2nd Mitsubishi, first major problem

[clmrt]

Hey -

I bought a clean '05 Montero with 64,000 miles on it for $TOO MUCH about 32 days ago The timing belt tensioner let go in my driveway this morning. It sounded like a machine gun going off under my PS valve cover and when I killed the motor, the serpentine belt exploded and took out my water pump.

AAA towed it to the dealer from whom I bought it. I also bought the extended warranty, bumper to bumper.

Wish me luck...

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Good luck.

 

[Jay Ayala]

Yes good luck. I hope they take care of that and do it right.


1989 Dodge Raider 3.0L
1997 Mitsubishi Montero 3.5L

 

[cnutco]

Did you buy it from a Mitsubishi dealer?

 

[clmrt]

Yep. They bought on auction from NY and had it shipped in. We'd been looking hard for a clean one and we snapped this one up as soon as it came up for sale.

 

[cnutco]

Hope it all works out for you!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mapper]

good thing you bought the warranty. Good luck and I hope they take care of you. If they do it will certainly help you feel less like you paid too much!!

 

[clmrt]

Thanks for the wishes, waiting on an inspector from the warranty company.

 

[clmrt]

I'm thinking at least major head surgery on the passenger side, removal and inspection of the driver side, water pump and all timing components, plus anything else that turns up. I'll add plugs to the job since that's a maintenance item I don't want to deal with after the fact - assuming they'd reinstall them, which I hope they wouldn't...

If the pistons are scored, do they buff it out? I wonder if pistons with light marring will be saved without removal / replacement.

I see a used engine 300 miles away for about $3000. A new one is what, $6000?

 

[BOPOH]

did you check if you can get refurbished engine from advance, autozone or napa? for my truck it's about $4000. It's not always the case where you need to buy another engine, you can always replace broken parts, of course it depends on $ difference and availability. I couldn't find exact engine for mine but i got lucky where i had to replace only oil pan. Worst case scenario you can get eclipse, galant or endeavor engine since they are all in 6g75 family

 

[clmrt]

Or...TURBO!!

Wait...

 

[montypower]

Find a good used factory oem motor before buying a rebuild (unless from the dealer). The majority of rebuilds are crap. Tolerances are not nearly as good as factory and they only replace "some" parts.

 

[clmrt]

So, I got the word. They'll cover the repair.

But -

The repair is a new timing belt, tensioner, and water pump.

So I says, wait a minute - interference engine, valves hitting cylinders, and a new TB fixes everything? No.

I asked for at least a leakdown test to ensure the valves are seating properly, even if I have to pay for the test.

We shall see.

 

[clmrt]

And they did the tensioner and belt anyway, and guess what, it "purrs like a kitten, no noise!"

******

They said all this in a voicemail...that it'd be $500 to do the leakdown test and figured I wouldn't want to dish that out. This is after I told the service manager that I'd shell out half to have the test done. It's like they're begging me to take it off their hands.

I'll get a quote for a spark plug job...Repairpal says $250ish and I believe it, but hey, while you're in there...

I don't want to sign off on this until I feel good about it, and I don't feel good right now.

Has anyone lost a tensioner and 'not' suffered valve damage??

 

[jeep-N-montero]

It is possible to lose the tensioner and still have the valves and pistons stay in sync just enough to not make contact, might be the case.