Key differences between gens 2 and 2.5 besides fenders and engines?

[Gruni14]

Hi guys I'm appealing to the experienced Montero owners here to help me make a decision between two units I've got my eye on: a 1998 with 177k miles and a 1996 SR with 135k. Both are in pretty good condition, rust-free, both in the lower $2k range. The 96 135k mile rig seems to be in a little nicer condition (really nice) from the pictures and its from an owner who has owned if for many years and seems to have done the right maintenance, but I have to drive several hrs to test/buy it (not a dealbreaker). The 98 is also decent and it's local at a dealer. I've driven it, it seems to drive ok. It needs some light paint and body work and some minor deferred fixes to make it pristine, which I can do. The 98 has heated seats but I'm looking for primarily a summer vehicle so that's only nice in the early spring fall. My Land Rover has heated seats and I never use them as it too is a summer driver. Both have lockers and interiors are about the same wear on the seats & steering wheel (not good) and slightly faded woodgrain. I'd probably get the seat bottoms re-upholstered anyway. I like the looks of both generations, but the chrome rims and lower miles on the 96 is attractive and it is fully loaded with a tan interior which I like. I'm also attracted to the adjustable shocks feature on the 96 which the 98 doesn't have. However, the owner says he never adjusts the suspension, so I wonder how well this works, or how critical it is? I would think it would be great on the trails. I've had selectable shocks on cars in the past and it was nice to have (when they worked), expensive when they didn't. Are they available for replacement? Moving on, I don't plan to commute with either and probably won't put more than 5k miles on per year as I have a bunch of other vehicles I drive like Jeeps, Land Rover, a few classic cars, pickups, etc. The primary purpose is just to have fun with it locally and take some mountain excursions and vacations once in a while. Not looking to 'Mod' it up probably keep it stock and stock tires. I'm a good mechanic and fabricator and worked at a body shop for years and have all the requisite tools, so I can pretty much fix whatever comes up mechaical/body/electrical but would rather not if I don't have to. From a looks standpoint, I like the looks of both and that is part of the problem. The 98 is light green metallic/silver which I kind of like and I like the stance of the 98. The 96 is red pearl/beige, so both are very attractive. I guess the large wheel openings on the 96 are attractive with the SR cladding which offsets them, but again not looking to go big tires. Has anyone used the feature where you can lay the front and middle seats flat and potentially sleep in the vehicle? How is it? Do both yrs have it? Is it great, or so uncomfortable so as not to be useful? To me, I can see camping above the treeline in one for a night.

Besides 'looks', which isn't a small thing, .....and I know the motors are different (is it significant enough to matter?), what OTHER differences or refinements to the 98 might I add to my decision-making matrix to help sway me towards one or the other? What is this 'bouncy seats' thing I've read about? Anyway, I'm trying to make a decision between these two units, please offer your thoughts and insights.



Please help...

Thanks a bunch,

 

[nckwltn]

96 is 4.63 gears, 98 as 4.27 gears

Not sure about OBD2 in the 96, but it's there in the 98

DOHC in 96 vs SOHC in 98. I think the 96 also has butterfly flap in the intake that some have reported as coming loose and falling into the engine... many will remove that.

 

[RyanY]

As Nckwltn said, the DOHC in the 96 has the variable intake butterflys in the lower intake plenum which have been known to come loose and make a mess of the engine. The DOHC makes a bit more power and torque than the SOHC engine, and coupled with the better gearing the 96 has slightly better performance.

The adjustable shocks on my 95 were worn out when I first got it so I never really used them much, but many seem to like them. Last I heard they were fairly expensive to replace when they are bad (~$100. each).

The rear seat on the 98 is split rather than the bench style on the 96.

Bouncy seats are not common in the GenIIs in the US - I've only ever seen them in the very early (92-93) models, but the base can be retrofitted if you can locate one, provided your vehicle is already equipped with manual seats.

The blister fenders on the 98 are more accommodating for larger tires than the 96, which sounds like it's not going to be an issue for you.

My 95 has the fold-flat seat set-up, so the 96 should as well. Not sure about the 98. I've never used mine.

The later one will have numerous little improvements throughout (like tweeters in the doors) but overall you could almost toss a coin to choose between the two. The lower mileage on the 96 counts for something, and the known maintenance history counts for a lot. The timing belt on the DOHC is fairly labor-intensive job to tackle, and there are a lot of "as long as you've got it apart" additional parts that add to the parts cost of the job.

Either vehicle needs to be checked to make sure the crankshaft bolt has been replaced with the most recent updated part - it's a known failure point and you don't want to have to deal with the consequences of it breaking.

 

[Gruni14]

Ryan,
Thank you for the good run down on the differences. That really helps! Couple follow up questions:
1) Crankshaft bolt - is this something that was a dealer recall, or just something that people have found craps out? Is there a mileage range when they tend to let go? Do they look any different in appearance so I can tell if it has been changed?
2) OBD II - Does anyone know if 96 is for sure OBD II?
3) Butterfly's - What is the purpose of the variable intake butterfly's? Is it the shaft that breaks, or is it plastic which becomes brittle? Does the retrofit result in less power, or no?

Thanks guys.

 

[Eric M]

Ryan,
Thank you for the good run down on the differences. That really helps! Couple follow up questions:
1) Crankshaft bolt - is this something that was a dealer recall, or just something that people have found craps out? Is there a mileage range when they tend to let go? Do they look any different in appearance so I can tell if it has been changed?
2) OBD II - Does anyone know if 96 is for sure OBD II?
3) Butterfly's - What is the purpose of the variable intake butterfly's? Is it the shaft that breaks, or is it plastic which becomes brittle? Does the retrofit result in less power, or no?

Thanks guys.

Crank bolts were updated through the years, only the latest revision is considered safe. Any other bolt should be changed immediately. All 1996 vehicles were required by federal law to be OBDII compliant.

 

[KyleT]

Winter package.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[The Viper]

butterfly valve...here is my understanding
1)this only effects the DOHC motor
2)its the screws ( or whatever holds it together, not the shaft) that eventually rattle loose and can drop into your intake causing some serious damage
3)I believe this was a recall and there is an updated plenum that fixed this issue
4) some people have plugged up the vacuum hose going to the plenum in an attemt to stop the rattle that eventually causes the screws to come loose.
5)my old gen 2 monty (DOHC) had 150k and i never had the rattle or other odd noise although it may have been replaced years ago.

crankshaft bolt: im not sure if this was a dealer recall, i dont think so, as this old style crank bolt effected many years and models (sports and reg montys), the old bolt, i believe was a dumbell looking bolt. I have a pic of the new one from the dealer posted in my "timing belt" thread.

edit: heres a pic of the 2 old style crank bolts (i pulled this pic from 4x4wire, credit to "4ePikanini" for posting pic)

 

[jeep-N-montero]

I love the fact that the Gen 2.5 is the rarest of the Monteros, you can literally go weeks without seeing another on the road and I like that.

 

[RyanY]

The crankshaft bolt was not a recall, but Mitsubishi updated the part several times in order to address a known problem with it. Buying a new bolt and washer from Mitsubishi is cheap insurance.

The variable intake butterfly shaft bushings are the parts that fail, allowing the shaft to vibrate excessively and in some cases, a screw or screws holding the butterflies in places will work itself loose. Disconnecting the vacuum line to the butterfly actuator won't fix the problem as the shaft is still free to vibrate whether it's actuating or not. Disabling the system will cost you some low end torque, although some people claim to not notice a difference. Mitsubishi has supposedly updated the part to address the issue. JohnnyBfromPeoria here in Phx had a machinist create new bushings and rebuilt his lower intake successfully - he's graciously offered to share the precise measurements that a machinist would need to create them, if someone wants to attempt it.