Eclipse Tuning

"It's a total Eclipse "

The Mistubishi eclipse is a stunning car from both an appearance and performance point of view ever since its debut in 1990.

It is arguably one of the nicest looking cars to come out from Mitsubishi.

There were only a few engine choices initially ranging from a 1.8 to a stunning turbocharged 2.0 engine making just under 200bhp.

In 1995 the model range was revised and you could choose between a 2.0 and 2.4l engine with a turbocharged 2.0 which had power hiked to 210bhp.

The mk3 eclipse hit the streets in 2000 and engine options were wider with  options based on 2 blocks a 2.4 litre displacement the 4G64 16v SOHC and the larger capacity 6G75 a 24v SOHC 3.0 V6 (power on the latter of these was hiked in 2003 where the MVIC variable induction manager was introduced.)

In 2006 we saw the introduction of the 4th generation Eclipse with the same engine blocks but the introduction of the MIVEC system raising power on the engines to new heights.

If you are doing an engine swap on a previous series Eclipse these new engines and the older turbo unit are the best of the breed.

If you were power mad then you should look at inserting a Lancer EVO engine.

Tuning tips and articles

Engine tuning Transmission tuning Care care Intake & exhaust mods Improve handling Forums

 

Many Eclipse owners uprate the handling of their cars as a priority, this will certainly increase your enjoyment of the car.

We would go to a maximum drop of 35mm on most models. You risk rubbing on the arches if you go lower than this although in reality it depends on wheel size and tyre profile.

Our aim in Eclipse engine tuning should be to increase peak power and Torque at the top end.

Spending a little money on the engine and handling will transform your car into a very credible performer.

Mitsubishi Eclipse Tuning modifications.

The following modifications are usually performed by our members, decide how far you want to go before you begin.

Turbo engines respond really well to tuning, and there are plenty of upgrade parts around for them.

MK1 Eclipse Engines

  • 1.8 L 92 hp (69 kW) 4G37 I4
  • 2.0 L 135 hp (101 kW) 4G63 I4
  • 2.0 L 180 hp (130 kW) 4G63T I4 turbo
  • 2.0 L 195 hp (145 kW) 4G63T I4 turbo

Mk2

  • 2.0 L 140 hp (104 kW) 420A I4
  • 2.4 L 141 hp (105 kW) 4G64 I4
  • 2.0 L 210 hp (157 kW) 4G63T I4

Mk3

  • 2.4 L 150 hp (110 kW) 4G64 I4
  • 3.0 L 200 hp (150 kW) 6G72 V6
  • 3.0 L 210 hp (160 kW) 6G72 V6

Getting the right mods for your planned usage of the car is vital. Stage 3 (competition) mods just don't work well on the road.

Please watch our video which covers the 5 principles of tuning your car. Be sure to keep up with our latest YouTube content and subscribe.

Best Engine Mods for your car

  1. Engine Tunes - engine tuning/remapping provides the most advantage in terms of cost savings,  aftermarket ECUs, and piggyback ECUs are all alternatives.
  2. Fast road cams are one of the most significant mechanical changes, but they must be installed by someone who knows what they're doing and they are not always easy to source but you might find a local firm to regrind a stock camshaft.
  3. Intake and Exhaust - Note that on their own these mods will NOT ADD POWER in most cases, but they can help enhance power after other mods by removing the restriction.
  4. Upgrades to turbochargers and superchargers - forced induction is the most efficient approach to increase air supply, allowing you to burn more fuel and make more power. It is one of the most costly upgrades but provides the best gains.
  5. Head work - The goals of porting and flowing the head are to get air flowing into the engine while removing flow restrictions and turbulence.
  6. Typical stage 1 mods often include: Exhaust, Panel air filter, Engine Tunes/Remapping, lighter flywheel

    Typical stage 2 mods often include: Fast road cam, ported and polished head, fuel injector & fuel pump upgrades,

    Typical stage 3 mods: Engine balancing, forced induction (turbo/supercharger), Internal engine upgrades (pistons/head/valves), competition cam.

    You really need to keep as much low end power as you can and aim for a wide power band rather than a top end spike.

    Fast road cams offer one of the biggest performance gains as far as a bolt on part goes to the Eclipse engines.

    When pushing up the power you will need to pay attention to the fuelling, for most modifications the standard eclipse fuelling is sufficient.

    More power needs more fuel and as long as this is in the correct ration you will have a smooth running Eclipse.

    An aftermarket fuel pressure regulator will almost certainly give a snappier throttle response than the standard Mitsubishi one, especially if yours is old and getting worn!

    Uprated injectors will enable you to supply sufficient fuel to the engine but in most cases a set of new.

    Uprate the fuel pump to cope with the extra fuel requirements of your tuned Eclipses uprated injectors.

    Mitsubishi Eclipse Intake and Exhaust Tuning.

    Now we move on to the intake and exhaust and ensure proper flow through the engine.

    Maximum power gains, (most eclipse owners will insist) comes from a full induction kit with a cold air feed, this can be sited within an air box but a panel filter should suffice for most applications.

    In most engines we note that you will actually lose low down power so TorqueCars suggest you use a high flow panel air filter instead, unless you really want the induction roar.

    A good stainless steel full sports exhaust will balance the flow of air throughout the engine.

    But if your exhaust is too large, ie it is over 2.5 inches bore, you will lose a lot of the flow rate and consequently lose power on most engines.

    Gas flowing the Eclipse head will allow you to maximise your air/fuel charge entering each cylinder. Leave this to a professional though with a proper flow bench and machine tools.

    Fit an uprated clutch to avoid power losses through the transmission. NA (naturally aspirated) engines do not achieve big power gains if you tune/remap them, unless you have done extensive modifications. With turbocharged engines this is another story.

    We have heard of some Eclipse owners adding a supercharger kit.

    Superchargers, unlike a turbo, will give a boost which is proportional to engine speed so is easier to map.

    To cope with forced induction you will usually need to decrease the compression ratio of the engine and the engine would need to have a carefully designed map to cope with this major alteration.

    Mitsubishi Eclipse Wheel modifications.

    The benefits of alloy wheels include a lower unsprung weight and more efficient brake cooling.

    It is worth noting that although they can look cool on the Eclipse Big alloy wheels will actually decrease your performance.

    The larger you go the lower your acceleration will be - this is due to the change in your effective final drive ratio.

    Aim to keep the overall rolling diameter of the wheel the same as supplied from the factory. In all cases we do not recommend going above 18 inches.

    If you would like to know more, or just get some friendly advice on Tuning your car please join us in our car forums where you can discuss Eclipse options in more detail with our Eclipse owners. It would also be worth reading our unbiased Mitsubishi tuning articles to get a full grasp of the benefits and drawbacks of each modification.

    Please Check out my YouTube channel, we're regularly adding new content...

    PLEASE HELP: I NEED YOUR DONATIONS TO COVER THE COSTS OF RUNNING THIS SITE AND KEEP IT RUNNING. I do not charge you to access this website and it saves most TorqueCars readers $100's each year - but we are NON PROFIT and not even covering our costs. To keep us running PLEASE Donate here

    If you liked this page please share it with your friends, drop a link to it in your favourite forum or use the bookmarking options to save it to your social media profile.

    Feedback - What do You Think?

    Please use our forums if you wish to ask a tuning question, and please note we do not sell parts or services, we are just an online magazine.

    Help us improve, leave a suggestion or tip

    Your Constructive comments on this article, I really want to improve this article with your help and suggestions.


    Please watch this video and subscribe to my YouTube channel.



    2 Responses to “Tuning the Mitsubishi Eclipse”

    1. JESSE says:

      Im researching this vary hard. I want to take a gs or gst spyder 2nd model and turn it all wheel drive. just because i love the convertible. ive seen people left and right take the same generation gsx and make that happen but i havent seen anyone say they tried or anything taking the first generation drivetrain and putting in on a second gen. Would that be as possible as as the second gen to second gen swap? or would i need to stick to the same generation?

    2. Christopher B Sanders says:

      I’d like to know more before I put my engine back together. I have a 2003 v6 manual. I was thinking about going the nitrous route!

Member Benefits

Join our forum today and benefit from over 300,000 posts on tuning styling and friendly car banter.

You will also have full access to the modifed car gallery, project car updates and exclusive member only areas.

(All car owners of all ages and from all countries are welcome).


BMW 335i - 2021 COTY

We gave the BMW 335i our coveted car of the year award, read more about this awesome car and see why 335i Tuning Guide

Tips for N54 Tuning

Tips for N55 Tuning
Tips for B58 Tuning

Popular articles

Diesel tuning
ECU Remapping
double clutching
Induction Kits
Customize a car
Tuning Chips
Modified car insurance
Insuring Track days
Remapping Diesels
MPG calculator
DPF unblocking tips
Tuning Stages


Stage 3 Tune

Stage 3 tune
Read more...

Engine Balancing

Engine Balancing – balancing pistons, rods and crank.
Read more...

Engine Covers

Engine covers – carbon fibre, plastic and painted
Read more...

Scratch Removal

Scratch removal
Read more...

Staying Alert

Staying alert
Read more...

2007 Car News

Review of 2007 car related news and developments.
Read more...

MPG Calculator

MPG calculator UK miles per Gallon – calculate MPG
Read more...