Modest 2002 Montero Build

[IncorpoRatedX]

Whoa! You guys got pelted!

Dig those vents, i have the same ones hanging on the wall in my garage for my mighty max.

 

[coffeegoat]

Bummer man, I saw all the hail but didn't get any over here at my house. My hope is that while my wife is out of the house (the new mini van isn't around) we can have a huge hail storm to damage my monty. Then i can use the insurance money to finish my build and and bed liner the whole thing....

How are you liking the raptor liner several months in? I'm still kind of torn between that and the Montsaliner.

 

[zerodrift]

No insurance claim on this vehicle- never had enough of a purchase price and NADA value to justify the additional expense of comprehensive coverage in my opinion.

I'll have to pick up another set of vents and will be tig welding the assemblies to help stiffen the unit up. The spot welding on there wasn't the strongest and I recall one vent broke during install, which I spot welded with a car battery, jumper wire and allen wrenches.

The raptor liner is holding up really quite well and I'm still passed with the decision. Its certainly different and the novelty has worn off finally. It's a very utilitarian finish and I do miss the gloss at times, but when using the vehicle out in the wilderness and scraping it up against branches and foliage- I'm very much at ease. The finish is holding up really well and I've only hosed it off so far. Well have to scrub it eventually, but that can wait till it's really dirty. I'm curious to see how this finish lends itself to snow and ice.

 

[zerodrift]

Finally tackled a few repair projects that were on the to do list. Install a new (used) valve cover, new solenoid pack for the transmission/transfer case and clean out the idle air control valve.

Project went smoothly and I saw the cause of the large oil leak... The old valve cover was bent up pretty badly. Picture included.

The car needs a fuel leak sorted out. Its a very minor leak on the evap line on the fuel tank. I'll have to make plans to drop the tank and replace the line. I'm honestly not liking forward to that task and may outsource that task...

 

[AZPAJERO]

Loving this build and love the color! Sorry about the hail damage. That sucks!

How has the thinsulate been holding up under the headliner? That's a project I'm going to tackle this winter when it's not 135* outside

 

[zerodrift]

Winding the thread down.... After much discussion, we've decided to sell the 3rd gen Montero (this one). It's running pretty well, though a few things have since happened to the car. Quick summary:

Aftermarket radiator failed and replaced with a thin Napa unit.
Swapped the hood and rims with a friend's Montero. Stock wheels and a his hood has no dents.
Sunroof stopped working a while back.
Parking brake drags slightly.
Fuel gauges are not functional.
Leaks a little oil.
Exhaust leak.
Had trouble starting once, but worked after a few tries. No issues for the last few months...

The main cause of us selling it is the time investment that it'd take for me to fix it to my standards. I've too many project cars and this one is no longer on the list. We've since replaced it with a CX5 as we've a better camping vehicle already with my Gen 2.5.

I'm sad to part with the vehicle, but it's time to let it go to someone else who can hopefully invest more time than I have and enjoy it more. Its opened up a while new chapter in our lives and I truly hope it can do that for the next owner.

Sent from my LM-V405 using Tapatalk

 

[zerodrift]

Here is our Craigslist posting: https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/aurora-2002-mitsubishi-montero/6888377547.html

For those that followed this tread- note that the rims were traded out for some stock rims with newer tires- as was the hood. Same vehicle- just a stock look.

 

[mahlerous]

Just did this exact same job with the same aluminum T's I ordered from the link. Just a few words caution or advice I would offer:
The two ends of the T that are in a straight line (the top of the T) are the exact same size as the orginal plastic. The other leg of the T is smaller on the original plastic T by about 1/16th so when using the aluminum you will find that it is extremely tight to get the new piece in place. I sanded down the aluminum pipe where it goes into the slightly ly smaller line and it was much easier. Also, the plastic was very brittle and crumbled with finger pressure. Be careful not to get these sharp plastic particles in your coolant lines. I had to dig out the broken ends of the old plastic T's from the rubber hoses. I used about 1 full jug of coolant plus about another quart. Finally, if you have skid plates your coolant lines should be protected and the delicate plastic T's should not be an issue however one of mine was so brittle I am glad it is off my truck and I do have better peace of mind.

Do you have a link for the T's? I cannot find..

Also, @zerodrift dammit - I just bought a Montero before you posted yours for sale!

 

[eclipsest]

Love your build... Where did you find the yellow fog light casing? Thanks!

 

[zerodrift]

Love your build... Where did you find the yellow fog light casing? Thanks!

Thanks! Actually ended up selling this car a short while back and I gotta say that I do miss this car.

The yellow is a tint that I applied to the top. Just as a side note, tinting a light yellow is called 'frenching' lights. Just remove the light housing and apply a clear, adhesive backed vinyl tint. Reinstall and enjoy!

Sent from my LM-V405 using Tapatalk

 

[sidecardog]

Just did this exact same job with the same aluminum T's I ordered from the link. Just a few words caution or advice I would offer:
The two ends of the T that are in a straight line (the top of the T) are the exact same size as the orginal plastic. The other leg of the T is smaller on the original plastic T by about 1/16th so when using the aluminum you will find that it is extremely tight to get the new piece in place. I sanded down the aluminum pipe where it goes into the slightly ly smaller line and it was much easier. Also, the plastic was very brittle and crumbled with finger pressure. Be careful not to get these sharp plastic particles in your coolant lines. I had to dig out the broken ends of the old plastic T's from the rubber hoses. I used about 1 full jug of coolant plus about another quart. Finally, if you have skid plates your coolant lines should be protected and the delicate plastic T's should not be an issue however one of mine was so brittle I am glad it is off my truck and I do have better peace of mind.

September 2023 and I'm adding an additional fix option for the rear coolant hose tee replacement. One of the tees on my 2002 Montero Limited (167,000 miles) blew up on Saturday night and left me stranded in a parking lot with a strict and expensive towing policy that I wanted to avoid. So I needed to get the car out by Sunday morning at the latest. Nearest dealership was closed on Sunday and ordering OEM part via mail would take too long.

Luckily, I found an identical part made of galvanized steel at O'Reilly Auto Parts. The part is "Murray Climate Control Heater Fitting- 84543". Part number at O'Reilly is 84543. The dimensions of the tee are identical to the original plastic part as far as I can tell and it fit perfectly. The ends of the tee are 5/8" and the middle tee is 1/2". All hoses fit perfectly on it and I used hose clamps to secure it instead of the original clamps, just to be safe. Replacing the tee took ten minutes and refilling and bleeding the coolant system took about 20 min.

I plan on replacing both the new tee and the remaining original tee with the OEM part in the coming days. I don't want future corrosion from the galvanized steel part getting into my coolant system and I don't want the metal tee heating up to the point where it damages the hoses. Is that possible? I'm not sure. I'd be happy to hear thoughts on that. I assume aluminum would be better than galvanized as a metal option but I still haven't found an aluminum tee with the different diameter ends and don't feel like using tape or other solution to build out the correct diameter. My current plan is to replace both tees with new OEM parts with a plan to replace them again in 10 years or 100K miles.

The Murray connector from O'Reilly's was a good quick fix that I could probably leave in for years if I wanted to. It's a good option if you need solution quickly, as I did and can't get an OEM part. I will definitely be adding a few to my parts bag for overland trips.

Thanks to the original poster and commenters.
Matt