Project Spirit L/E

[PBODY]

This is my 1989 Spirit LE T1 Turbo.

Purchased as a winter car. All stock with a blown head gasket and the clip missing for the WG arm. 135K miles with a pretty clean interior.
Options:
A/C
CC
tilt steering
delay wipers
sun roof (not sure if it is factory or not)
rear defogger

No power windows or door locks.

It did have an aftermarket trans cooler installed. The car ran, but poorly. Has a little bit of rust issues, but not bad for it's age and being a car from the salt belt region.

I started with the removal of the engine and tearing it down. Basically removed the head and oil pan. I decided to replace the Mitsu with a Garrett from a T1 log car. Other mods include removing the BS chain and opening up the oil pump pick up screen along with all new gaskets.

[PBODY]

Here are some pics of the inside of the engine.





I also removed #1 piston to "de-glaze" the flash rust on the cylinder wall from taking in water. All cylinders still showed cross hatching and the bearings still looked good so they were kept.

[PBODY]

Turbo modifications:

I marked the Garret flange using the Mitsu as a template.



I then drilled 2 pilot holes in the corners where the material needed to be removed.



I then used a cut off wheel, saws all and whatever else I could find that would cut cast iron to cut the flange.

[Vigo]

Looking good. Only time ive ever had to do that i just held it up to a bench grinder for a while. kinda tires your arms tho!

Lookin good, i've got an 89 spirit thats apart right now too.. Maybe i should post up!

Keep us updated!

[turbovanman²]

Very nice, should be a fun sleeper,

[blk86trbo]

I like it! Nothing like an unsuspecting Grandma car

[Vigo]

heh, get some dorky swiss cheese wheels like mine and people wont know WHAT to think! lol

Mine had those same hubcaps too. Just about every turbo in 89 that didnt have alloys had some kind of turbine-blade looking hubcap, i think.

[85boostbox]

LOL i had a 89 and mine had the Snowflakes on it. Funny though i cracked a piston in mine and mad ethe mistake of only replacing that one piston to get by. Didn't coincide with all of the other rings and pistons that had a 130000 on them. Car ran but never ran exactly right LOL. But neways keep up the progress. Looks fun.

[PBODY]

Thanks for the comments. I would like to find a set of wheels for it. I think it would look good with pumpers or crabs, but it is probably cheaper to find some all season radials.

Here are some more pictures of the modifications done.

The turbo was fitted up and the Mitsu coolant feed was "tweaked" to fit. A new coolant drain was made from steel line. The stock oil feed line was installed and a new silicone hose was installed on the oil drain.

I needed to make an adapter for the air inlet of the turbo. I took the log's inlet housing and cut off the flange. The welder at my work welded on a piece of aluminum tubing with works awesome.





I also had to clock the turbo outlet and modify the WG bracket. That wasn't too hard to do, but it is pretty tight in there.

[turbokid]

Wow nice work. I have a drivetrainless 89 spirit le original turbo car that was switched to 5 speed. Kinda still wondering what I wanna do with it.
Q

[PBODY]

Wow nice work. I have a drivetrainless 89 spirit le original turbo car that was switched to 5 speed. Kinda still wondering what I wanna do with it.
Q

If you were closer, I'd buy it from you. My brother in law is looking for a turbo 5-speed Dodge.

[turbokid]

Come get it.
350 for it rolling with a good title, a 523, and extra parts.

[PBODY]

Motor is back in and running.

Pre-check before starting:

Fuel pressure is good, but not holding. Leak by the fuel filter hose. Tightened clamp for now.

Poured in anti-freeze to see it leak back out at the water pump gasket. Replaced pump and o-ring seal for the water pump housing to the block.

Hit the key and she fired right up to the sound of a HORRIBLE knocking noise. Shut it off. WTF?

Do some checking and find the torque converter bolts look like they are rubbing something. I find the plate between the block and trans is bent in the corner and rubbing the heads of the bolts. Bend that back and all is good. Runs great.

Here is a picture of my vacuum block that cost me $0.00. The zip ties add at least 50 visual HP.

[Vigo]

Sounds great!!! let us know when its all scienced out and running the target boost and tell us how it feels

[jamesmonty]

Awesome vac block! I had a spirit turbo that I still kick myself for selling. Good luck!

[PBODY]

Update time.

I have been driving the car regualarly for the past couple of days. Vacuum line is connected directly to the waste gate can for minimum boost. It is about 5 psi right now. It hauls pretty good for 5 psi. I also adjusted the bands in the A413 to what Simon suggested and increased the line pressure 2 turns. It shifts great. I might go back in and do the shift kit modifications when I start turning up the boost.

Exhaust has been modified. I now have a very free flowing cat and the stock resonator. It dumps down where the stock 1-7/8" tail pipe connected in front of the LR wheel. No muffler right now. I did order a 2.5" turbo muffler and got some 2.5" mandrel bends from a friend to make a new tail pipe. This is so the wife doesn't complain how loud it is. Right now turbo whistle is awesome!

Wheels have been changed to some 14" steel styled mini van wheels with the big chrome center cap. I flipped the tires to black walls and painted the rims black and left the caps chrome. It gives it an old school Mopar look. Tires are a little taller at 195-75-14's. I'll get pics of that soon.

Last night I modified the gauge cluster. My stock tach was sticking and not working properly. I took a spare tach face, removed the guts and cut a 2.5" hole in the middle of it to mount my 2-5/8" Sun tach. I then drilled 4 holes for my Dawes LED's to fit in from behind next to the tach. After peeling off what was left of the original tach face, I painted the whole thing flat black. I didn't have time to wire it up yet, but it looks awesome.

[Vigo]

That is pretty cool. Only thing i would have done different is mask the gauge face and spray the bezel the same flat black as everything else. But it like it!

I have an a/f led strip where your gearshift indicator is in my aries, since its converted from auto to manual.

Cant wait to get my spirit going!!

[PBODY]

Was able to do some more work on the Spirit.

Made up the exhaust out of 2.5" mandrel 90 deg. bends and a cheap 2.5" turbo muffler. It isn't pretty, but it works and is actually pretty quite. I can still hear the turbo whistle. I'm very pleased with it. It adds to the "stealth" factor.

[blk86trbo]

Hey man that looks nice, good job!

[Vigo]

Lookin good man! Im tearing into my 89 spirit this saturday. Again. Only had the 2.5 running for 10 miles before i decided to swap to a 2.2

Anywho, did you keep the cat and the bend in front of the fuel tank too, or did those get replaced?