Tag: 4G63

14B VS. EVO VIII 16G Photo Comparison

Jeremy Nutt 4 Comments

EVO VIII 16G Compressor

14B VS. EVO VIII 16G Photo Comparison

Recently I installed an EVO VIII 16G turbo on my 6-bolt 4G63 engine swapped 1989 Dodge Ram 50 truck. Since I love seeing how things work, I decided to take them apart and compare them. As you can see in the pictures below, the EVO 8 turbo is a twin scroll and the 14B is not.  The wastegate is far larger on the EVO turbo as well, which is very good news because the 14B internal gate is less than impressive.  Naturally the compressor and turbine wheels are a bit more elaborate on the 16G as well.

My Hypothesis: Math says the EVO VIII 16G should flow about 50% more air than the 14B did, which means more air at less pressure, less heat soak, and twin scroll should make the spool time between the 16G and 14B negligible.

Results from the butt dyno:  The 14B was set at 18PSI and was a lot of fun, because it could break the rear tires loose in 1st and 2nd gear when the turbo spooled.  With the new turbo on and the wastegate plugged directly into the intercooler piping (stock actuator pressure is about 12psi I believe), the truck was neeeearly as fast as the 14B at 18PSI.  It spools at about 150 rpm more than the 14B, and the boost came on so much smoother.  Once I got used to the new turbo, and made sure everything was functioning properly, I cranked the boost up to 20 to see what would happen.

Tire spin in 3rd is what happened.

Traction Bars: Somewhere in the back of my mind, I had a vision of my rear differential wrapping up and ripping my driveshaft apart.  I knew that my truck’s suspension wasn’t exactly designed for 250+ hp, and since I know my stock / lowered suspension was on borrowed time, I decided traction bars would be a smart idea.  Not only would they prevent my truck’s axle from flipping over backward and turning my driveshaft into a pogo stick, but, it might actually provide traction through my Z rated 255/45/18’s!  In went the new traction bars.

As if by some miracle, almost all of my missing traction was back again!  I couldn’t believe it!  These things really work! Now I can keep traction in 2nd gear (if I want), and spinning the tires in 3rd just plain won’t happen no matter how hard I try.

WIN is the word, EVO VIII is the reason, TRACTION BARS is how.

UPDATE: AWD Mitsubishi Turbo Dune Buggy!

Jeremy Nutt 1 Comment

Back in August we had and entire week of amazing automotive projects, and many readers asked for updates as they progressed. Since 1A Auto never disappoints, and Don never stops working on this thing, we bring you Round 2 of the AWD Mitsubishi Turbo Dune Buggy (See Round 1 Here if you missed it).  Since the first 1A Auto blog post, I have gotten to know Don a bit, and he is one of the most creative and resourceful builders I have seen.  There are not enough thumbs on my hands to give him the amount of “thumbs up” that he deserves!  Keep up the great work!

As you can see:

– Many many hours of fiberglass work has been done
– Body mounts have been made
– Front bumper installed
– Strut braces have been made
– Radiator and mounted
– New tires and wheels!

The Reincarnation: My Turbocharged Minitruck

Jeremy Nutt 1 Comment

Yesterday we reviewed the riveting tale of the triumphant rise and epic fall of my first truck. Today I am presenting you with what I am calling “The Reincarnation”.  With my first truck solemnly resting in a junkyard far beyond the point of no return, I found myself in desperate need of that missing flame that my Dodge Ram 50 and I once had.  I needed to have the heart and soul of my first truck, but with heaping gobs of horsepower, more interior space, and a clutch pedal.  To me, that would be pure perfection.

Being a fairly typical gearhead, I get a thrill when I open my hood for people and surprise them with a power plant that they don’t expect.  I’m not talking about Chevy engines in Fords though, that is still bizarre to me…  I am talking more about upgrades within the same genre.  Like a Dodge minitruck with the same make fuel injected, turbocharged, DOHC engine where a carbureted loaf once puttered.  Doubling or tripling the factory horsepower and getting more than 1 horsepower per cubic inch intrigues me. It’s even better when it appears like the vehicle came that way.  Onlookers begin to question their own eyes.

As you may or may not know, a Dodge Ram 50 truck is really the same as a Mitsubishi Mightymax truck so most parts are interchangeable.  Mitsubishi built them for Dodge in the 1980’s and early 1990’s using all Mitsubishi parts, and Dodge decals.  So, I figured that if Dodge equals Mitsubishi and Mitsubishi built 220 horsepower turbocharged Mitsubishi Eclipses, then I could potentially get a 4G63 turbo Mitsubishi Eclipse (DSM) engine swapped into a Dodge Ram 50.  Simple! With some bolt on upgrades, I could be in the neighborhood of 250+ horsepower, and I liked that thought, a lot.

One day, many years ago, I was hanging out on some local automotive internet forums when a kid asked if anybody needed parts from a 1989 Dodge Ram 50 Extended cab.  I wasn’t actually looking to buy a truck at that time but I sent him a message anyway asking if he had the whole truck and what was wrong with it.  He quickly responded letting me know that he had the whole truck, it was in great shape, but had a hole in the engine block.  It was currently sitting in a parking lot and it needed to be gone ASAP.  Could this be my new Ram 50? I thought.  “Oh and 1 more thing” he said, “it’s free and has a clean title”.   Yes, everything had officially fallen into place.

I picked up the truck the following weekend, and it was exactly what I had been dreaming about for years.  Clean original paint, macro (extended) cab, low mileage, straight body, very little rust, it was perfect in my eyes.  Within days, I had ripped the junk engine out and grabbed an engine from a 1991 Mitsubishi Eclipse.  I dropped the 4G63 into it’s new home with custom motor mounts, and a variety of other custom accessories.  Wiring, plumbing, cutting & welding was intense for a couple months, and at the 3 month mark, the truck was drivable.

Driving it brings back all the happiness and memories that I had in my first truck, but now with more tire burning gross displays of horsepower, and 5 gears to shift through.  I have been driving it for several years now, and it never lets me down (unless I deserve it).  It starts every time, runs smooth, and generally loves to be a usable truck again.

Current list of modifications:

– 1989 Dodge Ram 50 Macro Cab 5 speed truck
– 1991 Mitsubishi Eclipse 4G63 Engine. DOHC, turbo, intercooled, ~18psi.
– 1985 Mitsubishi Montero Limited Slip Differential, 3:55 gears.
– Cadillac Escalade 17″ wheels
– Custom clutch
– 1987 Dodge Ram 50 2.0L 5 speed transmission
– 1991 Mitsubishi Eclipse FWD Flywheel
– Custom driveshaft, motor mounts, radiator pipes
– 1991 Mitsubishi Mightymax waterpump
– 1993+ Mitsubishi Mightymax Grille + Bumper

After my first truck’s lesson, I can’t see myself ever getting rid of this truck.  The fact that it will get sideways at 40+ mph is enough to scare me to death and make me keep it forever.

Automotive Mad Science: Sparking in the living room.

Jeremy Nutt 3 Comments

I like wiring, electricity, cars, and the magic that happens when you combine all three.  Last week I was modifying a wiring harness to install a turbocharged 4G63 engine  (from a 1991-94 Mitsubishi Eclipse, Talon, Laser) into any vehicle that I want.  It is a time consuming process and when it was done, I needed to make sure it worked properly.  Massachusetts in January is an absolutely frigid place, so I was not about to go outside.  Then it dawned on me that I could test it in the comfort of my own living room!  Before I knew it, the spare battery, ECU, CAS, injector resistor, coil pack, and power transistor, arrived on the premesis, and viola!  We have ignition!

The Mystery of the EVO IX Cylinder Head Drill Holes.

Jeremy Nutt 14 Comments
EvoIXhead

Let’s say you own a Mitsubishi Evolution IX, and want nothing more than to stand there and admire the turbocharged delicacy that resides beneath your hood.  You reach down for the hood release and are instantly greeted with the firm “thud” of the hood-pop in action.  Reluctantly, you free yourself from the hug-like grip of your race-inspired Recaro seat as you hop out of your machine.  The opened-windowed door closes behind you.  You walk toward the front of the vehicle while holding intense eye contact with your freshly cleaned 14-spoke BBS 17’s.  The hood is then effortlessly lifted toward the sky and you are greeted with one of the finest examples of Mitsubishi technology to ever roll off the assembly line, the 4G63.

Within an instant, your eyes focus on something that is clearly out of place.  It is something so strange that you aren’t sure if it belongs there or not.  You have looked at nearly eleven billion EVO’s in the past, but never noticed this kind of nonsense. You are stunned, disappointed, and nearly jallywagged. “What was the purpose of these drilled out holes in my cylinder head!?” you screamed at the heavens.  Sadly you are answered with the deafening sound of silence.

Maybe one of the readers can help?