Is there really no bolt on power mods for 3.0?

[B.N.Z.MTNS]

So I'm new to this Mitsubishi thing, but not new to improving a vehicles abilities. Usually that involves better, suspension, better drivetrain components and better engine performance.

It seems that there is plenty of options for the first 2, but not much out there for engine mods (3.0 specifically).

Can anyone tell me where to find any bolt on power for these engines... Intake mods, exhaust components, underdrives. Has anyone been successful adapting a supercharger or turbo?

I come from a world of American V8 power, so this small engine stuff is new to me. I know that I'll never roast 4 tires on blacktop, but it seems like there should be a simple way to gain a handful of horsepower. 😕

Am I searching in the wrong places or have my Google powers failed me?

 

[ManfromSnowyRiver]

Need to focus on gears

 

[B.N.Z.MTNS]

Well, I guess I'll have to live with it and see how heavy 33's feel someday.
I have to keep telling myself...its not a build, just a grocery getter with extras.
I told my wife I'd leave this one alone until it needed tires...then we'll negotiate.

 

['round n' back again]

after fooling with this engine some i have developed a few opinions.
the base engine is very strong, simple and reliable.
its tuned for epa.
you can fool with the following:

throttle bodies
plug wires
plugs
and timing. ah timing!

in this area i think there lurks a lot of hp. megasquirt piggybacked on the fuel injection,coupled with a knock sensor can have you riding advance right up untill knock.
i bet there is a lot of power to be had there.and the communication between the distributor and m sqirt are like they were made for each other.
other than that your option is a vr4 or a larger 3.5 engine which is impractical all things considered.

 

[B.N.Z.MTNS]

and timing. ah timing!

in this area i think there lurks a lot of hp. megasquirt piggybacked on the fuel injection,coupled with a knock sensor can have you riding advance right up untill knock.
i bet there is a lot of power to be had there.and the communication between the distributor and m sqirt are like they were made for each other.
other than that your option is a vr4 or a larger 3.5 engine which is impractical all things considered.

Aside from some polishing and smoothing out intake flow, I think timing might be the only "cheap" option.
I have been reading on a few sites where guys are taking Dodge cars with the 3.0 and gaining some decent power from timing adjustments. These are mostly drag racers operating in higher RPMs, but they are having some success.

 

[ChargerX3]

If you are crafty with engines. A 6g74TT could be made to work with your application. Hell you could even do a 6g74 or 75 build. It wouldn't be a run of the mill easy job, but it is completely doable.

 

[RyanY]

General hotrod principles are still effective on these engines, but the gains are smaller because they tend to be better designed from the factory than a typical domestic V8. Headers, a low-restriction muffler, and a correctly-sized exhaust system will give some small gains. I've read that the throttle body is a significant restriction in the intake tract but have no personal experience with any improvements there. The factory Gen 2 airbox isn't a model of airflow, but it's fed cold air from the fender well and does an amazing job of preventing water from being ingested by the engine (yes, personal experience). Any aftermarket "cold-air intake" is probably not going to gain much other than increased intake noise. It's been suggested that a snorkel can give a small ram-air effect and might possibly add 1-2 hp, but any gains are likely offset by the added weight and wind resistance (snorkels look cool, though!). A tune-up with ND or NGK iridium plugs, high-quality plug wires, and new filters will help it run to the best of it's ability. Although I'm not completely familiar with it, supposedly the 96-newer ECU's can be reflashed or remapped somehow. Alternatively, as mentioned above, a MegaSquirt would give you infinite control over fuel and timing, but is far from being bolt-on.

 

[B.N.Z.MTNS]

If you are crafty with engines. A 6g74TT could be made to work with your application. Hell you could even do a 6g74 or 75 build. It wouldn't be a run of the mill easy job, but it is completely doable.

I used to work at a week equipped shop with several guys that could help when things were beyond my knowledge base. But I quit all secondary employment 4 years ago raise and train horses with my wife at our place. I still do most of my own wrenching, but for any precision stuff I would have to get it to a local shop with the right equipment and know how.

 

[ChargerX3]

General hotrod principles are still effective on these engines, but the gains are smaller because they tend to be better designed from the factory than a typical domestic V8. Headers, a low-restriction muffler, and a correctly-sized exhaust system will give some small gains. I've read that the throttle body is a significant restriction in the intake tract but have no personal experience with any improvements there. The factory Gen 2 airbox isn't a model of airflow, but it's fed cold air from the fender well and does an amazing job of preventing water from being ingested by the engine (yes, personal experience). Any aftermarket "cold-air intake" is probably not going to gain much other than increased intake noise. It's been suggested that a snorkel can give a small ram-air effect and might possibly add 1-2 hp, but any gains are likely offset by the added weight and wind resistance (snorkels look cool, though!). A tune-up with ND or NGK iridium plugs, high-quality plug wires, and new filters will help it run to the best of it's ability. Although I'm not completely familiar with it, supposedly the 96-newer ECU's can be reflashed or remapped somehow. Alternatively, as mentioned above, a MegaSquirt would give you infinite control over fuel and timing, but is far from being bolt-on.

They start at 98'. 98-99 can be flashed with 3kgt equipment. 2000 up would have several breaks but i think up to 04 would be the eclipse software. That you would have to confirm.

 

[B.N.Z.MTNS]

1) Headers, a low-restriction muffler, and a correctly-sized exhaust system will give some small gains.

2) I've read that the throttle body is a significant restriction in the intake tract but have no personal experience with any improvements there.

1) I can't find where anyone is putting aftermarket exhaust on Monteros. Maybe its just not talked about much. I know theres not much room for headers, but I'd think a free flow cat and open design muffler and slightly larger pipe size would be beneficial.

2) I was reading on some Dodge drag race forums about building 3.0 motors. Many of them were jumping up to 58mm or even 60mm TBs ( I guess 87/88 dodge/plymouth vans with the 3.3 or 3.8 motors had these larger TBs) It just takes some porting where the throttle body mounts. I will be looking into those options to see if there's anything compatible with Mitsu 3.0s.

 

[mudraider]

You need to go back to answer #3. There is enough power. Gears are going to be your off road savior. But if you feel the need to tinker and all that, go right ahead. Automatic? Think about a NP231 with crawler gears. A front locker, crawler years , and you will make your jeep friends feel silly.

sent from my pretty good Android phone

 

[coffeegoat]

This is a pretty good list of things you can do: RPW

The problem is that most of them aren't easily found in the states. When my exhaust manifold was cracked I looked into importing headers from Australia, they'll sell them to you, but I couldn't stomach the huge cost (in my opinion). I'm curious about buying some headers from a GTO or eclipse V6 and then modifying them to connect up with the exhaust. You can (and people down under do) completely rework the exhaust, but depending on emissions in your state that may not be legal... It's also possible to buy header kits if you're handy with a welder, but then you're on your own for fit up and quality.

There are also a variety of Chip/flash upgrades, but again, haven't seen great, verified, results with them specifically on Monteros as they tend to focus on eclipse and evo applications.

 

[coffeegoat]

Oh, and make sure your maintenance is up to date, little things like cleaning the lifters and flushing the transmission make noticeable improvements in performance.

 

[B.N.Z.MTNS]

Thanks for the responses.
I'm thinking I'll wait for any modifications until I've driven this for a while. I plan on going to 33" tires when the current tires need replacing. At that time I'll probably rework the exhaust system and improve air intake. Gears will hopefully find their way into the budget with an ARB soon after. Aside from that, I think just sticking to religious maintenance with quality products will be the best ally in using what's available.

I'm liking this forum so far, especially since I'm coming from the world of full size 4wd. All the folks on here are helpful with their personal experiences... Even for the Mitsu newbies.

 

['round n' back again]

It is a fact, that the 3.0 will dissappoint.
It's a work horse. A work pony really.
Being said, u can flog the little beastie and she will give all she got, but it ain't much.
Go to changing tb's and u mess with torque ; where u need it, u lose it, and gain it where u can't use it.
Most them boys racing are looking for power where we're not .

Biggest gains: high tune. Careful timing synthetic oils. Keep em cool.
That's all u can do except msquirt.

The Diamante engine is high comp.
A good start but can only use it with a good tune.
Msquirt again.
Exhaust size is good to 185 hp.
There are no major restrictions in system that would net h.p. by deleting.
And may harm torque if u do.
Headers help not at all below 5K rpm.
I did ,ahem, find my cat converter to be empty one day, and not having driven a new model for comparison.I found a sharp seat of pants improvement in throttle response from my rigs previous deplorable acceleration.