I need to replace the distributer cap and rotor on my mother-in laws RVR and I seem to have some problems sourcing. Trying to find in NZ they have listings for the cap but no rotor. It is also very expensive for what it is being approx $60US just for the cap. I've had a look on the US parts sites and there is a large range of prices and types of caps & rotors (link below). Can someone advise on what they would recommend for me and another model which would fit (ie Eclipse)?

95 RVR/auto with 106,000kms on clock
engine = 4G93- 1.8 litre NA

http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/

Thanks in advance,

Jim

Here goes , altho the Eclipse 4G37 and the 4G93 are completely differant in design i have seen the it be retrofitted and used , altho yu have to use both. The cap and rotor as a pair . using the 4G93 Cap and the 4G37 rotor will not work. There is a design differance in these areas. The coil contact in the center of the 4G37 Dist cap is spring loaded and the contact on the rotor is stationary and vice versa on the 4G93(stationary lead and spring type loaded contact on the rotor) cap and rotor that ive seen for most brands, Beck-Arnley , NGK , Nippondenso , wut i have seen is that the 4G93 cap is spossed to be designed for greater performance and the higher output coil , altho i have not seen a differance in either or cap in drivebility or performance.

Thanks KiT that makes sense to why I'm having a problem sourcing. I might see if I can getr the 4G37 type here and give a try. Just wanted to make sure before I went to the cost and expense of ordering the stock one from the US.

Jim

No problems at all Jim , happy to have possibly helped.

Will let you know how I got on as I'm planning to order one today. Always difficult when we have different models here in NZ and the years don't always coorespond because we get alot of Japanese Imports. Most people don't realise that the imports are generally 2-3 years ahead of the rest of the world.

If I can get the 4G37 dist cap and rotor I will fit this weekend just to make sure all is OK. Then I plan to remove the ECU and have a looke at the caps to see if I can replace those. Winter here and Mother-in-law is up North so really don't need the car on the road. Been having intermittant rough idle problems so best to start at basics and work from there.

Thanks again for your help.

Jim

I'm having some difficulties sourcing the 4G37 cap & rotor because we do have the same Eclipse model here in NZ and for other models (ie Mirage) with the same engine there are 4 listings for different caps.

I've tried talking though the options with the parts man on the phone but am getting nowhere. Looks like I will have to pull the cap and rotor and bring in to shop for match-up (1.5hrs drive) or just drive there and swap in the parking lot. Never thought it would be such a mission for a common part.

Jim

Well the 4G93 is in a large variant of cars . As for the eclipse equivelant i am unsure because we had that car for just 2 years way back when , mainlly as export models for Laos , the 4G37 engine here are in a bunch of other models , i will try to source corresponding models that have the cap and rotor. Is there a CEL? Rough idle , how is the acceleration? Hesitant , could also be TPS related , with variance of weather can be the leads also ,i kno the 1991-1995 Expo with a 2.4 is spossed to have the same cap also.

I know I need a cap and rotor because I had them off last summer and they were pretty burn't. I cleaned them up and changed the plugs but idle problem was still there. Isn't weather dependent and doen't have EGR so I thought I'd do the electrics first then have a play with the ECU caps and clean up the throttle body. Might even throw another fuel filter in for laughs.

The idle isn't a huge problem but I try and keep the car as a good runner for her and we use as a 3rd vehicle if we need in winter (4WD). Like elsewhere fuel prices are going through the roof and I want to get this as efficient as possible. Need to get the tranny flushed and changed so rather put any tune-up $$ toward that because I can't do properly.

Going to remove the cap & rotor tomorrow and get some numbers off it for sourcing something similiar. My parts man rang and thinks he has a solution but needs to check out the numbers.

jim

Well i hope it all gets sorted , yeah if teh leads in teh cap seemed a bit worn down yeah , at idle when the spark isnt intence it can most cases cause an idle issue . But anything 96 down with a 4G93 will use that cap and rotor and anhything 94 down with a 4G37 uses the cap and rotor for that model also

Cheers and Good Luck

Mines a 95 so it falls inbetween everything in the books, hence why the confusion. Hoping to shoot home at lunch today and pull the cap + rotor.

Jim

Hmm thats odd tho , cause there is onlee one style cap and rotor design made for the 4G93 and also the 4G37 , the cap through out the years of the 4G93 that used a distributor used the same cap and rotor design , the same goes for the 4G37 , if yud like i can get Beck Arnley and Nippon Denso etc numbers for yu to cross referance if yud like them

Removed today and they do not line up with the pictures on the autoparts website http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/ (ie screw holes 90 deg out and sping is on the cap not rotor). I got pics but can't get into photobucket to display. Numbers are;

Cap = T721
Rotor= T240

Mitsi parts.

Jim

Hmm thats odd , i have pics with labels.

The rotors are diffrent looking because bot work the same. Yu can see the point i was trying to explain about the design . They work the same tho

Attached thumbnail(s)

I took into Mitsi yesterday and the were helpfull. Priced up a cap at $135NZ and rotor $55NZ so I said thank-you but NO. Mechanic looked at the cap and said it was still OK to run, just clean up a bit. They haven't seen many problems with caps unless they were cracked or moisture was getting in. Rotor is much the same.

Installed back after cleaning and so far so good. If it starts playing up I'll bring into them to determine whats wrong. Engine still seems to be missing at low RPM's but idle has stabilised so I still believe its electrical. May be the ignition wires for all I know and really don't want to start parts swapping. Have alreday changed plugs, oil, filter, ect.

Thanks for the pics on the 4g37 parts. Will definetly source these if the shop says I have a cap/rotor problem.

Jim

Its an iffy thing , the plug leads can be , ive seen so many things in my years of automotive work. When yu pulled the plug leads how were the boots of them? Were there any oil on the boot area that goes over the plugs in the tube? Were there streaks , on the side like white streaks frum arcing around the ends of them? Hmm wish i had more advice than that.

I'm pretty familiar with these things and the leads all look good. No oil or obvious problem areas. Sometimes it can be a bad wire or conductor which looks good but when you throw it on the scope is bad. I really don't thnik it is a lead as its fine under load but only misses during idle. Might try pulling some electrical connectors to see if a little water got in somewhere.

Thanks for the help.

Jim

Its pretty far out there , but years ago i had a Mirage Asti with the 4G93 and it had a miss at idle , not that bad , but i had to check the rocker arm adjustment. Unlike most the other engines in the family these are manualy set and adjusted and non hydraulic.

Now that's interesting! I have a tapping from the rockers and I had thought they were hydroulic. It has been getting worse and I was going to run some upper cylinder lubricant through first off and then read up on any adjustment. I suspect that they have never been adjusted and are off.

One thing which does not make sense though is that the rough idle is intermittant. Mostly occurs when engine is warm where the rocker tapping is when cold.

Jim

Weird huh, LoL. Yeah these are not hydraulic . The adjustment can be a little off between one or 2 cylinders. Preferably it may be the intake side on the number one cylinder.The reason for the variance of when it may tap more than other times depends on how thick the oil that is lubricating the cam is. Altho the rockers are manualy adjustable , oil is fed to the roller of the rocker that rides on the cam. When the oil heats up a little bit and the viscosity drops , its more adiquetlly is supplied to the rollers thru the port on the rocker, this is a hypothesis of wut may be happening.

But after so many year and thousand of mile they do need to be adjusted and set. This i have seen can cause a miss at idle. On these engines checking and adjustment is very important over a certain amount of year. Especially since the exhaust side rocker presses on both exhaust valves , as for the intake valves have 8 individual rockers.

Sounds like my problem as the sound is louder at one end of the engine (oppisite from dist) at idle. When running at speed its not to bad. I'd better look up the specs and get ready to pull the cover and adjust. Haven't done this in a few years time so better do some homewoprk first.

Jim