Frequently Asked Questions

Is my car a DSM?

No, not if it's a 3000GT, GTO or Stealth.

DSMs were build at the Diamond Star Motors factory in Normal, Illinois. All 3000GTs, GTOs and Stealths were build at the Nagoya plant in Japan. While our cars emerged from the same partnership between Mitsubishi and Dodge as DMSs, they are not DSMs themselves.

What type of oil should I use?

Do I really have to do the 60k on time? Can't I put it off like I do on my 2002 Camry?

Yes, do it, especially if your have a DOHC engine, unless you like rebuilding your engine.

The DOHC variants of our engines are interference, meaning any timing component failure will cause heavy damage to your engine.

What is an interference engine?

An interference engine is an engine who have interference (common) space shared between either multiple valves, or valves and pistons.

If your physical timing system is compromised, this can lead to those parts occupying that space at the same time under high amounts of force, which will typically bend, dent, or otherwise damage them.

This is why maintaining your timing system is critical to the health of your engine.

Do I really have to use one of the recommended timing belts, tensioners, water pumps, etc?

Do I really have to copy and paste this? Yes, do it, unless you like rebuilding your engine.

The aftermarket hydraulic tensioners are prone to giving out early (much before the 60k interval).

The cheap timing belts often don't fit the sprockets properly and will wear quickly, often separating the teeth from the belt.

The cheap water pumps can have the pulley fail which will take tension off of your timing belt and destroy your valves.

What wheels will fit my car?

Our bolt pattern is 5x114.3mm. Our hub bore is 67.1mm.

Spoke design and offset are important on these cars, especially second gen twin turbo models as their calipers are massive. Do NOT shave your calipers to make your wheels fit as it can compromise the structural integrity of the calipers.

Generally 17"-19"x9" is what looks and works best on our platform, 20" tends to look too big according to many people, but if you like the massive wheel look, you do you.

This is general advice but applies here, if you must use a spacer, use a hubcentric one with a 114.3mm bolt pattern. That means the inner hole is 67.1mm in diameter and the stud holes line up perfectly. Do not use a generic one as it can damage studs and can pose a hazard while driving.

Can I turbocharge my naturally aspirated car?

Yes, anything is possible by throwing enough money at it.

Is it practical? Not usually. Is it cheaper to buy a twin turbo model? Usually.

That said, if you're in love with your car, you can go about it a couple ways. You can either do a full twin turbo swap including the all wheel drive drivetrain, or you can turbo your front wheel drive drivetrain.

If you turbo your front wheel drive, it's typically better to go with a single turbo as it's less work to install and can produce similar results, just be advised that you will struggle for traction if you stab the throttle.

Naturally aspirated motors have higher compression than their twin turbo brothers and lack the oil squirters, so some people will advise against turboing them. However, many people have done so and have had success, the setup lasting tens of thousands of miles. I won't advise for or against this, but do your research before committing and be able to live with it if you blow up your engine.

If I don't turbocharge my naturally aspirated car, can I still get some more power out of it?

Absolutely. There's a fantastic write-up on 3SI which I will be rewriting and expanding upon for this site in the future. In the meantime, check that out.