A MK1 twin turbo manual GTO has been handed down to me. Unfortunately it has spent the last 10 years sitting outside. It starts, runs and drives but there is a bad squeal from the engine when running. (I know it was not a good idea to start the engine but I had to take it on and off a trailer and had no other way of doing so).
Can you please give me some insights as to what will need to be done to the car to make it roadworthy again? And maybe a ballpark cost too?
Fuel lines, brake lines, brake pipes, cambelt?
I’ve heard things about capacitors leaking in the ECU?
Engine rebiuld? Top engine rebuild maybe?
I’ve only had it in 1st gear and reverse so can’t tell what the bearbox is like.
Clutch?
I’m quite new to the world of GTO’s so any help / suggestions would be much appreciated.
Very first thing is to change the oil and air filter. Inspect and if needed, change the plug wires. If the rubber is hard and/ or cracked and brittle, it’s fine to change it. The belts should probably be changed too, that’s the most likely place the squeal is coming from. Top off the gear oil in the transmission and transfer cars (don’t forget the transfer case, this are sensitive to low oil). Check if there’s any slop in the driveshaft, in case you need universal joints replaced, you don’t want any slop. Don’t fill up the tank just yet, run it till its near empty and add a can of sea foam and drive it 20 miles before filling up the tank. It’ll perge the old gas and clean up the fuel lines. After the new tank has run low, change the fuel filter.
The ecu/ecm should be sent out to a company that specializes in rebuilding them. Your car will work with what you have, but it’s a ticking time bomb before it over heats and burns the circuit board. It’s usually a 2 week turn around for the computer to be rebuilt and costs around $200 U.S. well worth the peace of mind. I’m currently sending out an ecm from my 87 firbird trans am gta (i just baught) because it’s acting up.
In my limited experience if it is a constant squealing it could easily be either the A/C Idler Pulley (MD318474 or MD161716 which is 10omm dia) or the A/C Tensioner pulley (MD308882 which is 90mm dia) both of which were very worn on my car when replacing them you may as well replace the belt also which is a 6PK1145. to be honest it would be best to change all the belts.
Joe very kindly supplied me the part numbers and sizes of the pulleys as some aftermarket suppliers seem to be confused and mix the two up as they are similar in Diameter so if not using genuine Mitsubishi parts it is as well to check with the supplier that the diameter is correct
Seems that you have your work cut out if you intend to do all you have listed, I would also concur with 91GTOtt that changing all fluids oils, brake fluid, power steering fluid clutch fluid etc would be a good idea on a vehicle that has been off the road for that long,
If the car has been lying up 10 years , I personally wouldn’t start it again until all belts are done.
A lot of good advice above , I’ll just add a coolant flush and consider replacing the oil pump.
Another Item mentioned here a couple of times is the dent in the oil sump.
Whats your timeline on this build ? If you’re not in hurry to get it on the road maybe you should consider pulling the engine altogether. It may sound drastic but you’ll do all the jobs quicker and easier , and you’ll get jobs done that you may otherwise not bother with.
Enda
Thanks for the reply. Serval good points made.
I think the squeal is more likely to be a spun bearing or something along those lines, sounds like metal on metal.
Hence why I think a full engine rebuild is on the cards.
Enda,
There is no timeline on the rebuild as such.
I am hopefully going to get the engine rebuilt by a lad in Galway who’s worked on some before.
I have a feeling it’s going to turn into a bit of a money pit…
It could be that I am misreading this post. It seems to me that you are looking to jump in at the Olympic pool deep end and spend a fortune without even doing simple diagnostics first. Being stood up for 10 years is not necessarily a big deal.
I once bought one of these cars from a farmer who had to pull it out of a field where it had been buried for 12 years. It had no doors and the wildlife had eaten the interior away. I took it home, pressure washed it, did an oil change, replaced a faulty ptu, put a bit of wd40 in the cylinders and the old girl started up sweet as.
I have now fitted a fresh interior and doors and she looks like she has never been off the road.
I really would check both of the A/C pulleys, Just remove the A/C belt and spin them, my car made awful metal on metal squeal which was the Idler pulley (100mm one) at the top of the engine, with the belt removed you could rock the pulley from side to side as the bearing had collapsed hence the metal on metal audio.
Defiantly worth a look before you take on a engine rebuild.
Hi, as I tell every new owner, timing belt and pulleys and water pump are in my opinion essential especially if the car has stood for a long number of years. Good luck with it, I’m in county Londonderry btw.