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Thread: 89 LeBaron GTC

  1. #1
    Mitsu booster
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    89 LeBaron GTC

    Hello all,

    First time posting on this forum, but I have been doing tons of research using this site as well as the Turbo Dodge Forums as major sources of information. This community is fantastic, there is tons of information and it has a very dedicated member base; it has saved me from a few headaches I would have otherwise had. Now to the project!

    1989 LeBaron GTC 2.5L, Mitsubishi turbo , A413 Transmission.

    So far, I've mostly been focused on replacing the time-worn bits on the car. As it stands, my current completed projects are:

    New Fuel Pump
    New (Stock for now) Injectors
    Added a Vacuum Block and replaced all vacuum lines
    New Head Gasket
    New Int/Exh Manifold Gasket
    New Thermostat and replaced T-Stat Housing with FWD-P Billet Housing
    New Valve Cover Gasket
    New Oil Pan Gasket
    Removed Factory Airbox and Charge Piping (was developing lots of holes/leaks), replaced with my own setup and cone filter.
    Greddy Type FV Blow-Off Valve
    Turbosmart Manual Boost Controller set @ 10psi.
    S.S. Turbo Lines
    A/C Delete, kept stock bracket
    New KYB Shocks and Struts
    New Brake Rotors and Pads
    New Brake Lines
    Polybushings Control Arm Bushings
    Pro Sport 20"/HG - 30psi Boost Gauge

    I am getting close to the point where I'm ready to start with power mods. I still need to get a new radiator, the current factory one is showing it's age and has several small leaks; it's in danger of bursting and will be replaced next week. The pistons and cylinder head appeared to be in good shape when the head gasket got replaced. While there is some carbon build-up on the hot side of the motor (piston tops and cylinder head on chambers 3 and 4) there are no major signs of heat stress.

    I am planning on going for a decent street/strip build, here is my roadmap:

    1) Polybushings Motor and Trans mounts
    2) Uego Gauge and Wideband O2
    3) AFPR and Fuel Rail from TU
    4) Mishimoto G-Line Front Mount Intercooler
    5) 3bar MAP Sensor, +20s, and a 3bar cal (thanks Force Fed Mopar)
    6) Swap to head studs, I have ARP bolts installed atm
    7) Re-ring, new bearings and seals on bottom end
    8) Replace mitsu with a T2 Garrett, stick with 15psi
    9) Ported head and manifolds then up to +40s and retune
    10) Bore. 020 over and install venolias, retune as needed
    11) More boost!

    Any advice or input is welcome and very much appreciated! Pics to come...

    - Luke
    Last edited by CoolHandLuke88; 01-19-2018 at 01:30 AM.

  2. #2
    turbo addict
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    Re: 89 LeBaron GTC

    What's the compression test result?

    If you want to get injectors, go BIG and buy them once. Have the tuner calibration the ECU for your injectors.

    AFPR is not needed.

    TU fuel rail is nice, but you don't need it at your power level.

  3. #3
    Rhymes with tortoise. Turbo Mopar Staff cordes's Avatar
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    Re: 89 LeBaron GTC

    Well put tryingbe. I would agree with everything you said.

    Depending on the cost of the garrett turbo, I might skip to a larger turbo at the onset too. I think Rob Lloyd and a few others have proven that the mitsu is a potent turbo if everything is in working order. The instant spool and the fact that it's free is hard to beat if you have traction. There are many out there who haven't gone faster than a few guys have gone with a mitsu. I'm not saying that it's ideal, but if you already have one, then why not?

    Are the days of a very good condition TII turbo for 100-150 bucks over with?


    ETA: And a ward welcome to the site! It's great to have another member posting.

  4. #4
    Mitsu booster
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    Re: 89 LeBaron GTC

    I see. I figured +40s would either run stupid rich or have issues with spray pattern on a DD, and were usually found on track only cars. I get the reasoning though costs certainly add up quick. Compression is a bit low, a shop tested it at 115-120psi range. I believe 120-115-120-110

    The factory fuel rail has a hole in it, it's been patched with JBWeld but who knows how long that will last heat cycling on top of the manifold? That's mainly why I was gonna get the fuel rail.

    Garretts are spendy that so I was gonna push the mitsu until it died and then onto bigger and better things

    I appreciate the quick responses and the warm welcome look forward to becoming an active member of the community.
    Last edited by CoolHandLuke88; 01-19-2018 at 02:10 AM.

  5. #5
    Mitsu booster
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    Re: 89 LeBaron GTC

    oh Jesus now that I'm looking at it +40s are wayyy cheaper in the long run.

  6. #6
    Supporting Member Turbo Mopar Contributor mopar-tech's Avatar
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    Re: 89 LeBaron GTC

    Quote Originally Posted by CoolHandLuke88 View Post
    I see. I figured +40s would either run stupid rich or have issues with spray pattern on a DD, and were usually found on track only cars. I get the reasoning though costs certainly add up quick. Compression is a bit low, a shop tested it at 115-120psi range. I believe 120-115-120-110

    The factory fuel rail has a hole in it, it's been patched with JBWeld but who knows how long that will last heat cycling on top of the manifold? That's mainly why I was gonna get the fuel rail.

    Garretts are spendy that so I was gonna push the mitsu until it died and then onto bigger and better things

    I appreciate the quick responses and the warm welcome look forward to becoming an active member of the community.
    1) 40's will be no problem on a Daily Driver with a GOOD CAL. My Daytona would sail through CT emissions with a 3 bar and 40's

    2) If running a 1 piece intake a stock fuel rail is literally peanuts.

    3) Spend the money for a TII turbo, only run a mitsu if you can get one for free or dirt cheap. 2.5 and a Turbo II turbo is a sweet match and more durable.

    Gary Donovan


    Working on clearing the decks.

  7. #7
    turbo addict
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    Re: 89 LeBaron GTC

    Quote Originally Posted by CoolHandLuke88 View Post
    I see. I figured +40s would either run stupid rich or have issues with spray pattern on a DD, and were usually found on track only cars
    40+ is what, 52lbs?

    I'm using 96lbs injectors, get 23-25mpg, pass emission, make 367whp, and can do it all on the same day.
    Only engine out there that run rich are from people that mis-match their parts and/or can't do tuning themselves.

    Yeah, I'd change the fuel rail too. I kept my stock regulator. http://www.turbo-mopar.com/forums/sh...l-installation

    Add the intercooler FIRST before changing the turbo. Compression is a bit low, but it can still make GOOD power from it, no need to open up the engine yet.

  8. #8
    Mitsu booster
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    Re: 89 LeBaron GTC

    "What we have here is failure to communicate." See what I did? Keep us updated on the project

  9. #9
    Mitsu booster
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    Re: 89 LeBaron GTC

    Yeah I've been piece mealing my info together for awhile and figured it's time to start posting now that the basic stuff is out of the way. I've got the area behind the bumper cleared out to make room for the intercooler and that will be happening soon. Parts are selected I just haven't made the purchase yet. My plan is to get that installed at the same time as the 3 bar and injectors. I will say that the mitsu is pretty fun when I put my foot in it. It kicks in fast and I've had some enjoyable rides on mountain roads. Went up to Idaho City last year and cut the typical travel time in half. The car was eating up the curves and loving it. I'd just drop the 413 into 2, engine brake into the corner, and punch it out. Ton of fun.

  10. #10
    Moderator Turbo Mopar Staff Force Fed Mopar's Avatar
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    Re: 89 LeBaron GTC

    I ran the +40s in my Lebaron for 4 years daily driving, they work great and you won't have to get new ones until you have enough mods to start pushing past 350hp. My setup was a stock 2.5 with Wiseco pistons, 2-piece intake and 52mm TB, ported stock exhaust manifold, stock TII Garrett turbo, +40s, 3-bar, 568 trans with 3.77 FD and a water-to-air intercooler. It was a blast, drove fine in all weather, ran 9.24@80mph in the 8th on street tires. Roughly guessing it made 230-240ish hp at the wheels on 22psi. Probably around 200 at 17-18 psi. The torque hit was great though when it spools. It surprised a lot of V8's and imports It also got 34mpg on the interstate and about 28 around town. Car weighed 3300 with me in it.

    I second not bothering with an AFPR if you haven't already bought it. Stock one is fine for your needs, and generally more reliable. I do all my cals based on stock fuel pressure.
    Rob M.
    '89 Turbo GTC

    2.5 TIII stroker, 568 w/ OBX and 3.77 FD

  11. #11
    Mitsu booster
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    Re: 89 LeBaron GTC

    No need to worry about that, I take things slowly when it comes to buying stuff 😊 I've been grateful for everyone's assistance as it's made me reconsider some things. That's part of why I posted my plans, I don't want to end up wasting a bunch of money on parts that are gonna sit on a shelf unused! A new radiator goes in tomorrow and the 3 bar MAP and injectors will be my next move. Intercooler will be following in February; I'm taking some vacation time and will spend the week working on the install.

    EDIT:I won't run the cal I got from you until I get the intercooler MAP and injectors installed

  12. #12
    Mitsu booster
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    Re: 89 LeBaron GTC

    Quick update: I have decided before doing any power mods to rebuild the head and have it milled flat by a local shop since it has experienced a head gasket failure (due to a bad thermostat causing an overheat). I replaced the head gasket, thermostat/housing, and installed ARP head bolts when that happened but that's it. I just want to make sure that the head is in good shape before I proceed with intercooling the car and switching to a 3bar setup running higher boost levels. It'll cost a pretty penny to do, but with 130,000 miles on the original parts I'm going to bite the bullet now and do a full rebuild: new valves, new (stock) springs, new stem seals, and a swap over to PT lifters while I'm at it. My main question here is what should I use to clean carbon from the bowls and the piston tops before doing this?

  13. #13
    Mitsu booster
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    Re: 89 LeBaron GTC

    Here's a link to my photo log of the rebuild. Will add photos as things progress.

    https://drive.google.com/folderview?...582p7jHFR96Q28

  14. #14
    Mitsu booster
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    Re: 89 LeBaron GTC

    Combustion chamber is just about done! I've gotten about 95% of the carbon cleaned off. There are stubborn bits in the exhaust runners (around the valve guides) that are a ----- to get to and probably won't come 100% clean. I took advantage of the disassembly and got the rest of my stainless steel turbo lines on. Tomorrow's project will be working on the exhaust manifold runners (which have a good bit of carbon built up inside) and cleaning up the piston tops. So far it's been smooth sailing!

  15. #15
    Mitsu booster
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    Re: 89 LeBaron GTC

    Got everything done last Wednesday night and the car is up and running again! Intercooler is up next

  16. #16
    Mitsu booster
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    Re: 89 LeBaron GTC






    Last edited by CoolHandLuke88; 03-11-2018 at 11:19 PM.

  17. #17
    Rhymes with tortoise. Turbo Mopar Staff cordes's Avatar
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    Re: 89 LeBaron GTC

    You're going to blow that brake booster line off as soon as you put some boost to that thing. Do you plan on reinstalling the AC ever? You could probably track down a non-AC bracket for relatively cheap. The red will probably be too much for a lot of folks, but I like it. Keep up the good work.

  18. #18
    Mitsu booster
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    Re: 89 LeBaron GTC

    Surprisingly that brake booster line has been on like that for almost two years. I've got a clamp I can throw on there to be safe though, thanks for the input. I would love a non-AC bracket, been thinking of surfing through the local junk yards to see if I can find one. The red silicone will go away when I install the intercooler so it won't be staying that way gonna switch that all to black, the red is too much of a pain to keep clean.

  19. #19
    Rhymes with tortoise. Turbo Mopar Staff cordes's Avatar
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    Re: 89 LeBaron GTC

    My shadow wore a ton of red silicone for a long time. I gave up on keeping it clean after a while.

  20. #20
    Moderator Turbo Mopar Staff Force Fed Mopar's Avatar
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    Re: 89 LeBaron GTC

    Quote Originally Posted by CoolHandLuke88 View Post
    Surprisingly that brake booster line has been on like that for almost two years. I've got a clamp I can throw on there to be safe though, thanks for the input. I would love a non-AC bracket, been thinking of surfing through the local junk yards to see if I can find one. The red silicone will go away when I install the intercooler so it won't be staying that way gonna switch that all to black, the red is too much of a pain to keep clean.
    Sweet dude, let me know as soon as you're ready for that re-cal Also, I may have a no-AC bracket I'd sell.
    Rob M.
    '89 Turbo GTC

    2.5 TIII stroker, 568 w/ OBX and 3.77 FD

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