This entire guide is incomplete. While everything in here is probably correct do not assume it is. If you see something wrong then please take the time to correct it by rewriting the paragraph and posting it.
Info wanted:
Good and bad tyre brands.
A 'yellow wire' guide, this is asked pretty regulary.
Oil grades, brands.
Explanations for the rest of the mod list.
Various part numbers
Wheel alignment settings
Other ideas?
Contents:
Short hints and tips.
Part numbers.
Suggested modification list.
Maintenance schedule.
Buying a Cordia guide.
Useful links.
Short hints and tips
Engine/Transmission:
Oil change
Use an air compressor to blow air into the oil filter screw hole to drain the oil from the oil cooler as well as the internal galleries and sump. You can get a decent amount of oil out (usually 300-500ml) by doing this which would normally stay in your engine, contaminating your nice new oil.
Use an engine flush when your changing your oil. Follow the instructions on the bottle and after draining it install a new oil filter, as well as new oil. The flush works by thining out the oil and dissolving all the gunk that is baked on. If your engine is particulary dirty you can buy some cheap 20w50 oil and a cheap oil filter and use them with the oil flush. I did this with my engine and turned nice golden oil into jet black crap after 15 minutes of fast ideling with the engine flush. DO NOT drive the car with the engine flush in there, it is too thin to protect the engine.
Degreasing
Kerosene is a very effective degreaser and only a few dollars per litre. Get a nylon brush, the ones used for washing dishes, dip it in the kerosene, scrub the greased up areas then hose off. Everything comes up looking brand new.
CV Joint
When removing the CV axle remember to drain the transmission fluid. or you'll get a nice black smelly stain on your driveway. It's very hard to replace the inner CV joint, your usually better off buying a remanufactured driveshaft.
Injector O-Rings
Instead of buying the very over priced genuine Mitsubishi o-rings you can buy some from your local o-ring shop. Take your injectors in with you and find some the correct size, make sure you buy ones that are oil/petrol resistant or they will melt away. If you can't find any the right size get some that are slightly too big and sand them down with some wet+dry sandpaper until they fit nice and snuggly. Put some petroleum jelly (vaseline) on them before you reassemble the throttle body.
BY Cordi14
(Mitsubishi) Parts Number = MD608932
description = O-ring set, QTY: 1.
packet says "made in Japan"
By Dimondstar
I've been through this one before. DVG motor group is on the Net. Get ahold of the parts manager from the Wanneroo office in WA and he will be able to get you either or both the throttle body kit and the injectors kit. The TB kit has the injectors kit in it any way. I know all this cos I have got both kits through these guys and they really bust arse to help you out.
By Coop1er
Buy a kit for a starion 2.6, it comes with all seals and the base gasket. And it is the same as for a Cordia. I paid US$20 for the kit plus US$7 postage. All up that worked out to be about A$36. It took about two weeks to get to my door.
Compression Test
by Coop1er
When doing a compression test for whatever reason but especially if you suspect a head gasket problem, take off the radiator cap and fill it right to the very top. When you crank the engine with all the spark plugs out, notice that the coolant level doesnt really increase or decrease. Now if you fit the compression tester to 1 cylinder and the coolant level increases then that shows that the combustion gasses are leaking through to the cooling system on that cylinder. Also with a compression test it is a good idea to disable the spark and fuel and hold the throttle wide open.
Cordia Engine Mounts
By slv_ab_gsr
Model Year Engine Trans Mount Part No.
AB, AC 84-85 4G37 Auto Front MT8343
AB, AC 84-85 4G37 Auto Insert MT8697
AB, AC 84-85 4G37 Auto Rear MT8691
AA, AB, AC 84-89 4G62T Auto/ Man Front MT8343
AA, AB, AC 84-89 4G62T Auto/ Man Insert MT8697
AA, AB, AC 84-89 4G62T Manual Rear MT8719
AA, AB, AC 84-89 4G62T Auto Rear MT8691
Note Part Number MT8343 is a 'complete' engine mount whereas
part number MT8697 is only an 'insert' for that mount.
All mounts are available at most repco stores.
Prices are.....All prices are GST included.
MT8343......$51.00
MT8719......$145.00
MT8697......$60.00
LSD
By Evo 85
Well, i have a 1.5 way KAAZ LSD which was custom built to suit the cordia box in my car. That cost me $1,700 & its worth every cent. Feel free to ask questions if need be....(Ask) Your mates at four'n'more
By Ssb2005
Ralliart LSD's are $1200 for the clutch type ones, i was recommended against the ramp and plate ones cos they are prone to shitting themselves in a bad way. i think we need an LSD FAQ thing but no one looks in FAQ any way.............
i was told by a mechanic that a Lancer GSR one bolts straight in also
phantom grip make one that will allegedly fit but i have heard varying reports about them
KAAZ ones fit as previously stated
some early Hyundai exel ones should fit also.
By Grumbly
(Edit)RPW sell em.(edit)
Valve clearence settings
By Coop1er
The Mitsubishi spec is: Intake 0.15mm, Exhaust 0.25mm done when
the engine is hot.
Firing order
1-3-4-2
Number 1 on the dizzy cap is the bottom plug, number 1 cylinder is on the timing belt side.
Ignition timing
By Coop1er
Since your Cordia is an AA or AB, the spec is 5 degrees BTDC @ idle with vacuum advance hose disconnected and plugged. Depending on what boost you run, it is pretty safe to bump the timing up to 10-12 BTDC.
By turbofan
10° BTDC +/- 2deg.@850 rpm
Sticker on rocker cover:
8° BTDC @ 800rpm
What fuel should I use in my Cordia GSR
Premium unleaded, 95-98 octane. There's no need for any additives.
What spark plugs should I use (NGK numbers)?
4g62 8v turbo: B7ES
4g63 8v turbo: B7ES
4g63 12v turbo: ?
4g63 16v turbo: BP6ES-11
What grade oil should I use?
Info Needed!
Suspension and Brakes
Front Suspension Bushings:
Most bushings for the front suspension are made by just about all of the aftermarket
urethane suppliers.
Except for:
Super Pro Polyurethane sway bar Bushings for Cordia GSR.
Sway Bar to link #SPF1021-26K, Sway bar to Strut arm mount #SPF1022. $32 for both kits.
Strut Mounts:
Moog, Part# K9849 $91 USD
Doorman, Part # 665384 $53USD
Generic strut mount made by Noltec Part # N44068 @ $220 per pair. Requires Drilling & fitting
Twin pot calipers
KR magna verada Twin pot calippers bolt up to TN,TM &TP Magna front hubs. However the TN,TM &TP Disks are 266mm, twin pot callipers require 276mm disks.
Looking at the dba catalog, the VR4 disks are the exact same dimentions as the KR except the VR4 has the 4-bolt stud pattern of the TN magnas.
By AAGSR
Yep, VR4, EVO and magna twin spots are all the same. The difference is in the brake line fittings
By astaroth
AAGSR - add pajero 276mm calipers to that list.
http://www.dba.com.au/dba_catalogue_200 ... _index.htm
If you are going to put in twin pots you should concider ie research weather you wish to upgrade the master cylinder. Your arse is your responcibility.
Emissions
EGR valve
Unbolt the EGR valve and install a block off plate in its place to stop exhaust gases from gunking up your intake manifold. Once it is gone you can remove the vac lines that go with it. If you need it for a visual emissions check you can just put in a piece of gasket paper between the valve and the intake manifold to stop the gases passing though it.
Oil/Air seperator
The factory oil/air seperator does an alright job, but the excess gases flow into the air can, gunking it up over time. Instead you can install a small air filter on the oil/air seperator which will allow it to vent to the engine bay. If you don't want to buy an air filter you can run the hose into a coke bottle zip tied into place. You will notice the plastic will get covered in a film of nasty oil over the next few months, oil that would normally coat your air filter or even air flow meter if it gets through.
Intake, Exhaust, Intercooler
Cold air intake
by Astaroth
Instead of cutting a hole in your air box allowing it to breath in hot engine bay air, cut a 3"+ hole and run some piping down to a cold air source. Bell mouths on both ends of the pipe can significantly decrease the restriction to flow caused by turbulence around straight cut pipes. Replacing the corrugated pipe between the airbox and turbo with a smooth-walled pipe will give great flow benefits, remember to use something that can handle the heat.
Links:
Ballistic Bellmouths (Autospeed)
Eliminating Negative Boost (Autospeed - 4 part article)
Siting cold air intakes
Engine bay airflow
by Astaroth
Getting air to flow cleanly and quickly through your engine bay isn't very difficult, and great performance gains can be found with half a day's work. Lower intake charge and engine temps mean more power and better reliability. Read more in
Autospeed's article on undertrays, spoilers and bonnet vents.
Audio
Amp install
Install your amp in the most inconvineant place you can, the harder it is to get to, the longer it will take to steal. A boot mounted amp can be stolen in under a minute, but an amp mounted under the seats could take 10 minutes or more, which could make all the difference.
Head unit install
The factory head unit position has metal brackets on the side and at the back which are for screwing bolts into the side of the head unit, making it almost impossible to yank out. Don't be lazy and leave them out. Put them in! Again, it will take a lot longer to steal a head unit that is bolted in then one that is just held in by the weak metal tabs near the face plate.
Sub woofer install
Ensure your sub woofer is bolted down very tight. If you are in a high speed crash don't expect the seats to stand a chance in stopping a 30+kg sub woofer box from crashing into your back/head.
Other
Fire extinguishers
Get a smaller one (0.9-1.1kg) and a larger one (2-3kg) and know how to use them. If you ever have an engine bay or electrical fire you'll be happy that your not sitting on the side of the road next to a burnt out shell.
Install it somewhere easily accessiable but out of the way so it dosen't get kicked around. On the pasenger side of the centre console and under the rear seat both make good mounting positions with easy access for the smaller ones. Boot mounting is best for the second larger extinguisher as it is out of the way.
Small fire extinguishers wont always be able to put out a large engine fire, so the larger one is used after the small one is used up.
Front Spoilers / Body kits
By pie
http://www.fibremaster.com.au make a kit for the cordia i believe
phillcomrally (
http://www.phillcomrally.com )can supply evo 3 front bars modified to fit the cordia
an obscure German company also makes a kit i think.
By ssb2005
the obscure German one is Hawt IMHO
Subscribe to autospeed! (or at least, buy the good articles)
by Astaroth
As you've noticed I get lots of info from Autospeed (I'm a life member
), simply because they have some great, practical stuff which is fun to do and will give you real performance benefits. Whether you choose to subscribe or just buy the occasional article, there's loads of good stuff on there.
http://www.autospeed.com
Part numbers
Oil filter
Fram: PH3950
Brand?: RZ142A
Air filter
K&N: E-2873
Fuel filter
Spark plugs:
NGK:
4g62 8v turbo: B7ES
4g63 8v turbo: B7ES
4g63 12v turbo: ?
4g63 16v turbo: BP6ES-11
Ignition leads
Distributor cap
Brand?: GM557
Distributor rotor
Brand?: GM533C
Urethane suspension bushings
Nolathane:
Strut bar to chassis: 48048
Control arm lower inner: 45229
Sway bar link inner: 42360
Pedders:
Swaybar Link Bush (4pkt) EP3360
Control Arm Bush (1 pair) EP6229
Radius Rod Bush (4pkt) EP1448
Sway Bar to Caster Rod (D-bush x2) SPF1022k
Swaybar to swaybar linkage (D-bush x2) SPF1021-26k
Super pro:
Control Arm Lower - Inner Bushing SPF1020K 1 2B,2T
Strut Bar To Chassis Mount Bushing SPF0448K 1 4B,2T
Sway Bar Link To Chassis Bushing SPF2092BK 1 8B
Sway Bar Mount To Chassis Bushing SPF1021-_ _K 1 2B Measure bar diameter 26mm available
Sway Bar To Strut Arm "D" Bushing SPF1022K 1 2B
Suggested Modification List:
Before you start modifying your car it needs to be running properly in stock form and be properly maintained.
- Do a compression test.
The higher the result the better. Readings under 100psi and/or more than a 10% difference between cylinders is cause for concern. A leakdown test will would you narrow down what the problem is. There's not much point in going any further until you've fixed this.
- Get a mechanical boost gauge
The factory gauge is useless as is a mechanical gauge that is mounted in the glove box or in the center console by the gearstick. You need to be able to read it while your at full throttle, so the less you have to take your eyes off the road the better.
-Maintenance stuff
Check your ignition timing, your vacuum advance and the one-way valve for the vac advance. A lot of Cordias have their vacuum lines routed wrong, and a lot have blown vacuum advances. Check and if necessary replace your spark plugs, spark plug leads, dizzy cap, dizzy rotor, ignition coil, fuel filter, vacuum lines and throttle body gaskets.
Engine modifications
-K&N air filter.
Swap your old paper air filter for a K&N oiled cotton air filter. Don't bother with a pod type air filter, you wont be able to fit one with out a lot of unnecessary trouble. Don't forget to wash and reoil your air filter every once in a while to prevent it from becoming blocked.
K&N Part numbers:
1.8 Turbo = E-2873
1.6 Carby = E-2755
-Cold air intake.
(Astaroths info from above)
-2.5" Exhaust.
Fit a new exhaust from the turbo back. Mild steel is fine and should last around 10 years. Mandrel bends are better than press bent and shouldn't cost too much more. Avoid cannon type mufflers, they sound horrible. Get a decent straight through oval shape muffler and you'll have a nice quiet exhaust that dosen't make your car sound like a Honda with the same power gains as a cannon exhaust.
-Intercooler
-Increase the wastegate pretension
-Boost controller
-Water injection
-Aftermarket ECU
-Multi point injection
-New turbo
-Tubular exhaust manifold
Handling modifications
-A decent wheel alignment
Recommended settings?
-Tyres.
This is one of the most important parts of your car. A decent set of tyres make a huge improvement in every aspect of your cars performance and can make the difference between being able to stop in time or destroying your car. A large % of your modification and maintenance budget should be set aside for tyres.
Good brands to get are: Goodyear Eagle F1's, Dunlop F901's Yokohama A589(?),
More wanted!
Brands to avoid at all cost: Kellys, Enduro GR2000's,
More wanted! and pretty much anything under $120 a piece (based on a 195/60R14)
-Lowered springs.
These will help to reduce body roll and will improve the overall handling of the car.
-Urethane bushings
-Rear discs
-Upgraded front discs
-Upgraded shock absorbers
-Strut brace
-Upgraded sway bars
Stock front bar diameter = 26mm
Whiteline front bar diameter = 27mm, approximately 16% stiffer than stock. Part number BMF35.
K-Mac front bar diameter = 28mm, approximately 35% stiffer than stock.
Stock rear bar diameter = 16.5mm??
Whiteline rear bar diameter = 16mm. Part number BMR34.
K-Mac rear bar diameter = ??
-Other stuff
Whiteline adjustable front camber bolts, ± 1.5° camber adjustment. Part number KCA412.
K-Mac adjustable front camber / castor kit. Part number #520116J
Maintenance Schedule
Every 300km or weekly, whichever comes first:
Check the engine oil level
Check the coolant level
Check the brake fluid level
Check the tyres and tyre pressure
Every 5000kms or 3 months, whichever comes first:
Change oil and oil filter
Check the power steering fluid level
Check the battery fluid level
Every 10,000kms or 6 months, whichever comes first:
Check drive belts
Check all hoses
Rotate tyres
Every 25,000kms or 12 months, whichever comes first:
Check valve clearances
Change brake fluid
Check steering and suspension systems
Check gearbox oil level
Check CV boots
Change spark plugs
Every 50,000kms or 24 months, whichever comes first:
Change fuel filter
Check/replace ignition leads, dizzy cap, dizzy rotor
Change drivebelts
Drain, flush and refill coolant system
Change gearbox oil
Check ignition timing
Buying a Cordia
by Blue Cordial.
When buying a Cordia you first have to establish what you are after. Either a Project car that needs work or a registered car thats ready to hit the road. This guide is for buying a car that is ready for the road.
Set yourself a budget. Then start searching for the car. They can be found in local papers, Trading posts, Ebay and of course CordiaPower. Once you have found one that interests you and you've arranged to see the car I recommend taking someone who is mechanicly minded even if you are yourself. Two heads are better then one.
Take a pen and paper with you when seeing the car and write down any details. The main ones being,
-Odometer reading
-Last service (brakes, oil, filters)
-If it was rebuilt recently
-Rust and dents in the car
-How the engine runs (smooth, smokey , etc)
-Modifacations (BOV, intercooler, etc)
-Does it come with Rego or Safety Cert
Look over the whole car.
-Search for rust especially in the front bar and gaurds and also on the rear hatch.
-Check the condition of the tyres if they are worn.
-Look for signs of previous accident damage (bent chassis rails etc)
-Condition of paint.
-Check all electrical items work (all lights, wipers, mirrors, indicators)
Ask to take the car for a drive with you driving (if you dont have a licence get someone you know to drive it). Let the car warm up. Have the bonnet up and check for leaks (air, oil and fuel). Check that it free revs easily without stalling. Check for smoke out of the exhaust.
When you first drive it take it easy (especially if its your first time behind the wheel of a turbo car). Do some tight turns listening for any noises from the steering or suspension. Also do some braking tests. After making sure the car is safe drive it a bit harder but keep to the speed limit. After your happy with the way it performs take it back and check under the bonnet while the cars still running for leaks.
If your happy with the car then you can part with your money and have fun with your Cordia.
Getting your Cordia Roadworthy.
by Blue Cordial
This is a basic guide to getting a stock Cordia on the road.
The best thing to do with an old car is replace as much of the fuild and wearing parts as possible. What ive done with all my cars is give them a good service and tune before a roadworthy.
This is a basic checklist of what should be replaced.
* Oil and Filter change (you dont know how old that oil in there is)
* Air filter (replace or at least give it a clean)
* Spark plugs and leads (can make car run smoother)
* Coolant (remember to mix the correct coolant/water ratio and use distilled water or rain water)
* Vacuum lines (replace them as they go hard and crack from heat)
* Brake pads (replace the front pads and check the rear drums for wear)
* Wiper blades
Other things that dont have to be done but its a good idea while your doing it.
* Fuel filter (they gunk up over years)
* Globes (in the headlights, indicators etc)
* Clutch (especially if its suss)
* Tyres (make sure they are DOT approved and always buy them new)
*Coil (these can stop working when they are old)
General things to check over
* Check over all suspension and steering components for signs of wear. Bushes usually go after a few years.
* Exhaust leaks will fail a roadworthy. With the car running look underneath the car for signs of leaks, they can usually be heard.
* Rust is very bad and unfortunatly something that old cars tend to have. Get rid of all rust as soon as you can before it gets worse.
*Interior components like the seat belts and seats need to be checked for rips and tears. Also check that the wheels sits straight when the wheels are straight.
*Handbrake. Check its tension. adjust if necercery.
*All instruments in the dash work
Tuning the motor to run smoothing can be done by adjusting the TPS and idle screw on a GSR and playing around with the adjusting screws on a GSL. Information on tuning can be found on this site using the search function.
Give the car a good wash. It will help make the car look in better condition.
Useful links
http://www.whiteline.com.au/reviews03.htm Heaps of suspension info.
http://www.autospeed.com