This FAQ is for DSM owners to quickly find some of the most common questions/answers. Please search the appropriate questions from the frame window.

Turbo Related Questions

• How many different variations are there?
  The following is a list of specs on the Mitsubishi Turbos. Some are old parts no longer available.

TDO4-9B-6CM2		265 CFM		TDO5H-14G-8CM2		465 CFM
TDO5-12A-8CM2		320 CFM		TDO5H-16G-7CM2		505 CFM
TDO4-13G-5CM2		360 CFM		TDO5H-16G-10CM2		505 CFM
TEO4-13C-6CM2		360 CFM		TDO6-17C-8CM2		550 CFM
TDO4L-13G-6CM2		360 CFM		TDO6H-20G-14CM2		650 CFM
TDO4L-15C-8.5CM2		390 CFM		TDO7S-25G-17CM2		850 CFM
TDO5H-14B-6CM2		405 CFM		TFO8L-30V-18CM2		1200 CFM

The above specs are measured at 15psi compressor air flow. I didn't get into turbine flow or actuator settings because of the detail and length of explanation. There's more, but I don't have all the specs. I'll tell you what I know. I'm not including any more of the small TCO,TDO, or TEO4 units because they don't apply to our cars. Nor do they have any relevance to the point being made here.

TDO6-11A-8CM2		TDO6H-18G-12CM2		TDO8-22B-28CM2
TDO6-17A-12CM2		TDO6H-19C-12CM2		TDO8-22D-8CM2
TCO6-17B-12CM2		TDO7-22A-17CM2		TDO8-22D-28CM2
TDO6-17C-8CM2		TDO7S-23A-13CM2		TD13L-47B-47CM2
TDO6-17C-10CM2		TDO7S-25A-13CM2

OK! That's enough, I couldn't find the combination which integrated the elusive -23G- compressor wheel. I called Mitsubishi to inquire about this so called -23G- wheel, they had no record of ever producing anything called ~-23G-. I was advised of the possibility someone may have cut down a -25G- wheel and called it a -23G-. All of the above are about 50% of the combinations available over the last 5 years. Many have been discontinued, most others are for trucks. I put them in here to let you all know what is or what was available. Hope This Helps...

• What is the maximum output from the various turbos?
  

Max output from various turbos
TD05-14B (stock 1st gen)		275-300hp @ 21 psi
TD05-16G (small)		345-365hp @ 22 psi
TD06-16G (large)		365-385hp @ 22 psi
TD06-20G		430-450hp @ 22 psi
T25 (stock 2nd gen)		235-250hp @ ?? psi
T3 (super 60)/T2.5 hybrid		265-280hp @ ?? psi
T3 (super 60)/T2.8 hybrid		270-320hp @ ?? psi

• What is the meaning of 14B, 16G, 20G?
  
  The turbo that is OEM on the 5-speed is a Mitsubisho TD05H with a 14B turbine wheel (on the compressor side) and another (I don't know the name/number) and a 060 housing. What the "16G" turbo has is several things. The 16G refers to the compressor wheel. What happens is there are several TD05 housings (compressor) which can accomodate different wheel sizes. There are also two (!) 16G wheels, a large and small. The large 16G was shipped until around Jan 95 and the small 16G have been around for some time. Most likely the 16G you will find will be the small 16G (although the 7cm housing is still readily available).
  The other difference is that the turbo has a larger exhaust side housing, hence the 070 or 7 centimeter housing. The wheel in the exhaust side is the same but it is clipped.
  Another option is the 20G wheel, but a true 20G wheel will ONLY fit into a TD06 housing, no matter what anyone says as the wheel is physically too large to fit into a TD05 housing (I know because I have a TD06 compressor in my car and the wheel is REALLY big). The hybrid 20G most DSMs run is a 7cm 16G turbo with a 20G compressor wheel and housing.
  But in Mitsubishi terms, the larger the number in the 13G, 16G, etc line the larger the compressor wheel and hence more air can be moved. So which turbo has the 16G wheel? The standard upgrade/heavy industry/Stage I, etc are all the same and is the next step up to the stock turbo, and offers a really nice unit for the price as other options can become costly.

Throttle body coolant bypass

• What is it?
  The throttle body coolant bypass mod is actually very simple. Normally, hot water/coolant runs through the throttle body in order to heat it up for winter driving. This prevents icing of the throttle plate. Unless you live in Canada, however, this isn't really very necessary and only serves to heat up the incoming air somewhat.
• How do you do it?
  The mod simply involves attaching the coolant in line to the coolant out line, and plugging the holes on the throttle body. Without the hot water running through it, air temps should be lower resulting in more power.
• Any side effects?
  Yes, until the car warms up, the idle will tend to "hunt" between 1000-1500rpm. Personally, I don't think this mod is worth the effort, since its a pain to get at the coolant lines. In addition, the gains you could get from this mod are very small. Its only worth it if you are a hard-core drag racer.

BlowOff Valve bypass

• What is it?
  Modifying the compressor bypass valve (CBV/BOV) is only necessary for those with 95+ cars. The CBV/BOV is supposed to blow open when you slam the throttle plate shut, creating a loop of compressed air running through the turbo and i/c. This loop keeps the turbo spooled up, and prevents the back pressure from slamming into the turbo, stressing and slowing it. The problem is that the CBV on 95+ cars leaks at high boost. Pre-95 vehicles have a CBV which has a stronger spring and won't leak (much) until it is supposed to blow off. One option available to all model years is to remove the loop effect, and just have the CBV blow off into the atmosphere. This option in my opinion is not a good idea if you are driving the car on the street. If the pressure is just blown off, that is wasted energy which could be used to keep the turbo spooled up. Drag racers run it sometimes because an open dump can release more pressure than the stock closed loop setup.
  Credited to; APalmer@maila.harris.com (APalmer)

Air Canister Filter/Silencer

• What does it look like?
  
  You should be able to visualize it easily. When you open your hood, it is right behind the passenger's headlight. It looks like a big, black paint bucket [see picture].
  
• Where is that horn thing located?
  
  Located on the far passennger side of the air canister, you will see the horn/snorkel. It is there to pull in cool air from the plastic vent panel located directly in front of it on the headlight bulkhead. Most people drill out the rivets holding this horn/snorkel on, and remove the plastic vent panel to get more air into the turbo. [see picture].
• What does the silencer look like?
  
  To have a good look at the silencer you have to disconnect the air canister from the turbo hose. Once you do that you will see the silencer behind the air canister [see picture]. Note that 2Gs do not have the silencer, only 1Gs.
• How many HP do I get if I remove the silencer?
  
  Probably very little, if any, since the silencer is there to reduce noise and for emission purposes. But it may help, and it makes the turbo sound better ;-)
• What is that thing inside the canister?
  
  Inside the canister is the Mass Air-Flow (MAF) sensor. What it does is collect the air-flow and barometer pressure that is coming into the turbo for fuel needs calculation [see picture].
• I have K&N, Akimoto, or HKS Super Power Flow. Can I wash them?
  
  K&N and Akimoto
  • YES you can wash them. You just have to buy their wash kit and follow the directions.
  HKS Super Power Flow
  • NO you shouldn't since at the back of the plastic cover of the green filter it says: REPLACE filter element every 4,800 - 6,400 miles. If you try to wash the Super Power Flow, it will fall apart into two layers. Perhaps only the Power Flow can be washed, but NOT the Super Power Flow.

Transmission

• Why does my transmission grind so much?
  Apparently this is a widespread problem among TEL owners. I guess you have heard a lot of people are having trouble fixing it, but it looks like there are not many complaints from 95 owners.
• Is there a way to fix this problem?
  At this point no known cure has been found. Yes, not even changing the whole transmission has solved the problem in many cases.
  But there are couple thing you can help to lessen the grind:
  1. Use Red Line MTL (or MT90) or BG Synchroshift fluids, this helps eliminate most of the shifting problems
  2. Check to see if your clutch master cylinder must be replaced
  3. Don't downshift from high rpm alot, if it's not necessary. Instead use your brakes.

Boost Tap

Where do I tap my boost gauge Look at hoses on the throttle body You should find 4 hoses attaching to ports labeled A2, A, E, and P 90s will have 2 on top and 2 on the front, later cars will have 3 or 4 on top Tap it from the "P" hose (usually RED striped) If your hoses do not have colored stripes, or your throttle body isn't marked, you can figure out which hose to tap into. Look at the throttle body, and note where the throttle plate pivots. This is your "centerline". The hose taps have obvious passages into the throttle body, and you should be able to figure out which ones tap in before and after the plate. You want to tap into the taps AFTER the plate, so you get full vac and boost readings. On most cars, these hoses are RED or GREEN. Where are the best locations to put the gauge The A-pillar (panel between windshield and door) Right beside your instrument panel console The center vent (remove and replace with flat panel) Under the stereo (for people who have aftermarket radios and a blank plate) The A-pillar works best, as it puts the gauge nearest to your eyes, but isn't "clean" enough for some people, as it is in plain sight.

Electric windows problems

I have heard a lot of people complain that their windows roll up quickly to a certain point and then "stick." This may be caused by a loose door panel bracket. The top of the door panel is held on by several metal brackets. These brackets simply snap into a slot in the panel and fit over the door frame when the panel is pushed down over the frame during installation. These brackets have a tendency to unseat and fall down between the door panel and window housing. When this occurs, the window becomes "jammed" against the bracket and the panel when the base of window nears the top of the housing. This, obviously, will cause the window to stick. I discovered this while installing new door speakers. A friend was experiencing the same problems, and upon removing his panel we discovered another fallen bracket.
Credited to Jamey B. Johnson zorn@usa.pipeline.com

Re-wiring fog lights

On the back of the driving lights their is a connector that should snap apart. I disconnected this from both sides. Find the wire running to the parking lights. There should be a ground and a hot wire. Locate the hot wire (the best way to do this is to put a stick pin into wire and hook it into a volt meter. Turn on the parking lights, if the volt meter shows activity, you've found the correct wire.) Splice a new wire into this hot wire. Then run the wire to the connector on the back of the driving lights. (I cut the connector on the back of the driving lights off so that I could access the wiring better.) You will also need to run a ground wire to the wire on the back of the driving lights. I used a screw that was near the parking lights. Do the same thing for both sides. This should set it up so that whenever your parking lights or headlights are on, your driving lights will be on. Keep in mind that they will also stay on with high beams as well (unlike the factory settings - Great for bright lighting idiots.)
(Note: This will place a much heavier strain on the parking light wiring than normal. Blowing fuses is quite possible. You are better off wiring a relay inline to take the load off of the parking light circuit. -TS)

EGR

• What is EGR?
  EGR stands for Exhaust Gas Recirculation, and its' purpose is to reintroduce the unburned fuel in your exhaust back into the combustion chambers. This is done when you come off the throttle and the exhaust is full of unburned fuel. Under acceleration the valve is closed, when lifting throttle the valve is opened. This keeps the exhaust cleaner.
• Why block it off?
  The idea is that if you block this off the hot exhaust gas will not mix with cool fresh intake air and will keep the intake manifold and charge air cooler.
• How can I do that?
  It is blocked off below the throttle body. I removed the battery, intake hose, and throttle body elbow to get more room. Remove the EGR gasket and cut out a piece of solid metal in the shape of the gasket. Reassemble using the solid material. This will block off the EGR flow.
• What HP do I get by doing this?
  Possibly none at all, except for a little from the cooler intake air.

The Correct Way To Launch Your

• All Wheel Drive T/E/L
  Hold the RPM at 4500 while sitting on the line, and then slip the clutch out very quickly while adding throttle at the same rate.
  Credited to: David Buschur the4bangr@aol.com
• Front Wheel Drive T/E/L
  Well, there's been some talk recently about how to get the FWDs to hook-up at the line. Aside from spending big bucks converting to an AWD system, there are a few things you can do to get somewhat respectable 60' times at the track. Here's what *I* think (cocky college kid mode ON):
  First of all, it's very important to have tires with tread on them (as I found out last weekend :-( ). Seriously though, the tires you choose to run are EXTREMELY important. Throw out those GT+4's and get a nice set of performance tires. It seems that as far as street tires go, the Dunlop SP8000's, and Goodyear GS-C's are pretty sticky tires that will give you decent all-season performance. I currently have some Dunlop D40M2's, and although they lasted a long time and I've had numerous 2.0-2.1 60' times with them, they just break away too easily. I'm currently in the process of getting myself some BFG R1 tires, but I don't expect them to last over 10K miles on the street. After more than 100 runs, I'm pretty confident that sub-2.0 60' times are just not possible with your typical "street" tire. I'll see what both R1 and slicks can do at the ShootOut! While I'm on the subject of tires, inflation is key to getting the power to the ground. At the track, I've experimented with tire pressures in front from 10lbs to 30lbs. If the pressure is too high, you'll just sit and spin and hop. If it's too low, you'll lose optimal contact with the track, and it will slow you down at higher speeds. I've found that the best pressures are around 15lbs in the front, and 55lbs in the rear (reduces drag). Now we get to weight transfer. What you want to do is keep as much of the weight in the front of the car when launching. I'm sure you've noticed that the front wheels seem to lift up under hard acceleration as the weight "transfers" towards the rear of the car.
  What I have done is to install GAB adjustable struts/shocks and Eibach springs on my car. The GAB's can be adjusted to virtually prevent weight transfer, while the springs lower the cars center of gravity. I'll be cutting a coil or two off of the front springs to give the car a "raked" attitude to further reduce transfer in the coming month. I've found that the optimal setting for the GABs is 8 in back(full stiff) while leaving the front struts on setting 1(full soft). This seems to let the tires bite into the track more as the front suspension gives a little, while the rear doesn't move. Another benefit of these suspension upgrades is that I have NOT had wheel hop since putting these on. Another thing you can do that I have not tried, is to experiment with "air bags" in the rear shocks. These clever little things let you inflate them inside of the coil to stiffen up the rear shocks even more. They're affordable too if you can't get the GABs. Needless to say, take EVERYTHING out of the hatch (spare, jack, seats, carpet, tools, etc...).
  Finally there's the actual launching technique. Believe me, his takes a LOT of practice! Here's what has worked best for me (I think): When you get to the line, bring the RPM's up to 3000. I don't believe that dialing the boost down is the answer to getting a clean launch, rather it's careful use of the gas.
  When you launch, DON'T let the RPMs jump up on you, and DON'T take off at full throttle in first gear! I don't know about you guys, but if I get a bad launch, I'll smoke the tires all through 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
  OK, the light turns green. Now when you feel the clutch start to grab, keep it at half-throttle and gently slip the clutch until it's all the way out, preventing the tires from smoking(keeping it around 3500). Now you have to be very careful with the throttle. It takes some practice, but after awhile you can feel when the tires are on the brink of spinning. Keep depressing the gas SLOWLY as you gain speed, keeping in mind when you feel that your tires are about to let loose. It's very easy to get anxious and floor it, but resist the temptation.
  The 1-2 shift is critical to your success at the track. If you've launched right, you should be able to get through 1st without spinning until around 6000. When you go to make this shift keep in mind that if you just floor it, I guarantee that you'll spin all through 2nd and you'll have to get off the gas and bog down. Also remember not to go completely WOT in 1st gear. Any spinning that you're doing when you make the 1-2 shift will just make for a sloppy spinning 2nd gear.
  As you go into 2nd, keep the RPMs steady at around 4000. Slip the clutch out until the tires bite, then start giving it some serious gas. Don't go WOT until you're sure that the tires are biting well. At around 6200 RPMs (any higher and you'll start spinning again if you have modified your car), shift into third quickly and don't let the RPMs drop below 4500. Give it full throttle as soon as you let the clutch out.
  After you've gone into 3rd you should be set to "speed shift" into 4th in a few seconds (don't take your foot off the gas, but shift VERY fast). The optimal shift point from 3rd to 4th seems to be about 5500 for the stock turbo, and around 6800 for the 16G. I don't know if I've cleared this up, or if I've just further complicated things. It's hard to describe how the car should "feel" as you near the point of spinning. After a few runs you'll see what I mean. Slipping the clutch and careful use of the gas is very important, so I'd also heartily reccomend a CFDF clutch if you're going to do this.
  Credited to: Jim McKenna jfm127@psu.edu

Solving Speaker Rattle For 95 DSM

I kinda fixed my rear speaker rattle on my '95 Talon TSi. From what I guessed, the rattle came from the speaker forcing air into the panel then the air has no place to go, it rattles the panel. For some strange reason, when I took off one of those "sticker" covers (those grey stickers that are the same shape of some of the panel holes), the rattle disappeared. Sorry I can't be too specific about it but I just don't know what some of these things are called. When you remove that plastic panel, and see the metal panel, I'm sure you'll see what I'm referring to as "sticker" covers. That solved my rattle problem, I hope it solves yours. I also added some fiberglass insulation in there. It makes the sound/bass more solid now, less air noise, and deadens vibrations.
Credited to: Kenneth King kking02@ccsf.cc.ca.us

The "Noisy lifter" solution

From the day I purchased it to the day I performed the following miracle (I use this word because you will too) my Talon made horrible lifter noises. Anyways here's a "low-buck" solution that's guaranteed to put a smile on your face. BTW, I have 16 new lifters for sale that I prematurely bought before trying one of the oldest tricks in the book (and now, one of my favorites).
Materials You Will Need:

1. 1-quart Dexron II Transmission Fluid
2. 1-quart of cold water
3. 2-feet of Vacuum tubing
4. 4-New NGK BP7ES spark plugs (BR7ES-11 non-turbo)
5. 1-quart of any brand "motor flush"
6. 5-quarts of Fresh Mobil-1 15W-50 Oil
7. 1-New Oil Filter

First, make sure your Diamond Star is up to normal operating temperature. Find the direct-port vacuum line at the throttle body and on the driver's side of the manifold (where the VPC pressure sensor is usually plumbed into).
Have a friend bring the engine speed of the car up to 3500 rpm. Run your vacuum line to the direct-port source at the throttle body. Submerse the other end in the bottle of transmission fluid. Keeping the tube slightly pinched, regulate the flow of fluid into the engine as your friend works the throttle to keep engine speed between 3500 and 4500 rpm. Large puffs, no, LARGE CLOUDS of smoke will begin to emit from the tailpipe and possibly under the hood (if you have any exhaust leaks).
After half of the bottle is used, repeat with the water using half of that bottle. After you locate the vacuum port on the driver's side of the manifold, repeat the process. First use the tranny fluid, then follow with the water.
When you finish this process which will remove the carbon buildup within the cylinder, follow the manufacturers directions for the engine oil "motor flush." Follow with an oil change and replace the plugs (the chamber cleaning process can foul the plugs).
That's it, you're done.
Now, go out and drive the car and feel the power. If your valves were gummed up before, it'll feel like these an extra 20 ponies under the hood as throttle response will be tremendous.
Since my car had so many miles on it, I repeated this process at the next oil change. For the heck of it, I did a cylinder leakdown test. The results were amazing...two percent leakdown in each cylinder. Typically, cars with this kind of mileage would be happy to see 6 to 12 percent.
Credited to: Michael Ferrara turbogod@primenet.com

(NOTE: DO NOT attempt this if you don't know what you are doing! You can suck too much fluid in too fast, and "hydrolock" your engine (fluid is incompressible - too much, and it is like trying to crush a rock), which can destroy valves, rings, pistons, or the head or block. The fix above does NOTHING to clean the lifters, it is cleaning carbon off of the valves, which can cause a ticking sound similar to that of noisy lifters. Use fuel system cleaners instead -TS).

How To Clean The Intercooler Core

Using gas to clean an i/c is risky. Just don't smoke while doing it. You will have to pull it to properly clean it. The gas will come out clear when its clean. Dave B did it this way and it works well. Let it dry overnite before installing it. Then install a K&N breather and you will never have to do it again.
Credited to; Szymkowski, Frank (NOTE: It is safer to use rubbing alcohol, it will just take more. Or buy some parts cleaning fluid, and use it instead -TS)

Comments or questions contact Benjamin Sabini

Credits

• Pics by:
  • Ben Sabini
  • Tom Stangl
• Text by:
  • Ben Sabini
  • Tom Stangl (rewrite and comments)
  • Others as noted in the text