Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

Well shit, on your way down you should come through Winona and we can go cruising a bit. I plan to fire this beast up this weekend.

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

I wont be in MN I will be in IL the whole weekend.

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

So how important is it to be easy on the car for 500 miles for the clutch break in?

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

some people follow the break in period religiously others just drive regular from the start.

your fwd so if you were easy on it for a while just to get it seated to the flywheel and pressure plate it should work fine. i did some city driving in my civic with an xtd stage 3 just for like 50 or so miles takin it easy and then just romped on it. It held great till i sold the car grabbed awesome with slicks on.

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

With my Competition Stage 4, it took about 2 weeks of driving back and forth to work (~400 miles) to get the clutch to fully break in. I only really got on it once about a week after I put it in and it held fine, but I was never hard on it from a stop or between shifts. Now it holds great, and engagement is really nice. I still haven't launched with it yet though.

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

Thanks for the input guys. I'll have to do a lot of daily city driving for a couple weeks to get it broke in. I was hoping to make it to the autocross here in town next week, but it's not looking that way. I'm fwd so there's a lot less drivetrain stress compared to awd. Should be easier on the clutch.


Great news! I started her up last night to pull it into the garage! Ran fine with the open o2 housing lol. Don't know if the neighbors liked it.


Leaking from what appears to be the oil pan still though. It's pissing me off. I'll be going out there today and taking a look at it. Started putting the i/c pipes back on last night after I pulled it in, but got really pissed off at the 90 bend right after the j-pipe. So i gave up. I'll put the pipes together today, address those leaks, and then DRIVE IT!

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

Took some pictures of what the completed project looks like, however, it has some big issues as explained in my other thread in the drivetrain section.


http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/SDC10573.JPG

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/SDC10574.JPG

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/SDC10575.JPG

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

Oil pan leak is finally fixed. Now my valve cover leaks. Looks like I'll be laying rtv on that too.


Took it for a very short sprint and it seems to be barely able to idle. I had the logger hooked up this time and my timing is pretty high compared to what it use to be. I suspect something might've gotten bumped on the cas. Travis, you should let me use your timing light!

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

All the fluid leaks are officially fixed! Now I have a leak at the throttle body, and the car is running pretty lean. It'll barly idle but the exhaust smells rich. It seems to boost fine, no knock, but it's still more lean than I want it to be.


I also keep trying to set base timing, but it won't save the changes. I ground out the plug but it's no go. Is there a different trick?

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

The car is slowly getting there. Idle is corrected and she's running spot on at wastegate boost. I'm going to take it into work this morning and do some exterior detailing with a polish and a nice coat of wax. I'll be cleaning the inside too.

Here's a quick pic I snapped the other day:

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/CIMG0784.JPG

There's a local kid in town my age who has a stroker 5.0 stang. He was telling me last night at a party how he doubts my car would keep up....lol It was mostly drunken bench racing. No matter what though, he would not pop the hood for me. I showed him mine cause I don't have anything to hide. I guess we'll find out in a few hundred miles once I get my clutch broken in.

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

And did the kid shit himself when he saw how clean your bay was? Lol, absolutely amazing looking bay. Great work!

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

Haha, he didn't really know what to think. He probably thought it was all stock when I first pulled up to the party. He'll have his time.


Thanks for the compliments on the engine bay! It means a lot after all that hard work.

Here's a few pics after doing an exterior detail on it. Polished it, waxed it, and cleaned and conditioned the seats as well:

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/SDC10592.JPG

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/SDC10591.JPG

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/SDC10593.JPG

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/SDC10594.JPG

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

How do you have your palm pilot mounted? I've been needing to get it mounted up nice like that.

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

I have some velcro on the base and my console. It falls out every once in a while due to bumps/vibrations.

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

Went to twacks saturday and we got his other transmission swapped in. Took a couple cool pics on the way out of Rochester:

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/SDC10604.JPG

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/SDC10605.JPG

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

Slight update on my end. The transmission has been making even more noise lately. Sounds like it's the input bearing. I've been hearing it for over a year now but it's only recently gotten louder. I was daily driving it up until I took notice. Now she's parked waiting for the garage space.


Is the input bearing something hard to replace? I know where there is a 1ga fwd trans for cheap but I need to get this head gasket job done for my g/f's dad. It's not a throw out bearing because the noise goes away when the pedal is pushed in and the clutch is disengaged.

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

what you just said makes me want to say it IS the throwout bearing.

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

+1

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

is there difference between fwd and awd throwout bearings

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

So why does the noise stop when the trans is disconnected from the motor? As soon as the motor turns the tranny, it makes the grinding noise.

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

When the tranny is disconnected from the motor? I'm not quite understanding what you're saying there. But I know that when the transmission is in neutral with the clutch engaged, a bad throwout bearing will make a slight grinding noise. If the noise goes away as soon as the clutch is pushed in, the noise goes away because of the force of pushing in the springs in the pressure plate.

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

When I say that, I mean the pedal is pushed in. I thought if it was a tob that it would make the noise all the time, not just when the trans is idling in neutral.

I guess that does make sense though. I'd love to believe that rather than replace the whole trans or tear it apart.

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

i'm a bit confused too, are you saying that when the car is in gear and your foot is off the clutch, THAT is when it makes the noise? If that is the case, then it could be the input bearing. If the whole noise revolves around whether or not you're pushing down on the clutch pedal, its more likely to be the TOB.

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

Yea, while driving it whines, changing tone with engine speed. When I'm sitting still idling in neutral, it makes the noise. When I push in the clutch pedal, it goes away.

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

I want to say that's 2 different noises...

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

What's weird is yesterday I started it up so I could get a friend's opinion on what the sound might be. Let it idle in nueutral and I was surprised at how much quieter it was compared to last weekend. I'm going to put some miles on it this weekend if I find time and inspect a few things.

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

I've been driving the laser the last few days and so im happy to say it's still running. However, I want to shave the valve cover and paint it to make my engine bay really look good for the cookout. I'll have pictures up tomorrow or tonight yet of the process.

I also threw the boost controller back on and am now running 14 psi and spinning in second. I really need a bigger turbo.

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

The color doesn't exactly match, but it's the closest I could find to the stock color in high temp paint. I'm really happy with the way it turned out though.

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/SDC10648.JPG

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/SDC10650.JPG

I also modified my current pcv setup too. Before I had both vc ports going to a catch can and a breather on top. I decided I needed to have some vacuum in there so I removed the breather, and attached a hose running to my intake. This way it's recirculated like it should be, and I won't have to worry about my shit gumming up.

Here's a pic if you can make out where everything goes:

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/SDC10649.JPG

And just for shits, here's a couple interior pictures:

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/SDC10647.JPG

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/SDC10646.JPG

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

Engine bay is looking sweeeeet! I love when a DSM engine bay gets cleaned up like that.

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

Lookin good!

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

Thanks guys! I also made my fuel filler door a remote release like the factory. Again, the owner before me cut that shit up too. I found a black door and all the hardware and threw it in.

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

As some of you know, my head gasket went and melted some of the cylinder head away in the process in my attempt to limp it to shelter. Here's pics of the carnage:

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/SDC10766.JPG

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/SDC10764.JPG

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/SDC10765.JPG

Thanks in huge part to twack for doing all the heavy work getting this together. He was able to source a head for me got everything cleaned up ready to go.

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/P4050031.jpg

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/P4050027.jpg

I'll be going up tonight after work to get the timing and anything else I can get done, done. I can't thank Twack enough for doing this for me. I owe him big time.

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

There thats as far as i go until you get your ass up here
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i2...5/08271553.jpg

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

Went up to twack's last night to get this shit together. Let me say timing is kind of a pain in the ass on DSM's. Once I got it on it was rewarding though. Twack had some tips too, but I still think the chrysler 2.2 I did was easier.

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/SDC10770.JPG

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/SDC10772.JPG

Here's a table idea that was spawned using a 6 bolt bottom end twack picked up:

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/SDC10771.JPG

The Mess:

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/SDC10773.JPG

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/SDC10774.JPG

Here she is all timed and buttoned up:

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/SDC10779.JPG

Here's the running DSM:

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...m/SDC10775.JPG

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

Congrats man!

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

Thanks, but we're not out of the woods yet. We gotta put coolant back in it plug the cop back in and bolt it down, put the plugs in, etc. Not too much more though, then we can start it up.

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

congrats on getting it back together so quickly!

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

It's finally home!


After a nerve-racking drive home without my headlights working she is back home. I went to turn the lights on before we left Twack's and low and behold, the fuckers wouldn't turn on. So I had to follow my girlfriend in my Stratus home.


I would talk more and show pics and what not, but I'm tired.

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

Finally gone, glad to be helpful
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i212/twack89225/h.jpg

Re: Getting the Laser ready for AutoX
 

So I changed my oil today with some thick ass Valvoline VR1 20W50. Yay or nay? I think my engine is loving it.