Gen. I plans...

[High Center]

First post to this great forum.

Alright...so I have waded through all of the information and have decided that a Generation 1 Montero is the right starting point for my purposes. I would appreciate any of your wisdom as it concerns things to look for when "interviewing" a truck.

I'm a reasonably informed shadetree mechanic (read that: by neccesity) so I have the typical things covered: Service history, oil quality, general maint., rust etc. I am looking for specifics per model year- weak points, signs of impending doom as well as desirable options.


Thanks for the help-
HC :campfire:

 

[bearingman]

First post to this great forum.

Alright...so I have waded through all of the information and have decided that a Generation 1 Montero is the right starting point for my purposes. I would appreciate any of your wisdom as it concerns things to look for when "interviewing" a truck.

I'm a reasonably informed shadetree mechanic (read that: by neccesity) so I have the typical things covered: Service history, oil quality, general maint., rust etc. I am looking for specifics per model year- weak points, signs of impending doom as well as desirable options.


Thanks for the help-
HC :campfire:

HC where are you at? You found a Monty yet?

gary

 

[off-roader]

Are you looking at a 3.0L V-6 or 2.6L I-4 engined gen I?

3.0L:
- When was Timing Belt Done. Should be done every 60-90K miles along with the other belts, tensioner pulley, idler pulley, & Water pump.
- Does engine smoke when you rev it after does nothing but idles for 5 minutes? If so, you need to have the Valve Guide Seals replaced (not the valves).
- Where the tensioner and idler pulleys replaced during the last Timing Belt replacement? They should have been.
- Has the radiator been rodded or recored? Will need to be if not recently.
- How frequently was AT fluid changed? Has the Auto tranny ever been rebuilt? In most cases the tranny is rock solid and will last well over 200K unless they were sloppy drivers or didn't change the fluid regularly. I change mine annually via full flush since I wheel it hard.

2.6L:
- Has the engine ever overheated?
- Def do leak down test to check compression on this engine as over heating -> blown head gaskets is a common problem.
- When was timing chain last replaced?
- When was Mikuni Carbuerator last tuned? Are all of it's vacuum lines intact and working?

 

[High Center]

HC where are you at? You found a Monty yet?

gary

I'm on the coast of Georgia. No, I haven't found one yet but have my eye on a few. They are pretty hard to come by- which is a good thing (I think).

 

[High Center]

Are you looking at a 3.0L V-6 or 2.6L I-4 engined gen I?

3.0L:
- When was Timing Belt Done. Should be done every 60-90K miles along with the other belts, tensioner pulley, idler pulley, & Water pump.
- Does engine smoke when you rev it after does nothing but idles for 5 minutes? If so, you need to have the Valve Guide Seals replaced (not the valves).
- Where the tensioner and idler pulleys replaced during the last Timing Belt replacement? They should have been.
- Has the radiator been rodded or recored? Will need to be if not recently.
- How frequently was AT fluid changed? Has the Auto tranny ever been rebuilt? In most cases the tranny is rock solid and will last well over 200K unless they were sloppy drivers or didn't change the fluid regularly. I change mine annually via full flush since I wheel it hard.

2.6L:
- Has the engine ever overheated?
- Def do leak down test to check compression on this engine as over heating -> blown head gaskets is a common problem.
- When was timing chain last replaced?
- When was Mikuni Carbuerator last tuned? Are all of it's vacuum lines intact and working?

Man- This is what I'm looking for^.

If I understand the issue correctly the 2.6 has the advantage of a timing chain as opposed to a 60,000 mile belt but lacks 30hp that the 3.0 brings (brought). The EFI seems to be pretty good on the 3.0 as well because I have seen no complaint rants anywhere.

Which do you suggest?

Thanks for the help-

HC

 

[off-roader]

Man- This is what I'm looking for^.

If I understand the issue correctly the 2.6 has the advantage of a timing chain as opposed to a 60,000 mile belt but lacks 30hp that the 3.0 brings (brought). The EFI seems to be pretty good on the 3.0 as well because I have seen no complaint rants anywhere.

Which do you suggest?

Thanks for the help-

HC

Unless you plan on doing a turbo conversion or are REALLY knowledgeable about Mikuni carbs, their spaghetti vacuum line setup and are willing to almost rebuild the cooling system (unless it's pristine and working 110% I'd wholeheartedly and without any reservation recommend the 3.0L with an auto tranny.

Aside from the valve guide seals (minor pain), this is almost a 200k mile bulletproof engine tranny combo but with it likely to be an old engine (miles) I'd highly recommend rodding the radiator or replacing with a good all metal one (some come with plastic tanks) just to be safe.

Oh, one other thing with the 3.0 is the possibility that the ISC (Idle Speed Controller) will be bad. This will mean it will idle slow and won't increase idle when an additional load (AC, etc.) is placed on the engine. In some uncommon cases it can actually take out the ECU (engine computer). Both ECU's and ISC's can be rebuilt (do an internet search).

HTH

 

[High Center]

One of the trucks that I am looking at (with the 3.0) has just had the ECU replaced- the seller brings this up quite a bit...

So a well maintained truck (the drivetrain anyway) can be expected to last at least 200K? My biggest concern is the drive home from wherever I buy it.

 

[irsa76]

The 2.6 is a bullet proof performer, as a former Mitsubishi mechanic personally I'd take the 2.6 over the 3.0 if power wasn't a big concern, and convert the 2.6 to either EFI or straight LPG since both are easy here in Australia.
Either way, get the best truck you can afford and keep ontop of maintence and it will last forever. Just remember the youngest is now 20 years old.

 

[off-roader]

The 2.6 is a bullet proof performer, as a former Mitsubishi mechanic personally I'd take the 2.6 over the 3.0 if power wasn't a big concern, and convert the 2.6 to either EFI or straight LPG since both are easy here in Australia.
Either way, get the best truck you can afford and keep ontop of maintence and it will last forever. Just remember the youngest is now 20 years old.

Yes so long as you don't EVER overheat it. There's another mitsubishi forum where US owners frequently talk about the problems of the 2.6 motor. if you do a Yahoo.com search for Mitsubishi 4x4 forum it will be the very first listing. Ask the folks there what they think of the 2.6 versus the 3.0 in terms of long term reliability.

 

[High Center]

Not exactly what I was looking for but....
What do ya'll think?

http://norfolk.craigslist.org/cto/1522048600.html

 

[off-roader]

Not bad if it's as advertised. Bad starter and unknown engine condition until you replace the starter are a little scary but if you meet the seller and feel you can trust them, then I say go for it. Replacement of the starter takes all of 30 minutes (tops) so go ahead and give it a shot.

Also be sure to find out when he last replaced the timing belt, water pump, tensioner and idler pulleys. Should have all been done at the same time (hopefully).

Also check for any electrical issues with basic things like lighting, etc.

If you elect not to purchase it, let me know and I'll let the other mitsu owners I know know about it so they can jump on it.

 

[High Center]

Waiting for further info from the seller- If it falls through I will post here. I had no idea that these trucks were so few and far between.

I can't wait to get started!:wings:

 

[off-roader]

Waiting for further info from the seller- If it falls through I will post here. I had no idea that these trucks were so few and far between.

I can't wait to get started!:wings:

One thing to check is the operation of the ISC (Idle speed controller). Start the engine and wait til it's warmed up. Once up to temp (water temp gauge should be at 3/8 of the way up), the idle should be ~700 rpm.

Now turn on the AC (w/ VA summers I hope it has AC). With the compressor load to the engine, the ISC should kick up the idle speed a few hundred RPM. If it doesn't do this then the ISC either needs to be cleaned or repaired/replaced. Cost for that is no more than a couple of hundred dollars (Rebuild or buy a rebuilt or or buy a good one from a yard).

If you elect do get it the first thing I recommend doing is obvious maintenance items like timing belt, plugs, wires, cap, rotor.

Check and clean the ISC as well using just a rag (no carb cleaner type of fluids needed). All you want to do is remove dirt that might prevent it from easily moving.

Next clean the intake manifold butterfly. Remove all the accumulated dirt/dust from it using just a dry rag. Do not use carb cleaner as some of them can destroy the various seals in the intake and that's $$$ to fix.

Also inspect the ECU (Engine computer). It's under the dash on the passenger side. Check it for blown or leaking capacitors. Normally they dont run when this happens but sometimes they'll run for a little bit because the capacitor may be working just a little bit. If they're leaking fluid, you need to have this repaired. Hopefully the corrosive fluid didn't destroy any other electrical components on the ECU or those will need to be replaced as well.

Next have the transmission flushed or better yet, drop the tranny pan and clean or replace the wire tranny filter (it may only need to be washed).

Of course replace the oil if it needs it.

Also check other fluids like the transfer case, differentials, and coolant.

If it soothes your concerns have a leak down test performed to check the engine.

And if you really want to be anal have an oil analysis done after a your 2nd next oil change.

HTH.:coffeedrink:

 

[High Center]

Seller won't send any further info and the ad is down so I suppose that wasn't the right rig. More in the queue though-

Here's to hoping.

 

[MontyMcV]

First thing is are you after a 2-door SWB or a 4-door LWB? If the SWB, you'll find far more I4s versus V6s. If an LWB, they only came in V6s.

If you get a V6, THE FIRST THING TO DO is find out if the crank bolt has been replaced to the new style, per the TSB. If not, THE SECOND THING TO DO is get it done. The old bolt is like a PC hard drive, it's not a question of if, but when will it fail. And when it does, you'll have a rough go to drill it out and save the crank. Don't let the bolt issue put you off. Just get it serviced.

If you get an I4, a turbo swap is a fun thing to have!