PirateMcGee's 2001 Montero Sport 3.5XS
- Thread starter PirateMcGee
- Start date
PirateMcGee
Expedition Leader
Obscure parts came in.... Plus a junkyard score.
PirateMcGee
Expedition Leader
I hated all the brittle old plastic and missing bits and pieces on my old 86 4runner so I figured I would replace some stuff while mitsu still has them.
Insulators for the radiator/ac condenser, bumper/grille clips, trans filter, timing cover gaskets and timing cover, ps pump seal kit (FYI 01 has two potential kits but Mitsu only lists one when you look them up online), couple of misc gaskets.
This project is done and went ok. I did have a bad out of the box NTN timing tensioner (crazy) which caused the crank to jump two teeth (cams stayed in time together) on first start and make a little noise. Shut it off immediately, diagnosed, and fixed so I got to do the belt twice (yipee). Initial start after had a very light ticking which went away once up to operating temperature. Now no noise on initial start even after sitting over night so hopefully no long term ill effects
All that said it runs as good as ever but I'm waiting on the replacement ps pump seal kit and to top off the trans after adding a medium Hayden cooler before I can drive it.
I'm also considering selling it to get a regular cab Tacoma but we'll see.
PirateMcGee
Expedition Leader
Not sure if I will.... but my first vehicle (learned to drive it at 11 and drove it to age 24) was a 1993 toyota pickup regular cab manual trans no ps, ac, or passenger mirror lol and I'm pretty nostalgic about them. Since Toyota stopped building them in 13/14' this next year or so my be might last chance to find an ultra low mile regular cab toyota pickup that I can keep for 10+ years.
I might also be starting grad school back up while working full time so I want something I don't have to repair or spend much time on.
I also hunt, fish, canoe, backpack, car camp, and have dogs....a truck with a cap is hard to beat for that. I also want to sleep in the back on occasion.
PirateMcGee
Expedition Leader
Well since I'm keeping the truck I've decided to give it some additional love. Everything is still working great after the timing belt several thousand miles later so I figure it will last.
First new thing: get a decent drawer or storage platform built for the rear. Using Baltic Birch and semi gloss spar. Looking good so far!
First new thing: get a decent drawer or storage platform built for the rear. Using Baltic Birch and semi gloss spar. Looking good so far!
Outdooraholic
Adventurer
I can't wait to see what you do with the back. I love my factory floor compartments for daily duties but when loaded down for camping its a pain to access them. I am considering removing them and building drawers. We also sleep in the back during the winter though so having a flat platform is important for us too.
PirateMcGee
Expedition Leader
I don't have the floor compartments in mine. Mitsu had some odd optioning going on around this time. Removing the compartments involves drilling/grinding but it's pretty feasible.
Still deciding if I want an actual drawer or if I'll just leave it as a platform and keep using plastic containers underneath.
Also got the roof rack in yesterday. Looks like it will mount directly to the raised side rails.
I'll post some pics up once this gets complete.
BOPOH
Explorer
when i had FJ, it had trunk floor lower than rear folded seats, about 3 inches which was terrible if you wanted to sleep in FJ. So one guy invented low profile drawers for basic hand tools. I've replicated for my FJ and it was AWESOME. You can probably do something like that too. The benefits are: low profile, but enough storage for all kind of wrenches and pliers, if you add foam - no rattling, out of the way or sight, lockable if you wish to make it that way and really easy to do. Some helpful details, 24" soft closing sliders from home depot about $20 a pair that can support 100lbs, which is plenty enough unless you will hide gold bricks in it 
plywood is cheap too and doesn't need to be thick unless you will carry cinder blocks. i think i used 1/2" on top and 3 long (2 side & 1 middle between drawers) "walls". Mine didn't exactly look like the one below, i had vertical drawer ends and no handles/latches as sliders had stoppers holding from openin. If you want i can take picture of my drawer, i kept it as it was not pretty
plywood is cheap too and doesn't need to be thick unless you will carry cinder blocks. i think i used 1/2" on top and 3 long (2 side & 1 middle between drawers) "walls". Mine didn't exactly look like the one below, i had vertical drawer ends and no handles/latches as sliders had stoppers holding from openin. If you want i can take picture of my drawer, i kept it as it was not pretty
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Outdooraholic
Adventurer
I like the low profile drawers there. They look like they would be about the same thickness as the MS factory compartments.
I've taken mine out a couple of times when running wires from the back to the front and its just 4 screws into the floor for each compartment.
PirateMcGee
Expedition Leader
There are some internal frames that are spot welded in place from what I've seen vs the noncompartmentalized version but that probably doesnt really matter.
PirateMcGee
Expedition Leader
L track and l track ratchet straps came in! Now I have to cut it to length and figure out how to attach....
