Sigma-galant.com

Hi all, I've just acquired a new car, a 1977 GD Galant. I love it. Needs a little fine tuning but it's essentially ok, one previous owner and pretty well maintained.
I'd like it to go a bit faster but need to get it running shmick before doing anything too serious. I'm hoping to pick up some tips here as I'm a bit of a mechanical novice.

It's been great to see all the shit hot Galants around the boards.

Welcome to the site mate. I am sure you will pick up all the help and knowledge you need from old posts and members advise, in return we will be needing some pics of your ride, lol

Welcome
+1 for pics.

What are your plans for it?
Just a simple tidy up or, fit a twin cam head twin, injection and turbo (Sorry, got a bit silly there)

Plenty to learn, and plenty to see here.
Have a good look around, and give the search function a bit of a run. You'd be surprised what info you'll find on here.

Dave...

welcome to the site buds,hope you enjoy!

Thanks for the welcome

At the moment my plan is to just tidy it up and make it faster. I have limited funds to throw at this thing (don't we all?) so I need to be able to learn to do most of it myself. I wouldn't say no to a different grille though.... geez it's ugly.







What do you think?

I know it does not have the original motor, is there any way I can work out if it is a Galant motor or not?

That's nice and tidy

MatchboxCar wrote:I wouldn't say no to a different grille though.... geez it's ugly.

I'm not a fan of the GD grill. But I don't think they look as good painted all black either?
check this thread http://www.sigma-galant.com/viewtopic.p ... lls#p34106
I think they look better painted the original way.

MatchboxCar wrote:I know it does not have the original motor, is there any way I can work out if it is a Galant motor or not?

There are two types of 4G32 (1600)
- 4G32 (chain drive)
- 4G32B (Belt drive)

The belt drive has a plastic front cover on the motor to cover the timing belt. If it has one of these it's most likely an Import, a later fwd colt motor, an L300 motor or one out of a Lancer hatch?

If it's a chain drive motor, and originally out of a GD it will have anti pollution gear fitted to the inlet manifold.
If it does, it is most likely out of an earlier model.

Put a pic up.

Dave...

Cool, thanks for that. I know it's a belt drive so it must be a later motor. Aside from that charcoal jar I haven't noticed any other pollution gear. I'll stick a pic up when I can. I'll clean it first too, the engine has been left in a shameful condition

nice car there man, very clean and tidy.

The grille in that thread ^^ looks a lot better. I might have a crack at doing something to mine.

This is the motor. Can you tell me what it is?


I had a mechanic look over it the other day and he had a little fiddle with the carby (secondary was seized shut) and gave it a safety check for me. The stuff that I'd done myself was ok thankfully. He reckons with a bit of love (read:thrashing) it will go quicker. The old woman I bought it off had never had it over 60kph... He did suggest having the carby fixed or revamped or something. I might just pull it to bits.

Can I see a pic of the exhaust manifold?

So far it looks like either a Lancer Hatch, import. It's not a fwd Colt motor because they have an extra mount on the front of the head that would come out through the plastic timing case cover.
An L300 would have had a different aircleaner I think I've never played with them.

If it is an import it with have a catalytic converter built into the manifold.
I hope it is an import for you as the power outage is higher in them then the Australian models, or so I was told years ago when I bought some off an importer. I've bought 2 before.

Dave...

Can I see a pic of the exhaust manifold?

I'll show you mine if you show me yours ;)

Will go take a picture.

There you go, is that the right bit? I tried to get the manifold and the front of the timing cover in the same shot. I'm hoping it is an import, the more power the better cos it's pretty freaking slow. After the mechanic tinkered with it I did get it to 90kph which is the fasted I've had it.

OK, trying to remember, (it's been a while).
The mount location on the front of the head, looks like a fwd head. Most likely Colt.
The exhaust manifold is a standard style.

Take the rocker cover off and look at how many valves it has? It could be a 12 valve head?
I had a 12valve head in my old Lancer years ago. I had the extra 4 valves welded up (they are for EGR, Exhaust Gas Recirculation). It went alot better after that. They weren't sealing properly, so it was losing compression.

Dave...

Excellent, thanks Dave. I'll pull the rocker cover off and have look tomorrow.

Who welded the valves up for you? Did you need to take it somewhere? I've never touched a welder in my life.

I got a head restoration place to do it.

Would probably be a good idea to get the compression checked?
But there are other simpler things to look at:
Spark plugs
air filter
fix that sticking problem
check your vacuum advance moves freely
check your timing advance
check your crank to cam timing.

There are all sorts of reasons a motor will run but wont perform. I'm sure there are heaps more members on here who could tell you even more things to look for.

Start with the basics and work your way through it one by one.
Do you have a workshop manual?
How experienced with working on motors are you?

Dave...

Experience with motors? Pretty bloody good.... for a 28 year old woman, lol. In other words kinda limited. Dad is an ex mechanic and I used to pull my Gemini to bits as a teenager to fix it. I can replace a rocker cover gasket with my eyes shut, do a service, check timing etc. I assisted pulling the motor out of the Gemini but it was under dad's direction.

I know what the things are that you suggested I do, but I'd have to work out how to do it and I have bugger all in the way of gadgety diagnostic stuff.

Spark plugs are good, I have a new dizzy cap on the way and need to replace a couple more bits of fuel pipe. Air filter stinks so I'll get a new one.

From what I can gather the last mechanic that 'looked after' the car did a poor job. the filth, busted fuel line and split leads indicate that he really didn't care too much. The engine and bay are freaking FILTHY too, there is half an inch of grime in the bottom. the mechanic that looked at it the other day was pretty unimpressed.

I'm using the search function as much as possible but I'm aware I'm going to drive you all insane with my seemingly stupid questions.

very tidy galant you have there, not the original engine though, its a g32b out of either a lc lancer hatch, or early GE sigma. dosent appear to be a fwd engine as they have the engine mount bracket coming through the plastic timing cover.

hey dave notice the centre console.. (random insert from another thread dicussion about the gd centre console)

Welcome, the engine bay may be dirty and unkept but the outside looks pretty tidy and straight and that dash is mint.