sixstanger00
Member
Hey guys! Haven't been on here in forever! Still working on my 4.3 stroker build but for now, I've got a non-SN95 related dilemma...Please read this initial post THOROUGHLY before commenting! Also, I need people with a firm grasp of how manual drive trains work (specifically in the mechanical sense)!
Quick backstory:
A friend of mine who's a hardcore Mitsubishi enthusiast bought a 2003 Eclipse GTS (V6, 5-speed manual) a few months back for $500. Owner said it would rev up in any gear with no vehicle motion, and suspected a bad diff. He even started the car up for us and it ran like a champ (except for not being able to move in any gear). Anywho, $$ was paid, title signed over and the car was on a trailer to my friend's garage to start the tear down. The more I thought about the problem with the car, the more I suspected that it was a bad clutch, because I had just recently helped my wife replace the clutch in her '92 Mazda MX-3, and it exhibited the exact same symptom.
Upon tear down, further evidence suggested that the diff was OK: No metal flakes or particles in the tranny fluid when it was drained, no visible sign of damage to the diff housing, axle splines, or axle spline openings. Once the tranny was out, we quickly discovered that my suspicions were correct; not a shred of kevlar on the the clutch disc!
So a brand new F1 Racing Stage II clutch was installed, new CV axles, new hub assemblies & new radiator/hose.
After the reassembly, everything went to an absolute hell of physics-defying symptoms: (these problems are not sequential; they are all problems we have currently observed)
1st problem:
Engine OFF: Car can be rolled freely forwards and backwards in any gear. With car on jack stands, we spun the wheels by hand and no unusual noise coming from the tranny or diff.
2nd problem:
Engine will not start! New battery, new terminal connectors TIGHT, power comes on, but when the ignition is activated, starter clicks HARD and then a complete loss of electrical power. Moments later, the power will return but extremely weak. Also, + side of the battery occasionally sparks pretty violently when starter engages.
Apparently, a few other GTS owners experienced this problem, and managed to get their cars started by hooking up jumper cables. We gave it a try, and sure enough, the engine fired up. No CEL! However, this trick didn't work everytime; we managed to only get it started twice like this. The other attempts were just like without the cables; spark on the + side, hard click by the starter.
3rd problem: Engine ON, car on jack stands: Wheels spin free when in neutral and clutch is out (I realize this is normal, but it does rule out the differential as a suspect, and sense there's no clicking or rattling from the gearbox, it also rules out any input shaft/output shaft probs). HOWEVER, engine struggles to maintain idle speed even in neutral and no load on wheels! When placed in any gear and clutch released, engine stalls abruptly and DOES NOT spin wheels at all.
I wasn't there when they actually installed the new clutch, but I oversaw the reassembly from tranny to hubs. My friend assures me that the clutch was installed correctly, even after I shot a few queries his way:
Was alignment tool used? Yes
Was pressure plate mounted on flywheel dowel pins? Yes
Was clutch disc facing the right way (raised-center side facing tranny)? Yes
Clutch fork re-installed in bell housing correctly? Yes - it only goes in one way
Clutch fork release spring re-installed correctly? Yes
Clutch-slave cylinder bled after reassembly? Yes
New tranny fluid? Yes - based on Haynes recommended weight
Starter good? Yep - had it tested personally at the local Advance...darned thing nearly jumped off the tabletop.
Sorry of the long post, but I honestly am completely stumped here, and I can't even begin to fathom how the fudge this problem can even exist mechanically!
Any insight would be appreciated!
Quick backstory:
A friend of mine who's a hardcore Mitsubishi enthusiast bought a 2003 Eclipse GTS (V6, 5-speed manual) a few months back for $500. Owner said it would rev up in any gear with no vehicle motion, and suspected a bad diff. He even started the car up for us and it ran like a champ (except for not being able to move in any gear). Anywho, $$ was paid, title signed over and the car was on a trailer to my friend's garage to start the tear down. The more I thought about the problem with the car, the more I suspected that it was a bad clutch, because I had just recently helped my wife replace the clutch in her '92 Mazda MX-3, and it exhibited the exact same symptom.
Upon tear down, further evidence suggested that the diff was OK: No metal flakes or particles in the tranny fluid when it was drained, no visible sign of damage to the diff housing, axle splines, or axle spline openings. Once the tranny was out, we quickly discovered that my suspicions were correct; not a shred of kevlar on the the clutch disc!
So a brand new F1 Racing Stage II clutch was installed, new CV axles, new hub assemblies & new radiator/hose.
After the reassembly, everything went to an absolute hell of physics-defying symptoms: (these problems are not sequential; they are all problems we have currently observed)
1st problem:
Engine OFF: Car can be rolled freely forwards and backwards in any gear. With car on jack stands, we spun the wheels by hand and no unusual noise coming from the tranny or diff.
2nd problem:
Engine will not start! New battery, new terminal connectors TIGHT, power comes on, but when the ignition is activated, starter clicks HARD and then a complete loss of electrical power. Moments later, the power will return but extremely weak. Also, + side of the battery occasionally sparks pretty violently when starter engages.
Apparently, a few other GTS owners experienced this problem, and managed to get their cars started by hooking up jumper cables. We gave it a try, and sure enough, the engine fired up. No CEL! However, this trick didn't work everytime; we managed to only get it started twice like this. The other attempts were just like without the cables; spark on the + side, hard click by the starter.
3rd problem: Engine ON, car on jack stands: Wheels spin free when in neutral and clutch is out (I realize this is normal, but it does rule out the differential as a suspect, and sense there's no clicking or rattling from the gearbox, it also rules out any input shaft/output shaft probs). HOWEVER, engine struggles to maintain idle speed even in neutral and no load on wheels! When placed in any gear and clutch released, engine stalls abruptly and DOES NOT spin wheels at all.
I wasn't there when they actually installed the new clutch, but I oversaw the reassembly from tranny to hubs. My friend assures me that the clutch was installed correctly, even after I shot a few queries his way:
Was alignment tool used? Yes
Was pressure plate mounted on flywheel dowel pins? Yes
Was clutch disc facing the right way (raised-center side facing tranny)? Yes
Clutch fork re-installed in bell housing correctly? Yes - it only goes in one way
Clutch fork release spring re-installed correctly? Yes
Clutch-slave cylinder bled after reassembly? Yes
New tranny fluid? Yes - based on Haynes recommended weight
Starter good? Yep - had it tested personally at the local Advance...darned thing nearly jumped off the tabletop.
Sorry of the long post, but I honestly am completely stumped here, and I can't even begin to fathom how the fudge this problem can even exist mechanically!
Any insight would be appreciated!