stagger the splices because the wires where already cut. but much better.


IMG_0770 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

Ignitor connector also FUBAR


IMG_0774 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr


IMG_0775 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

Spliced in the Coil pack and ignitor harness, also added new injector plugs


IMG_0777 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

Knock sensor wiring, this also had to be cleaned up.


IMG_0776 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

Coolant temp senor wires and o2 sensor wires.


IMG_0779 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

MAF sensor plug, just a couple of cut wires way too close to the connector.


IMG_0784 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

Spliced in one from the donor harness and rewrapped it.


IMG_0785 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

Added the the plastic housing from the parts car that froms the harness around the factory intake manifold. This was missing from the car. Now it looks like the correct factory harness.


IMG_0786 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

Getting closer to putting the engine in.

IMG_0778 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

I've got a few more wiring repairs to make inside the car but I made some major progress over the weekend.

 

[GSX_TC]

Your pretty good with wiring man

 

[turbowop]

Wiring isn't that difficult to master. Once you get that fear out of your head when looking at a pile of wiring, and once you know where it all goes, if you can solder and have decent attention to detail, repairs can be made pretty easily. This is why it boggles my mind that people can mess up factory wiring so horribly. It's good to see this thing getting the wiring straightened out the correct way.

 

[Drew84]

Thank you, yes once my Dad gave me the run down on how to do it and explained the wiring diagram to me. It was very straight forward. I just did it one wire/section of harness at a time. I spent probably 14 hrs on it this weekend. I just took my time and made sure I had every thing where I needed it to be.

 

[Drew84]

Cleaned up the positive battery cable

IMG_0793 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

After sand blasting

IMG_0796 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

I repaired all the wire to the positive battery terminal

IMG_0798 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

This is the ECU wiring I was working with

IMG_0803 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr


IMG_0804 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr


IMG_0809 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

This is how I repaired all of them

IMG_0817 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

The cut white will be connected to my Wideband 02 sensor for the narrow band input.

IMG_0819 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

All wrapped up good as new

IMG_0825 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

Before I sealed the oil pan up


IMG_8415 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr


IMG_8422 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

Fan resistor bracket

IMG_0828 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

After sand blasting

IMG_0829 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

Cleaned up the radiator fan wiring

IMG_0834 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

Ran the wiring for my Wide band 02, Stock ECU installed

IMG_0886 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

Ready to go in the car

IMG_0909 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

Trans mount before sand blasting

IMG_0910 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

Engine bay ready for an engine

IMG_0911 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

Transmission all cleaned up, clutch fork and TB bearing installed.

IMG_0913 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

Engine installed, I've got a DSM front engine bracket. It's making crooked, I didn't realize this till after we put it in. I'll have to find the correct one and swap it out.

IMG_0914 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

Wiring harness at set up on the engine.

IMG_0915 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

Factory clutch and stock flywheel installed

IMG_0919 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr


IMG_0920 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

Trans and transfer case waiting to be put in. Finished and painted the trans mount.

IMG_0921 by Drew84(PASCARPHOTO), on Flickr

 

[mikus]

what kind of splice connector is that on img817?