Project "Full Restoration" 1983 Mitsubishi Turbo Diesel 4x4

[4D55 Performance]

I think I paid close to MSRP:wings:

It was about $8600 all said and done. Mike gave me great deal on the truck. Yesterday he started wrenching apart his 1983 2wd Mitsubishi Turbo Diesel. He plans on doing a complete frame off and installing a new crate motor.

 

[Toasty]

That'sna really good deal! and totally worth it.

 

[4D55 Performance]

I have put about 2K miles on the engine and it has started to break-in. A few weeks ago I would take my foot off the go pedal and the engine compression would stop the vehicle in it's tracks. I can tell the engine no longer feels tight. I had a chance to fill it up today and my MPG's are up too. In all city driving I averaged 27 MPG. I hope this is a sign of good things to come.

Also I was thinking about adding some water/meth injection. It would increase the output to 105hp and 238ft lbs torque. I would set it up so the water/meth injection comes on at 6psi so I don't hydro-lock the engine. I would use the generic kit from Snow Performance.

Does anyone have experience with water/meth injection?

 

[JamesW]

I looked into it a while ago,something I put a small bit of thought into,and one day completely forgot about! I have my EGR valve blanked,so I was thinking the 5th injector can go onto the plate that blanks it. It means you can wind up the boost a bit too. Theres an over boost valve on the inlet mani,that opens if the boost pressure is too high. Mine has gone a bit weak and opens up too easy,so I'm currently looking at weather I can wedge it shut,or just get a brand new one. Theres lots of reading you can do on the matter though,and lots of conflicting advice too so it's a real minefield

That pickup looks completely sick BTW,I didn't realise how big it was until I saw the pic of it with the G Wagen,which is also sick!

 

[4D55 Performance]

I looked into it a while ago,something I put a small bit of thought into,and one day completely forgot about! I have my EGR valve blanked,so I was thinking the 5th injector can go onto the plate that blanks it. It means you can wind up the boost a bit too. Theres an over boost valve on the inlet mani,that opens if the boost pressure is too high. Mine has gone a bit weak and opens up too easy,so I'm currently looking at weather I can wedge it shut,or just get a brand new one. Theres lots of reading you can do on the matter though,and lots of conflicting advice too so it's a real minefield

That pickup looks completely sick BTW,I didn't realise how big it was until I saw the pic of it with the G Wagen,which is also sick!

I do not see a pop off valve on the intake manifold of my 2.5 liter (4D56/D4BF). These little diesels are pretty spartan compared to the 2.8 liter. Water/meth injection is a no brainer in my mind. It's not just a fad like propane injection or piggy backing boxes. From talking with the mechanic at the diesel shop he said it would lower my egt's by 200-400F, improve mpg's by 10-15%, clean the engine, and give me 10-15% boost in HP and torque. He said it would also help durability and reliability because it keeps the engine sooo clean. I think I am going to go through with it. Now I just have to decide on which kit, do I go with the Snow or the Banks?

 

[JamesW]

Is that not it in this pic behind the throttle cable,with a green bit on it? All the 4d56s i've seen have had one,but only the ones from japan had the EGR valve,being pretty much the same engine I'd have thought it would have one. Though the mani looks a bit different


I thought the snow performance one looks good,if I do pull my finger out i'd probably go for one of their kits,shipping on it wouldn't be pretty though. Personally I don't think there is much of a difference in these kits once they aren't cheap and nasty,the good quality ones will all do the same job,it isn't like you're going to be disappointed by installing it. I'd consider blanking the EGR too,the mix of the soot from them,and the oil from the crank breather can wreck the inside of the intake mani with black goo that is hard to clean

 

[4D55 Performance]

I am also looking at installing higher ratio gears in the differentials because I want to reduce my RPM's at cruising speed. Currently my RPM's are at 2600 RPM's at 65 MPH. I would like to get the RPM's around 2100-2200 at 65 MPH. These trucks were made in a time when speed limits were 55 mph. Since installing the new engine I have had way more power and I am even starting in second gear most of the time. I have looked into getting larger tires but that is not an option because the wheel openings are barely large enough for the stock 28" tires. Also, I would need to go with a 31-32" tire to drop the RPM to where I want them.

I currently have 3.909 gears in the differentials. I have an 8" rear and 7.25" front diff. Mitsubishi made 3.909, 4.22, 4.625, 4.88 and 5.29 gear ratios for 4wd vehicles with 8" rear and 7.25" front diffs. Unfortunately all these ratios are lower than my current ratio and I am looking for a higher ratio. I have done some research and found Mitsubishi did make a 3.54 gear ratio that came in the 2wd pickups, but that does not help accommodate for the 7.25" front diff. I know the Starion/Conquest came with 3.54 gears in 7.25" rear diff but I have not been able to confirm if the gears are cut the right way and if they will fit in the front of a Mitsubishi. If anyone has any insight on this it would be greatly appreciated?

 

[Fanboy]

Bravo bravo bravo

 

[IncorpoRatedX]

I am also looking at installing higher ratio gears in the differentials because I want to reduce my RPM's at cruising speed. Currently my RPM's are at 2600 RPM's at 65 MPH. I would like to get the RPM's around 2100-2200 at 65 MPH. These trucks were made in a time when speed limits were 55 mph. Since installing the new engine I have had way more power and I am even starting in second gear most of the time. I have looked into getting larger tires but that is not an option because the wheel openings are barely large enough for the stock 28" tires. Also, I would need to go with a 31-32" tire to drop the RPM to where I want them.

I currently have 3.909 gears in the differentials. I have an 8" rear and 7.25" front diff. Mitsubishi made 3.909, 4.22, 4.625, 4.88 and 5.29 gear ratios for 4wd vehicles with 8" rear and 7.25" front diffs. Unfortunately all these ratios are lower than my current ratio and I am looking for a higher ratio. I have done some research and found Mitsubishi did make a 3.54 gear ratio that came in the 2wd pickups, but that does not help accommodate for the 7.25" front diff. I know the Starion/Conquest came with 3.54 gears in 7.25" rear diff but I have not been able to confirm if the gears are cut the right way and if they will fit in the front of a Mitsubishi. If anyone has any insight on this it would be greatly appreciated?

I've got a set of 8" 3.54:1 gears and a set of 7.25" 3.54:1 gears. They're around, if you know where to look.

 

[Toasty]

I was gonna suggest IncorporatedX for the gears you're looking for.

 

[4D55 Performance]

I was gonna suggest IncorporatedX for the gears you're looking for.

This is going to be an issue I need to reassess. Currently it's in winter storage in my garage but it looks like it is time to uncover it and take it out for a spin. It may be a while before I get to dealing with any of these things because kid #5 is due any day and my Trooper needs a fuel pump.

 

[IncorpoRatedX]

I'm sure by the time you're ready, I'll still have the gears. Both the gear sets I have are housed in axles right now and came from running vehicles without any whine or issues. Just let me know. The 8" might be LSD, I haven't checked it yet. I doubt I'll ever use them as I don't like stock looking trucks and am not into small tires. In your position I would consider a 1.5" body lift, rear shackle lift, front bar adjustment and 31" tires. I know 31's fit with just the bar crank and shackle though. here's a picture of Toasty's silver truck on 31's with just the bar crank and shackles.

 

[Toasty]

You mean Jorge's truck? I had Gen 2 wheels on it when it was mine, just sayin'

 

[4D55 Performance]

I plan to just keep it nice and stock for the most part. They drive much smoother in stock form. I also do not have any need to lift it because it is used for expedition use and I need it to achieve decent MPG's more than anything. I use this bad boy for long drives and moderate trails. If I have anything gnarly to tackle I typically use the my 1985 Mitsubishi with the 15" of lift. There is really no reason to build this little brown truck to be more similar to something I already have. Thus I need to diversify and keep them very different. That's why going with the higher gearing makes more sense. Currently my torsion bars are cranked and it sits very similar to the silver one in the photo but I am on 30 inch tires. I plan to put the correct OEM rims and 29" tires back on the truck so it fixes my back spacing issues and then ,yes, return the torsion bars to stock. It has the new sway away torsion bars so I can't wait to take full advantage of them. The dumb thing rides like a dump truck. The custom rear leaf springs from Alcan also need to be sorted because they sit a little to high for me. Just way to many things on my list. With 5 vehicles, a tractor something always needs attention. With somebody, I am not mentioning any names, storing their GINORMOUS:Wow1: boat in my drive way it definitely limits me. Once this boat is gone I will have my space back for addressing some of the dumb issues, but it's gotta warm up first.

Hear are a few trail shots from last years Retro Ramble I and II and Relic Run VII. These are classic camping expeditions where all vehicles and equipment must meet a certain criteria like being 30 years old. This is a big reason I own this little truck. I love classic camping.http://www.relicrun.com


The High Uintas in Utah

Utah West Desert. Near the Great Salt Lake

 

[IncorpoRatedX]

Then it sounds like you'll definitely need these gears. I'll mark them and set them aside.

The truck looks good, but i disagree about driving better in stock form. I truly believe that all vehicles on the road aside from a handful of luxury and performance cars have been compromised by the margin analysis of the automotive industry. The designers and engineers want to equip most of the trucks and cars with far more than they end up coming with from the factory. I ran into an engineer from mitsu japan at a mitsu facility in north America, when he saw one of my cars, an old 70's galant retrofitted with a newer turbo engine he commented on how well it was executed using stock parts from other chassis, as if it was bread crumbs set by the engineers to tell enthusiasts to do awesome swaps. He went on to remark that the engineers wanted the car to be turbo and twin cam originally but it was cost prohibitive and only the twin cam made it through in the very rare models, none of which came to America. The engineers dont even want mitsu's to stay stock. by not modifying them you're basically smacking them in the face!