EyeInTheSky
Adventurer
Fixed. Thanks.
EyeInTheSky's Gen 3 Budget Build Thread
- Thread starter EyeInTheSky
- Start date
howirolla
Campfire Passport
the problem with that is the fix liter NEEDS that 10k dropped in it to even work proper.
EyeInTheSky
Adventurer
Amen. It blew up on him after a few years so he sold it for an Excursion with the 7.3. He bought that King Ranch brand new off the lot when he was 25 and had way more money than sense. He got a great deal on it, but still expensive. Great truck for a few years, but that engine was notorious for exploding once it has been modified.
Just got a quote from Engine World Inc. out of Houston, $2,200+$400 core for a reman with a 6mo warranty. Been reading good things about them online, though I would prefer somewhere local, as warranty work can be a bear on these (based on my research). Also asked if I can buy an extended warranty.
I looked at the supplier DeltaFry used (RydellPowertrain), and they are slightly over $4,000, but have a 5 year warranty.
I've noticed that on here and many other forums, people don't like to discuss pricing for some reason. I have zero problems doing that, as it can benefit others in similar positions, but if it's bad etiquette, let me know and I'll edit my posts.
coffeegoat
Adventurer
Quick note - I have the same washer set up on my intake manifold. They're fancy little washer so I believe it has something to do with reducing stress risers on the intake part. Because you have a single cast aluminum part that's connected up to two separate aluminum heads which are bolted independently to the block the tolerance stack-up gets a bit sketchy particularly during thermal cycles, I would guess they just provide enough flexibility to avoid cracking.
EyeInTheSky
Adventurer
Got it. I looked at them closer, and yes, they are pretty fancy. At first they looked like a stack of regular washers. I thought the PO had gotten a replacement intake manifold that wasn't in spec and put the washers on as spacers.
Are they conical at all when unloaded? They may be Belleville springs being used to keep somewhat constant tension on the bolts through thermal cycling if it's a from the factory sort of thing.
EyeInTheSky
Adventurer
After doing a Google Image Search, that's exactly what they are.
So, some good news. I got the crank pulley bolt out yesterday. 24in breaker bar, ghetto-fabbed pulley holder, and me nervously standing on the breaker bar took it out with no problem. I cheered, as that has been an intimidating task. Removed the water pump, timing belt, etc. Timing belt has no brand on it, but it came from Germany. Looked like it was in decent shape, but a bit frayed on the edges in places.
More good news: The heads are off completely. Photos will follow, but my preliminary observation is that one of the valves on cylinder six has a 1in gouge in the carbon buildup, and the adjacent one (same cylinder) has about a half inch gouge. Something might have fallen into the intake manifold when I changed the spark plugs and caused the valve to stay open. It also might have happened at the shop when they pulled the plenum, but my money is on my clumsiness. Expensive lesson maybe? Even if that's not the cause it's a good example of why you need to keep the intake manifold covered when you pull the plenum (which I did, so I'm at a bit of a loss).
I kinda mangled the head gaskets pulling them off, so I can't tell if there was failure there that caused the milky oil on the intake manifold when I stripped it down the second time.
Some more good news: I was initially turned off from a local rebuild by my mechanic's estimate ($5,200 for a turnkey full engine rebuild). I called a few shops myself and got two quotes for a full stock rebuild: $1,950 and $2,400 with 12mo warranties. Pretty sure the huge discrepancy is that I will be removing and reinstalling the engine myself... Just getting down to the block has been a monumental task so far.
I will be making more calls later today, but that is a damn sight better than buying a completely remanned engine. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to talk the wife into letting me spend a few extra bucks to have the cylinders bored out and the heads ported? :-D
I have to say, I'm in uncharted territory in regards to my automotive repair skills. Prior to this, the closest I've come to tearing into an engine this deeply was replacing the valve cover gasket on my 1996 Grand Cherokee. My father was a Ford mechanic for 30 years, and I worked with him a lot when I was a kid. When I was 11 or 12 he set up his old F-150 engine on a stand, and a new block on another stand next to it, and we transferred everything over (block had seized). He always got terrible mileage after that, but hey, it ran.
So with that said, as long as you're careful, you have the tools, and an eye for detail, don't be too afraid to dive in.
More information and photos to come.
coffeegoat
Adventurer
Congratulations - It's a big step to pull the heads off and look at all the little baggies of bolts, and shelves full of parts and think "Hey I did that, and I think I might have half a clue of how to put it back together!"
At this point the big question is "how much money do you want to spend?" You can go nuts with ported heads (which will need a new exhaust system) bored cylinders, fancy new cranks and all kinds of other goodies, or you can get the heads refreshed and put it all back together with new seals throughout. As I had mine apart the trade-off was the other outstanding items I knew I had left to do - suspension, roof rack, stereo refresh, etc. I was already into the engine ~$1k with all the new parts/seals etc, it's easy to spend a bunch more, but I'm pretty happy with a simple refresh, and had I done any more work and my new springs and bash plates would be moved even further out than they are now...
Congrats again, and good luck on the next steps.
At this point the big question is "how much money do you want to spend?" You can go nuts with ported heads (which will need a new exhaust system) bored cylinders, fancy new cranks and all kinds of other goodies, or you can get the heads refreshed and put it all back together with new seals throughout. As I had mine apart the trade-off was the other outstanding items I knew I had left to do - suspension, roof rack, stereo refresh, etc. I was already into the engine ~$1k with all the new parts/seals etc, it's easy to spend a bunch more, but I'm pretty happy with a simple refresh, and had I done any more work and my new springs and bash plates would be moved even further out than they are now...
Congrats again, and good luck on the next steps.
'round n' back again
Explorer
betting the lower end is good and solid probably dont need to go any deeper than you are!
If so a jdm engine might be your best way out of the swamp.
worse heavy mods to these engines net poor increase in performance.
"baggies of bolts!" thats for sissies!!
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If so a jdm engine might be your best way out of the swamp.
worse heavy mods to these engines net poor increase in performance.
"baggies of bolts!" thats for sissies!!
.
EyeInTheSky
Adventurer
Thanks. I was mostly joking regarding the performance upgrades. Bulletproof reliability is much more important to me. I'd rather get somewhere in the backcountry and home again slowly, than get out there quickly and not come back at all.
I'm at the point of "since I'm already here." She's a tired old rig, so a bottom end refresh will give her some new life and me some peace of mind.
I'd rather be a sissy with a correctly-put-together engine than a macho man ending with that ONE extra bolt (though I forsee it happening regardless of baggies).
Quick question for the more knowledgeable here... What's the story with the timing cover gaskets and seals? Most of mine were pretty crunchy, so when I looked online to replace them... well... see below.
Position Side Part No. Price Qty
Upper R MD326415 1.45 1
Upper L MD199898 2.05 1
Upper R MD199900 1.33 2
Upper L MD189493 1.19 1
Upper R MD187645 1.54 2
Upper L MD188612 2.72 1
Upper R MD191921 3.98 1
Lower MD198550 2.55 1
Lower MD187648 1.4 2
Lower MD191948 1.4 1
Really?? 13 different gaskets? Check it out for yourselves on an OEM Mitsubishi site.
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EyeInTheSky
Adventurer
You could hear my sigh of relief in the next county. Seriously considering having the shop do the install. That was awful.
coffeegoat
Adventurer
Nah, it goes together way easier than it comes apart. Everything is nice and clean, things are not stuck on with rust. Etc. Except the exhaust manifolds - they're terrible every single time... I think it only took me 2-3 hours for the reassembly compared to ~18 or so for the tear down.
Well done so far - cross "rebuild an engine" off your bucket list.
Well done so far - cross "rebuild an engine" off your bucket list.
offthepath
Adventurer
Nice job!
EyeInTheSky
Adventurer
I decided to do something more fun while my engine is at the machine shop.
I have two small 8in LED bars that will probably go up top on the roof rack. I want them to swivel, however, so they can point out to the sides and be the "setting up camp in the dark because we left too late in the afternoon" lights. The included mounting bolt is too short to use on the rack, so I'll be taking a trip to Lowes to figure out what i can use to allow them to swivel, but also lock them in place for driving.
Also planning to put a 12in LED bar on the rear and wire its relay to both the reverse light circuit, as well as a switch in the cab so I have the option.
I have two small 8in LED bars that will probably go up top on the roof rack. I want them to swivel, however, so they can point out to the sides and be the "setting up camp in the dark because we left too late in the afternoon" lights. The included mounting bolt is too short to use on the rack, so I'll be taking a trip to Lowes to figure out what i can use to allow them to swivel, but also lock them in place for driving.
Also planning to put a 12in LED bar on the rear and wire its relay to both the reverse light circuit, as well as a switch in the cab so I have the option.
EyeInTheSky
Adventurer
Ideas while the motor is out
A few questions for the gurus here.
My motor mounts seem to be original, but look to be in good shape. Worth replacing, or if it ain't broke, don't fix it?
Anyone have any idea where I can find a replacement bolt for the engine>bellhousing connection? I accidentally used a 12pt socket trying to break it loose and rounded it pretty badly. All the OEM sites I'm seeing don't have that specific bolt, and it doesn't look like any other that I saw during disassembly. I'd prefer OEM for this, but if I have to do a hardware store run, I will. Going to call my local dealer and see if they have any luck.
Throttle body: It's pretty clean inside and doesn't seem to be causing any issues...BUT... has anyone here had their throttle body bored out on a Gen3 Montero? I've seen a lot of info stating that it's a quick and dirty way to get some more low and mid range power. MaxBore will charge me $125 to bore it over; not really seeing any other options online (will ask the machine shop for a quote as well). Bottom line, worth it?
Also, I just found out yesterday that my jerry can is illegal in CA for three separate reasons... got to love this state. :-(
I want to clean out my engine compartment, but with all the accumulated grease/oil/assorted other HAZMAT, I don't really want to do it in front of my garage.
So, any other "while I'm here" or "while she's out of commission" ideas?
Unrelated note: I had an idea on a light mount that would allow me to swivel the light, but also lock it down:
They are all-aluminum; the bottom plate detaches and is held in place by the hex set screw. I could bolt that plate down, then lock the mount to it, then remove the ring from the main post, and mount my light bracket to it. They're about $2/ea on Ebay. What do you guys think?
A few questions for the gurus here.
My motor mounts seem to be original, but look to be in good shape. Worth replacing, or if it ain't broke, don't fix it?
Anyone have any idea where I can find a replacement bolt for the engine>bellhousing connection? I accidentally used a 12pt socket trying to break it loose and rounded it pretty badly. All the OEM sites I'm seeing don't have that specific bolt, and it doesn't look like any other that I saw during disassembly. I'd prefer OEM for this, but if I have to do a hardware store run, I will. Going to call my local dealer and see if they have any luck.
Throttle body: It's pretty clean inside and doesn't seem to be causing any issues...BUT... has anyone here had their throttle body bored out on a Gen3 Montero? I've seen a lot of info stating that it's a quick and dirty way to get some more low and mid range power. MaxBore will charge me $125 to bore it over; not really seeing any other options online (will ask the machine shop for a quote as well). Bottom line, worth it?
Also, I just found out yesterday that my jerry can is illegal in CA for three separate reasons... got to love this state. :-(
I want to clean out my engine compartment, but with all the accumulated grease/oil/assorted other HAZMAT, I don't really want to do it in front of my garage.
So, any other "while I'm here" or "while she's out of commission" ideas?
Unrelated note: I had an idea on a light mount that would allow me to swivel the light, but also lock it down:
They are all-aluminum; the bottom plate detaches and is held in place by the hex set screw. I could bolt that plate down, then lock the mount to it, then remove the ring from the main post, and mount my light bracket to it. They're about $2/ea on Ebay. What do you guys think?