Chip tuning and catalyst removal for Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 8, 9, 10 (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution)

All owners of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution would like to improve the pickup from the bottom, the sensitivity of the gas (accelerator) pedal, the dynamics with the air conditioning on, add horses and torque, and also turn off the oxygen sensor (lambda probe) and remove the catalyst to make the car easier to breathe.

We will be happy to help you with all this with Lancer Evolution 8, Evolution 9, and Evolution 10.

Engine Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

This review article is essentially devoted to the whole history of power units installed on Mitsubishi Lancer Evo cars.
It's no secret that Mitsubishi Lancer cars are popular all over the world, and many people know firsthand about the sports version of the Lancer - Evolution.

Lancer Evolution managed to win the hearts of many car enthusiasts, because good power and reliability, together with good weight distribution and all-wheel drive, allowed this car to win many prizes in world rally championships.

Historical excursion

Initially, a modified version of the Mitsubishi Lancer was specially designed and subsequently built specifically for the World Rally Championship. Thus, the Lancer Evolution car, specially designed for the rally, piloted by pilot Tommi Mäkinen, achieved championship in as many as four years in a row (from 1996 to 1999 inclusive). And this once again proves how important reliability and design are.

A distinctive feature of the modified version was the presence of all-wheel drive and a gearbox with changed gear ratios. And if on ordinary Mitsubishi Lancers a gearbox with all-wheel drive was usually installed in order to increase the vehicle’s cross-country ability, then with the Evolution the situation is somewhat more complicated. The use of all-wheel drive on the Lancer Evolution was not a notorious option, but a strictly technical necessity due to the serious operating conditions of the vehicle.

The presence of all-wheel drive in the Lancer Evo made it possible to solve the following problems characteristic of single-wheel drive versions of cars:

• improving vehicle cross-country ability on various types of surfaces;
• improving vehicle handling;
• ability to realize greater engine power.

If everything is clear with the vehicle’s cross-country ability on various surfaces, then how do the other two factors affect the Lancer Evo? Let's take a closer look. With an all-wheel drive vehicle, handling is improved not only on unpaved surfaces, but also on hard asphalt roads.

All four drive wheels allow for better traction than on single-wheel drive vehicles, so even when one of the wheels loses traction on the asphalt, the car will still continue to move along the intended trajectory due to the remaining drive wheels. In addition, when using forced engines, the speed on single-wheel drive vehicles drops significantly due to the slippage of the front or rear wheels, so a full engine is one of the most reasonable solutions for realizing the full power of the engine.

Design

Visually, the model is practically no different from its younger brother. There are of course a few differences, but they are barely noticeable. The front end has a sculpted hood that tapers into a huge grille. The hood climbs a little over the headlights making the appearance more aggressive. The bumper also has small round fog lights.

From the side, the sedan stands out with clear lines at the top and bottom, and the decorative gills in front of the door also look chic. Otherwise, everything is simple here. When you look from the rear, the huge spoiler immediately catches your eye. The optics also look beautiful, emphasized by the stamping on the trunk lid. The massive bumper received a huge diffuser and 2 exhaust pipes.

Dimensions of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 10 sedan:

• length – 4505 mm;
• width – 1810 mm;
• height – 1480 mm;
• wheelbase – 2650 mm;
• ground clearance - 140 mm.

Summary characteristics of the 4G63T motor, design features

Modified Lancers with the “Evolution” index in the first generation were produced on the CD9A platform, the chassis from the stock Lancer was redesigned, body parts and other components were adapted to use the all-wheel drive transmission from the Mitsubishi Galant version VR-4. And as the “heart” of the car, the engineers decided to use the fairly popular engine of the Sirius line - 4G63, albeit with certain changes.

The distinctive design of the 4G63T engine is the presence of special balancer shafts in the cast iron cylinder block, driven by the crankshaft. Other design features include:

• crankshaft with direct drilling (increases the risk of crankshaft fracture or accelerated wear on the crankshaft journals);
• hot-pressed piston pins (not a typical design for high-performance cars);
• additional reinforcement plate (main liner plate);
• the presence of oil nozzles in the cylinder block;
• crankshaft, fully counterbalanced, straight drilled;
• valves on hydraulic compensators and roller tappets.

Mitsubishi 4G63T engine (1st generation of engines)

As a source, the engineers used the turbocharged version 4G63T (the “T” index indicates the presence of a turbine) from the Mitsubishi Galant version VR-4. Initially, this engine had a power of 195 hp, but when designing the Evolution, it was decided to increase the power of this power unit to 250 hp by changing the compression ratio, ECU firmware and camshafts. The changes also affected the turbine (it was replaced with a TD05 16G) and the ShPG, so the updated engine used lightweight pistons, crankshaft, connecting rods and cylinder head components. The Evolution engine power of 250 hp is valid only for the first generation of Evo Lancers.

In the second generation of Evolutions 4G63T (1st generation), the engine again increased power, although only by 10 horsepower, but in the third generation, a new larger turbine began to be installed on the Evo Lancers, this step made it possible to increase power to 270 hp and not lose in reliability, Among other changes: an increased compression ratio, a developed exhaust manifold design and updated ECU firmware. It is also worth noting that in the third generation Lancer Evo the compression ratio was changed to 10.0, the intercooler cooling system was redesigned and the design of the developed exhaust was changed again.

Models equipped with 4G63T engines (first generation): Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (from 1st to 3rd generation).

Price

The model was sold in only one configuration for 2,499,000 rubles , and production ceased in 2021. On the secondary market, prices vary greatly, some even reaching the price of a new sedan. No additional options are offered, so you have to be content with what you have. Namely:

• ESP;
• leather interior;
• heated seats;
• audio system;
• climate control;
• light and rain sensor;
• xenon optics with adaptive lighting system.

This car is a legend. The model is the owner of several world rally champion titles, thanks to which it can provide its owner with all the full sensations of a real racing car. Having gone through a long path of evolution, engineers managed to leave the best genes in the DNA of this car, but the main thing remained unchanged - a powerful two-liter turbo engine, four-wheel drive, a sports interior and, as a result, fantastic speed and handling. It’s not surprising, because with each model, Mitsubishi specialists had to make every effort to be at least one step ahead of the competition. And they succeeded regularly. One can only guess whether this tradition will continue in the new model, but we can say for sure that the car will always be at its best, because this principle is inherent in its name - Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X!

Mitsubishi 4G63T engine (2nd generation of engines)

In the second generation, popular engines intended for Evo Lancers continued to be improved, so, first of all, the engine location underwent changes. To improve handling and safety, as well as to reduce the “spin” effect when maneuvering, the engine and gearbox were rotated 180 degrees. The intake system has also changed; the place of the previous large intake receiver is taken by a compact and efficient receiver with a throttle body reduced to 52mm, designed to work with the new twin-scroll turbine. The cylinder head has also undergone changes: the size of the bores has been reduced, and the camshafts have received more “evil” phase and lift characteristics.

It should be noted that Mitsubishi engineers in the second generation of engines decided to change the compression ratio again (to

9.0), to further lighten the connecting rod and piston group and to work out the design of the developed exhaust. Machines produced since 1998 began to be equipped with updated twin-scroll turbines with enlarged impellers. The use of new and more efficient turbines entailed the replacement of fuel injectors with more efficient ones and made it possible to increase the pressure in them to 0.9 Bar.

The final torque of the new engine configurations ranged from 353 - 373 Nm at 3000 rpm and up to 373 Nm at 2700 rpm, depending on the version of the car.

Models equipped with 4G63T engines (second generation): Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (from the 4th to the 7th generation).

Salon

The interior is based on the design of the base model, but there are always characteristic features such as the Momo sports steering wheel and seats with developed lateral support. In the first models, little attention was paid to the interior of the car, because... the main ones were dynamic characteristics.

Since early models have been discontinued, the interior is worth considering. The salon traditionally copies the style of the base model. However, the incredibly comfortable Recaro seats securely hold the driver and front passenger in place. The main drawback is the lack of seat height adjustment, as well as the steering column depth. Despite this, it won’t take long for an average height driver to find a comfortable seating position.

In the center of the dashboard of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 10 is a large display that displays a lot of different information, be it the operating modes of the all-wheel drive system or displaying the distribution of torque along the axles in real time.

The steering wheel is wide and pleasant to the touch, but the size of the spokes does not give it a sporty feel. Visibility is not bad, but compared to its predecessor it is noticeably worse, as if the lightness inherent in the IX is missing.

The main thing is that the new car has become more suitable for everyday driving. It now has a multimedia audio system with a subwoofer, heated Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X seats in the front, 9 airbags and built-in Bluetooth.

There is a little more space in the back, but like a regular Lancer, not much. The trunk is quite small, since due to improved weight distribution the battery and windshield washer reservoir were moved into it. In addition, instead of rolling, there is a full-size 18-inch spare wheel in the niche.

Mitsubishi 4G63T engine (3rd generation of engines)

The third generation engines intended for Lancer Evo have again undergone certain changes. The strategy of Mitsubishi engineers for the next revision of this popular engine was to improve the reliability of the design by refining the cooling systems and increase the stability of operation at medium speeds by refining the cylinder head.

To implement the first, an oil cooler and more efficient pumps and intercoolers were installed on the car, and to solve problems with stability at medium speeds, the design of the cylinder head was changed, so camshafts with a wider phase and new valve springs were installed in the updated cylinder head. Changes also affected the ShPG: the crankshaft was lightened, and new forged connecting rods took the place of the previous connecting rods. Also, to extend the life of the turbine, its cooling has been improved.

The above changes are valid only for Lancer Evolution VII and VIII generations, since the Lancer Evo IX was equipped with an updated 4G63T with a variable valve timing system of the MIVEC type. In this modification, the turbine was replaced with a new one, and the camshafts received an even wider phase. The power of this engine was 280 hp, and the torque reached 400 Nm at around 3000 rpm.

Models equipped with 4G63T engines (third generation): Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (from the 8th to the 9th generation).

The result of chip tuning Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

1). The engine becomes more responsive and dynamic. The increase in power on the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution reaches 14% - 15.5%;

2). Improved traction at low speeds;

3). Improved throttle response. Pedal response is significantly improved;

4). Improving the interaction of the engine and automatic transmission AT or CVT;

5). Lack of engine hesitation when the air conditioner is on;

6). Improved engine performance at high speeds;

7). Reduced fuel consumption in some cases;

8). The ability to remove the catalyst after disconnecting the 2nd, lower, lambda probe in order to make the car easier to breathe.

Summary characteristics of the 4B11T motor, design features

In the X-generation of Lancers, Mitsubishi engineers decided to move away from the usual canons and stop torturing until the last 4G63T, from which, without damaging the design, they managed to extract plenty of horsepower, which was quite enough for “nimble” driving within reasonable limits. The place of the tortured old man 4G63T was taken by an unknown to many power unit of the GEMA line - 4B11T.

Like its predecessor, the new engine received a turbine, the chassis received all-wheel drive, and the body received an aggressive appearance. But the last two points are of little concern to us now; let’s take a closer look at the design of the power unit.

The new engine of the GEMA line may scare many car enthusiasts and experts because the cylinder block on similar naturally aspirated engines (4B11, 4B12) of this line is made of aluminum. However, we say in advance that the common problems with cylinder scuffing, both on naturally aspirated 4B11 and on brother engines (4GKE) on the Evolution engine, will not happen. The explanation is quite simple - the design of the aluminum cylinder block contains cast iron liners, which significantly increases service life and allows it to withstand serious loads, both power and thermal.

Unlike its predecessor, the 4B11T cylinder block does not have balancer shafts, and the ShPG itself has significantly more weight. Among other features of the cylinder block, it is worth noting the presence of a separate bottom plate, as well as cast iron yokes. This design deserves respect, in contrast to pressed-in piston pins and a small coolant flow. In general, the cooling system on the 4B11T was not the most successful, so when operating the Lancer with such an engine, you should pay special attention to the engine temperature.

The cylinder head, as on the IX Lancer, is aluminum, 16 valves, with two camshafts and a variable valve timing system of the MIVEC type. An additional liner is installed on the exhaust shaft, and the camshafts themselves have a partially hollow design, with a channel inside for oil supply.

Other design features include:

• valves on pushers (adjustment every 55,000 - 60,000 km);
• use of a chain in the timing belt design.

The new 4B11T motor is designed for installation on the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X (10th generation).

New level: LANCER Evo X CSF

Sometimes the best way to build a new race car is to start with someone's old race car.

text Justin Banner / Speehunters translation garage newsletter

The fact is that the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, an ex-Pirelli World Challenge car, has become a masterpiece thanks to the ambitions of its owner Ravi Dolwani of CSF Radiators and the automotive talents who are the closest friends in the aftermarket industry.

Buying a used car is a good option for getting a racing car, since you will always spend less than building it from scratch. This World Challenge GTS car was with one of the best motorsports teams in the business, GMG Racing, so its history and development are beyond anything a garage hobbyist could do.

After crashing during the 2013 season, Mitsu sat for three years before Ravi picked it up, a battered dumpster full of Evo X parts, for just 30 grand. Now he's destined to return to racing in 2021, but not before making his debut at the 2021 SEMA show currently taking place in Las Vegas.

While it won't be a show car or return to the street, that doesn't mean some time and thought haven't been put into the chassis' aesthetics. Helping bring the dream to life on the way to Las Vegas included many respected names in the industry, including MotoIQ, Techno Square, Sheepey Built and Rywire.

The exterior features plenty of tweaks, including Varis LED brake lights, Downstar hardware, and Jun x Craft Square mirrors, but the main difference is the body work. John Sibal designed the widebody kit for Street Fighter LA, and LTMW implemented it after fixing the accident damage to the Evo and shaving the hood. LTMW then sprayed the entire car in BMW Alpine White. All windows have been replaced with Lexan versions for safety and slight weight savings.

These wheels are custom 18-inch Rotiform LAS-Rs wrapped in Toyo Proxes R888Rs in 275/35R18. Behind them is a large set of StopTech Trophy brakes with Aero calipers. Custom Rywire brake lines send StopTech 660 racing fluid downstream of the brake pressure adjuster on the Wilwood axles.

The original FIA application frame, built by GMG, is in place, but with custom reinforcements along the door beams. Instead of bare metal, there are ASC Speed ​​Metal door cards in black Rogelio Alcantara.

Rogelio also reupholstered the Sparco Rev II seats and reupholstered the steering wheel. The carbon fiber shift knob, belts and pedals look like they were made by Sparco. The interior panels that separate the cabin from the trunk are custom from ASC Speed ​​Metal, coated with Embee Performance powder on Downstar equipment.

The AiM Sports MXS Strada's five-inch color display relays critical information from the Syvecs S8 engine management system, while the HP Electronik power distribution module controls lights, fans, fuel pump and anything else that needs to be switched from the cabin. All nodes are connected using a special Rywire braid.

The suspension setup can make or break a car. If the setup doesn't suit the driver, he will never realize the car's potential. Here, JRZ's two-way adjustable coilovers control the body's trajectory with extreme precision and tunability.

The front and rear subframes are replaced with tubular T45 from Mitsubishi parts made by AKmotorsports and 7075 aluminum front tie rods. While you can easily tig weld most metals, it is necessary to use special welding rods for T45 since it is carbon steel with manganese injected instead of 4130's chrome molybdenum alloy steel, which is typically used in a race car chassis. T45 is commonly used in aerospace parts such as pilot and crew seats due to the material's ability to withstand high loads without deformation.

AKmotorsports also made the rear triangular wishbones and rods. The complete package was developed by 3D scanning the chassis, which was imported into a CAD program to model the new parts. These parts were then inspected by the FEA. The cups are made using special alignment/camber plates attached to the coilovers.

Mitsubishi's 2.0-liter 4B11T is a great engine from the factory, and GMG originally designed it for the GTS class. Ravi is no longer limited by any of the rules set by the Pirelli World Challenge, and you can see this in the hinged.

The Honeywell Garrett GTX3582R Gen II is designed as a reverse rotation (counterclockwise) turbine. This doesn't improve power, but it does help fit the turbo under the hood of some cars. In this case, the compressor output goes down behind the block, and this shortens the path of the boost pipes to the intercooler, improving responsiveness. The manifold, outlets, and intercooler were built by Sheepey, with Ticon Industries titanium tubing, dual Turbosmart Comp-Gate40 wastegates, a Turbosmart Race-Port blow-off, and Hydraflow clamps from Burns Stainless.

A CSF vertical intercooler, from Sheepey Built, follows a Magnus Motorsports Bosch 82mm throttle body mated to a Magnus Motorsports intake manifold, which receives the mixture from a Magnus Motorsports fuel rail. The KTN Thermodynamics spacer adds more space between the head and the manifold. The fuel line runs to Injector Dynamics 1700X fuel pumps, which are fed by a Nuke Performance fuel pressure regulator and a custom tank with Bosch fuel pumps. The radiator is also CSF, made in collaboration with Rywire. Oil cooler - CSF.

A dry sump lubrication scheme is always useful in racing mode, and Magnus Motorsports designed it with Peterson components.

We don't have final power measurements yet, but they will be installed on the 5150 Racing after the SEMA show, and only after a rebuild on more rugged racing internals. Whatever the outcome, the Spec's lighter flywheel won't hurt, and the Tilton clutch will make sure every shift from the 5-speed is quick.

While most students assume that building a race car rather than buying it is the only way to go, an already built car is often the best option. It's ready, the frame is in, and you'll be in the best part of the buy-build process. It also gives new life to an old racing car, and no one would say that's a bad thing, especially when it's an ex-Pirelli World Challenge car. These cars live a rough life, but with the right parts and care they can be great again.

Which Ravi and his friends proved in this tough Evo X.

Choice of Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

Many readers often ask questions about choosing the legendary Evolution, which generation is best to take and which engine is the easiest to maintain? Let's answer this question briefly and clearly.

One cannot definitely call one or another generation of Evolutions a failure; all generations of this model have their own specific features, in particular this concerns engines. However, when choosing a used Evika, you should pay attention to the 9th generation models, the explanation for this is quite simple - low price, relative to other powerful cars and 10th generation Lancers. In addition, many car enthusiasts notice that on the 9th generation the car’s handling is better than on the updated model, which is filled to the brim with electronics.

In addition to price, the advantages of choosing the 9th generation Evolution and later are the availability of spare parts (both new and used) and a variety of tuning. With the 10th generation of Evolutions, things with tuning and availability of spare parts are somewhat more complicated, because the cost of parts is high, and their quantity on the Russian market is not so large. Moreover, even contract parts from Europe or Japan will cost relatively more than parts for the same Lancers of the 8th and 9th generations.

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