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729/2000 Intorduction

Wow! I joined the dark side! Was a previous owner of a '91 Mustang GT which I had 62-1 turbo. but after my move to Colorado, I decided to purchase an AWD vehicle...so, I went the galant VR4 solution. It's completely ctock, has some oil leaks/burning and I am completely new to this animal.

Wanted to introduce myself and get acquainted with the vehicle and the experts of the site. The lerning curve will be chalenging, butI have to say....I LOVE THIS CAR already. AWS is in tact and I intend to keep it as stck as possible for the time being...at least as stock as someone who drive round trip 60 miles to work. I inted to utelize the search fucnction as much as possible after som basic questions are answered, but would ask for you to have some patience...as I am coming from the "dark side". The car needs some TLC and like I mentioned, has some issues, but is completely stock and was driven by "an older lady for last 15 years.

My questions are:

1.) patience becuase of the world I come from. I have mechanical abilities, but am not very familiar with this type of mechanical work (side mounted, turbo charged vehicle).

2.) 729 has 202k+ miles on original motor with a new turbo at 175k miles, head gasket at 190k miles, and is leaking oil betweek the engine and tranny.

3.) My intentions are to keep this as a daily drive for the next year or two and I drive 60 miles round trip to work. Half the mileage is mountain roads and I am located in Colorado Springs, CO. I don't want a headache vehicle, but woudlike to really enjoy freeing up some horse power and doing what I can to be responsible with my expectations until I deciced to "go all out with mods".

4.) What oil should I switch to/use with this vehicle (202k miles). 10x30 is what the manual calls for, for I am getting ready to do what I can to stay on top of maintenance of the car? Which oil filter, Manual Tranny oil, etc.

5.) I know there is a vr4 specialist in Boulder (about 2 hours away), but is there anyone in the springs who knows these vehicles and would like to teach me some ins and outs or at least cover my repairs until I get the learning curve down?

6.) Tire pressure is also another concern. I read from a google sight that 29r and 32f is the wya to go. Is this correct? AWS is in tact and I would like to keep it that way.

7.) I have read about manuals for maintenace and I have found that this sight has a sticky for a CD rom...I am a book buy and can't afford to print hundreds of pages to utelize the opeion at this time...what is your suggestion for the time being?

8.) To free up HP and utilize the car's potential...please fill me in as much as you're willing to in-between my search function time...is please fill me in as to what I can do besides intake pipe and k&N.

Anyone willing to share info would make my day. Thanks for the newb patience in advance and I hope to enjoy this vehicle as much as my prior 500rwp fox body.
 

Welcome! It will be a good change for you. I went from v8's to dsm's too. I love em much more than and old v8 i had. For engine oil, its mostley preference, as long as you are running a good 10w30. I use synthetic, and i highly suggest it. Castrol, Royal Purple, Redline (if you can afford it lol), and Rotella T are all awesome. Royal purple is my choice. I just like having purple oil lol. For the trans, diff, and all that, use penzoil syncromesh (avaliable at any autozone). For the oil filter as long as its not the cheaper ones its good, but dont use k&n. Use this site as your repair manual. Its gonna become your best resource. Put a boost controller on it to give it a little more power, FMIC maybe, Walbro 255, Maybe some 550's and you're set with a good daily street car. Yours has as many original miles as mine lol.
 

Muskrat

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 13, 2004
Messages
2,107
Location
Lexington, KY
Welcome to the site.

I'll just make one different suggestion to the above: Use Redline lightweight shockproof gear oil in the t-case and dif. Syncromesh is good in the trans (the Pennzoil stuff or the GM stuff). People also use a mix of Redline MTL and MT-90 (I belive 2/3 MTL, 1/3 MT-90).

I'd still suggest getting the manual CD. It's an invaluable resource for diagnosing problems, and figuring out how to disassemble/reassemble on your own, instead of posting on here and having to wait hours, or longer for a response. Buy a cheap laptop (with a serial port for datalogging/PDA synching/DSM link down the road) and read it on there. No printing required.

On the same note, I'd also suggest buying a datalogger. It's another must-have tool for diagnosing problems with the car. Try and find one with the ALDL connector for the diagnostic port (instead of individual pin connectors). It makes it much easier to connect it.

VFAQ.com is also an invaluable resource, and has an upgrade plan for the GVR-4 in the misc section.

Also, read the stickies in the newbie section.

Good luck! and post some pictures of the car!
 
Last edited:

Lonewolf64

Well-known member
Joined
May 17, 2006
Messages
1,197
Location
Birmingham, Alabama
Welcome to the darkside! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devil.gif
We demand pics of your newly aquired vr4.

As for daily driveability, you will not suffer no ill effects from going to a bolt on Evo III 16g setup and it can easily be a 300whp car at that point. Don't even think about doing this until you have addressed all maintenance first!

Short suggestion for a mod list:
Keydiver Chip
Evo Front mount Intercooler with hard piping
Rebuild your throttle body as I guarantee it is leaking boost
3 inch turboback exhaust
Small battery underhood relocation or trunk relocation
Straight style intake, Dejon tool makes one for example
Dejon tool leak stop mod for your BOV
Manual boost controller
Boost gauge
Fuel pump + rewire
AFPR
Injectors
2g or 3g MAS
Evo 3 16g from Forced Performance: Make sure to get the wastegate area ported otherwise you will suffer boost creep.
Evo 3 Exhaust manifold/FP race manifold
Evo 3 O2 housing/Tubular O2 housing
New sport shocks/springs/tires/brakes/ABS delete/4ws delete and weld
Strut tower bars front and rear
DSM limited slip differential (either 3 or 4 bolt, but 4bolt is the more rare and sought after for its strength)
Rebuilt transmission (if you drive hard or launch you might be breaking this soon at these power levels)

Set the boost to 18-20 psi and get ready to have your socks blown off.

I may have missed something but I think I covered most of it. If you have any questions about any of the modifications I have listed above, feel free to PM me.
 

Hello and welcome this site has lots of info on it, but here is some more sites with more info as well..
Dsmtuners, Your car is not a dsm, but shares almost all the same parts, look through there tech pages as long as its a 1g 91-94 it has same motor (6bolt). personally if my car had 200k+ on the stock motor and i was going to drive it daily id go ahead and do a simply rebuild.Vfaq.com is also good and was mentioned.

As far as keeping it stock it may be fairly hard to do at this point with the stock intercooler system probably having a few pin holes in it from age and id bet money your throttle body is also leaking. It would be easier to just go after market on an IC and get a TB rebuild kit from Jnz or STM.

Some common problems: Dipstick blowing out, T-belt snapping from old age and bending valves. im sure there are more but im drawing a blank right now.


anyway good luck
Jesse
 

464/2K

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 21, 2003
Messages
4,671
Location
Denver,Co
There is Jacks transmissions, he is close to you and knows these cars in and out. Also Toybreaker likes to travel so you could call him when your stuck with something...... I don't know any places in boulder area that has a good rep. With these cars. If your way up north Jonvr4 is just north of Denver and has 10yrs experiance with these cars, so hes also knows them like the back of his hand. Also does ic kits and exhausts for pretty good prices. Again, jack is probably your go to guy as hes down south with you. Good luck with the car, hopefully one day we'll get to meet eachother at a Co meet.
 

Lonewolf64

Well-known member
Joined
May 17, 2006
Messages
1,197
Location
Birmingham, Alabama
^^If compression and leak down tests come back good and it doesn't burn oil, what's the point?^^

I'm on the a 175k motor with an untouched bottom end with 0 issues. I guess if you'd rather spend money now rather than later it wouldn't hurt. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif
 

Thanks everyone...I appreciate the suggestions and will start looking into the basics and see where the money is most wisely spent at this point. A rebuild on the motor and TB are great starting points, as well as an IC due to the leaks. The timing belt has 25k miles on it and the turbo was replaced around 50k miles ago. Boost leak...yes, it certainly would make sense that there are pinhole leaks somewhere in the system.

Yes, I will post some pictures of the car as well. I get to drive it on a dirt road for part of my way to work (it's a perfect rally place if I didn't have to worry about deer- haha).

I wish I would have saved all the stuff I had collected over the years from my old DSM friends and from my turbo mustang days. I know just how valuable these sights can be for information and learning...so I will spend much of my time reading and learning before I start doing much on my own.

Pics to come
 

Lonewolf64

Well-known member
Joined
May 17, 2006
Messages
1,197
Location
Birmingham, Alabama
I forgot to mention two great sites to get to know as well.
VFAQ: This will have 99% of the information you'll need to do the basic bolt on mods and maintenance on your vehicle as well as some tricky but important jobs (Balance shaft delete).
click

Here is an oldie but goodie. This is the original GVR4 upgrade path as specified by Road Race Engineering. It is outdated and redundant since I provided a great mod list to start with but more info never hurts.
click
 

gmp

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 1, 2007
Messages
549
Location
Denver,co
welcome,
we try are best to take care of are own here in co, toybeaker is a great option or jonvr4 for up north, and jack is a great option for the springs from what i hear!!


if im ever heading down to the springs ill be sure to let ya know,
have fun with the galant you really are apart of the special few to get to enjoy these priceless beauty's ...

this place will really help ypu understand anything and everything about these cars, the nice thing aout it is someone some where has already most likely done it as far as mods or what ever so you will know all you need good and bad.

have fun with the vr4 and it will love you bac i learned that myself over the last few months/year.

gmp
 

I've got some time off work this next week and would like to see about getting with someone who would give me a thorough walk through of the vehicle. I will make the drive and even provide a few "cold beverages". I am looking to get acquainted with the "where and what abouts" of the GVR-4. I am a more hands on learner, not to mention it would be a great place for someone to show a young Jetti a few things to watch out for and any immediate issues I should address immediately/soon...like I said, I am joining the DSM dark side from a turbo fox body mustang. Any takers? I am in the springs.

I've been researching and have been in contact with a friend who use have (I think) 47/1000 and he's helped me come up with a decent start on maintenance and some BPUs:

- Shop manual/CD
- Oil Change, Transfer case oil change, tranny fluid
- Remove boost control restrict or solenoid
- Dejon Intake Pipe/tube and K&N filter
- 8.5" Magna Core Plug Wires
- NGK plugs (gap?)
- Walbro 255
- High flow Cat
- Alky Injection Kit (little further down the road)
- Check all piping and connections
- Boost Meter (I have and am waiting for him to send it to me)
- (as mentioned) TB rebuild



 

toybreaker

iconoclast
Joined
Apr 30, 2006
Messages
3,581
What, a gvr-4 that runs?

In Colorado?

That's not natural... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rofl.gif

Why don't you come up to Denver for a meet, and we'll fix that, and quick. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


Actually, you're in luck, Dan Gimpin is down in your neck of the woods, and he's been a very valuable resource for the locals that are in your area.

You should shoot him a pm, and see if you can get him to take a quick look see.
 

Sweet- whats Dan's user name? Will PM him.

I would gladly drive to Denver- whens the next meet?
 

toybreaker

iconoclast
Joined
Apr 30, 2006
Messages
3,581
Dan Gimpin is Gimpin on the board. Send him a pm, he's a good bloke to know down in your neck of the woods.

A meet sounds good!

Ricky had a thread up in the events section a few weeks back and I guess we all missed it.

I'm kind of hobbled up again right now, but hopefully I should be good in a week or two.

Maybe everybody can get together at red rocks later this month? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

seizer

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 29, 2008
Messages
152
Location
Colorado Springs
nice /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gifi also am at 202k also and am in the springs thats a trip i only know of a few gvr4s here and i saw a new one i never saw that was a kingston grey and i wasnt drivin mine... mine also is a daily driver and does have similar problems... but i did go with a big 16g i recently installed and new ecu with a stage 1 i also have a 2.5 exhaust and i love it and want more but do want to take a good route with it.... maybe ill see you around
here is 583/1000 now black orig. color was green previons owner got a crappy paint job done on it
 

who is the vr4 specialist in boulder? Just wondering bc i may be moving to denver area this fall.
 

Seizer- thats cool...hopefully we will see each other around

AutoX- I will look in my auto maint. file from the previous owner as soon as I get a chance- day or two.
 
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