TLDR – Had 2003 Evo 8 daily driver for 14 years in stock form. Turbo went out, what do?

This is an extremely old account; I’m surprised I still remembered the password.

First let me give you some background. I purchased a 2003 Evo 8 in May 2003. It’s been my daily driver for the last 14 years. It currently has 113,000 miles and is all stock except for an intake.

In 2003, I had just begun the route to aftermarket mods when the transmission had to be replaced. The dealership at the time was very strict when it came to mods. To preserve the warranty, I stopped the modifications and the car has been stock ever since. Because of that, I have been out of the car world for many many years.

Now I have a problem. The turbo is no longer functioning. Car runs well, but there is no boost (it’s very depressing). The dealership doesn’t seem to know what’s wrong, they think the turbo is blown. I am currently getting a second opinion from a local tuning shop.

Now my questions:

What is the general consensus when it comes to the Evo 8? Is it still reliable to 150K miles or will it continue to fall apart?

What are the next things that will need to be replaced?

If I replace the turbo, what are my best opinions considering the car is still in stock form?

I desire something a bit bigger than the stock turbo, something faster, more fun but still functional as a daily driver. After some forum browsing, I like what I've read about the FP Green. What else needs to be done to the stock car to support this turbo?

Lastly, I know this is a personal opinion, would YOU keep this car or get rid of it knowing what you know about Evos and their longevity?

Thanks in advance

 

Go look at video of Cuba - people driving around in '56 Chevys. Any car can be kept running practically forever if you are will to shell out the maintenance and repair money. Cars fail when people neglect them.

 

I would keep the car.


However, going from a completely stock car to a turbo upgrade is a whole round of modifications. Fuel pump, fuel injectors, air intake, intercooler, should do intercooler piping, and full exhaust with O2 housing, etc.


You could always just rebuild the stock turbo.


I have a hard timing believing the turbo is actually blown up, they usually make bad noises when the bearing fails. I would guess you actually have an issue with the wastegate actuator, or something else. As long as the shop you took it to is good, and knows Evo's they'll be bale to figure it out. Most dealerships have no clue when it comes to the Evo.

 

I have 150k on e85 and 450+ horsepower and beat the car a lot. Runs fine. I wouldn't get rid of it.

The only way to stay simple is rebuild og turbo.

Any turbo upgrades and your gonna need supporting mods as stated above.

A Evo 9 turbo 10.5 will bolt right up to your car and can produce 350+ horsepower on e85 and supporting mods. And will be probably the cheapest route.

 

Are you sure you dont have a bad leak of some sort or one of the intercooler pipes is blown off, coupler ripped/torn causing full boost/pressure loss ?

Is there excessive shaft play on the turbo ? Is the wastegate actuator arm still connected with preload to the hotside of the turbo? Is the turbo still spinning when motor is idling idling ?

 

Stock like yours, the Evo is generally 100% reliable to 100K. After that things start to go wrong as you are finding. The transmission is replaced, that is a biggie. Hopefully, they replaced the clutch at the same time. Might soon also need a transfer case refresh or a driveshaft, all expensive stuff.

If your heart is in having a new car it won't matter how good of condition the Evo is in, you're not going to like it. Otherwise, I don't know where you live. If you are from upstate New York, where they salt the roads summer and winter, maybe its time to dump the thing while it is still in one piece. I live where there is winter but I occasionally wash the car's underside during the cold months and I have little rust. Put the car up and assess its condition.

If rust isn't an issue and you want to keep the Evo then decide do you want transportation or a toy. If transportation is the answer, leave it stock. Whatever parts the car needs, and they may be expensive it will still be less money then the 30 grand it now costs to buy a decent new car.

 

I would definitely keep it, i also have an 03 evo 8 and I will never sell the car unless i need money badly..

get a ix turbo if you are looking for something slightly bigger..

and while at it,
replace clutch, pressure plate, flywheel,
all the belts
brake pads
all the fluids
water pump
thermostat
oil and radiator caps
if u use the ac, replace the ac filter as well
check condition of your tyres, if they need replacement, change them too.

u dont have to do all at once but some stuff go together.. like belts and water pump.

 

Get a 9 turbo

 

As a daily with next to no other mods needed, I'd buy an FP 71HTA. You'll also need an evo 9 install kit. After that, a fuel pump, injectors and a tune.

 

boost leak test? I have a 2003 right at 151k. I just had to replace a whole bunch of leaking stuff. Brake booster line, biss o-ring, IACV Warm up flapper o-ring, recirc valve diaphragm, and a bunch of other lines just for good measure. If you haven't done them already, your throttle body shaft seals are for sure leaking.

 

I put a clutch and transmission in my car this spring and when doing this much work I moved wiring harness and hoses around and noticed everything is stiff, baked and aged. It wasn't that way before.

For these early cars (2003) we're not talking fixing the little things that go wrong any more, we're talking restoration.

 

I have an 03 evo 8,
engine is as it came from the factory, has zero signs of aging,
I guess its how the owners keep the cars that matter more

 

Yah if it sits in your garage most of the time not being driven, sure it will wear out slower. Some of us daily drive our Evo's, and just like any other car it causes wear and tear. Mitsubishi hasn't invented some kind of super rubber that doesn't degrade after decades of daily use. The amount of maintenance required is about how the car is used, how well that maintenance is performed is about the owner.

 

Thank you everyone for the input.

My plan was always to keep the car. I just wanted some reassurance it was reliable after 100K miles. My brother had major problems with his 98 Eclipse GST.

I went to Slow Motion Motorsports in Ohio. They were fantastic and did a much better job than the any dealership. They replaced the turbo with one they had on hand. The car runs great now.

As far as the cause for the turbo failing, the current working theory is the HKS BOV diaphragm ruptured and caused rust to enter the turbo and killed bearings. I now have an Evo 9 BOV.

Has anyone else had issues with rain water going into through the heat vent in the hood and causing rust?

 

The bearings wouldn't be exposed to anything if a failure occurred like that.


What likely happened is you had that boost leak, and the turbo was being over sped, eventually killing itself.