Bought a Gen 2.5 Montero

[fishon1213]

Hello. I am now the proud owner of a Gen 2.5 Montero. It is a '98 with 127,000 miles and it has the winter package so it has heated seats and a rear locker. It is in pretty good shape. All five tires match and are in good shape. The interior is very clean, leather is in good condition. Body has no dents or scratches. There is a little rust on the passenger side rocker, but I am in the midwest so thats tough to get away from. It runs very well aside from needing a little maintenance. Heater doesn't work very well and there is a misfire on #2.



Sorry for the poor picture its sub zero here, but should be warming up soon

I plan on doing a coolant/heater core flush, plugs and wires, valve cover gaskets, timing belt and water pump just to get started.

The 4wd system seems to work very well other than maybe the center diff lock. The front wheels and rear diff lock engage/disengage quickly, however the center diff lock light just flashes when put into lock. It does turn off in 2wd though.

So what do y'all think? I paid $2600.

 

[Clem]

Sounds like you got a deal. Not sure about the center diff. Maybe just try working it a bunch (seems to have helped others).

Welcome to the group,

Clem

 

[jeep-N-montero]

My favorite color, I had to settle for a white one myself though. You are on the right track as far as maintenance goes, there are videos on youtube that will guide you through EVERYTHING you need to do on her, just be patient and take a lot of pictures as you go because these are a PITA to work on.

 

[fishon1213]

If it gets above freezing tomorrow I plan on working on the cooling system flush. I hope that takes care of my heater issue. The blower seems a bit weak also, so I will take a look at that.

The previous owner never used the 4wd so I will keep engaging/disengaging and see if that helps.

I have always been a fanatic of 4runners, especially the first gen. I still love them but they are getting too hard to find.
I have to say that so far I love this vehicle. It has a few issues to work out and some maintenance to catch up on, but this is a lot of vehicle for the money. The third row seating is very nice as well. I think it may be the most stout and stable vehicle I have ever driven. Really.

 

[eurosonic]

what a deal. Enjoy!

 

[mapper]

Congrats! Make sure you have the flapper set properly on your center dash vents before you get too concerned about the heater. Those vents can be used for heated air (white setting, I think) or fresh air (blue setting). The adjuster is right below the clock, again, I think.

I thought my heater core was bad but then realized that was set to "fresh" air. Flipping that lever solved the problem...easy!

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Congrats! Make sure you have the flapper set properly on your center dash vents before you get too concerned about the heater. Those vents can be used for heated air (white setting, I think) or fresh air (blue setting). The adjuster is right below the clock, again, I think.

I thought my heater core was bad but then realized that was set to "fresh" air. Flipping that lever solved the problem...easy!

Same thing for A/C efficiency, make sure it's in the right position.

 

[fishon1213]

I flushed the cooling system and refilled it, now the heat works much better. Ill drive it for a while and do another flush to make sure its good to go

As far as what is next, the misfire is pretty bad, as is the burning oil smell. There is no smoke from the exhaust so I think the valve seals should be fine. I plan on taking care of those problems on Sunday. I have access to my brothers heated garage with a good selection of tools. The problem is I will need the parts this weekend. I usually like to go through Rockauto.com but cant wait for shipping. Looks like it will be Autozone. I am planning on getting....

Spark plugs.....NGK or denso
Plug wires ???
Intake manifold gasket
Valve cover gaskets with spark plug grommets...Im guessing they will only have Felpro
Timing Kit with water pump and gaskets
Already have PCV valve

Anything else I should plan on getting?
I have read the cam seals and crank seals are prone to leaking. Should I look into changing these while I in there?
Also where is the fuel filter located?

Thanks

 

[fishon1213]

Well my brothers garage didn't work out and I have been busy. But I had some days off work and finally got deep into the Monty. I changed plugs, wires, valve cover gaskets, and cylinder head orings. I put about 5 hours into all of it and it wasn't too hard. It runs much better now. The misfire is gone. Oil smell is still there but after I clean up the engine it should go away. Timing belt is next. Any suggestions on a good write up?

 

[Clem]

This video came recommended...It is for a sport, but very helpful.

HTH,

Clem