A couple of weeks ago I picked up a 2000 Endeavor with a known engine issue and promptly began to investigate. Search for "New-Owner-2000-Montero" for the background story.
Since then I have just decided to pull the complete engine to determine the root cause of the coolant in the combustion chamber issue. At this point the engine is ready to be lifted out of the vehicle, I am just waiting for a 2nd set of hands to help me guide it out of the engine bay. This should occur in the next couple of days. It is my hope that I can document the engine teardown in this thread, which will be unlike most of the build threads here - as they are mostly focused on building up the Montero - making it more off road worthy. Mine on the other hand will be focused primarily on engine teardown and build up - making it reliable before embarking on outfitting it for off road use.
A few points I would like to elaborate on involving the task of getting the engine ready for extraction…
This is the nastiest engine and undercarriage I have encountered in quite some time. Even though the vehicle had a stack of documentation by an independent mechanic, they took no effort in cleaning anything and over time the engine, suspension, front differential and transmission has been covered in a nice thick goo of grease and grime. :Wow1: Geez, I hate working on a nasty *** vehicle like this. One of the 1st things I'm going to do when I have the engine out is fire up the pressure washer and give the suspension and engine bay a thorough cleaning.
Next, I don't care how good a mechanic is, they don't have a vested interest in "your" car other than performing the least amount of what is required to return the car to service. While getting the engine ready for removal, I found various nuts and bolts that were not the original OEM parts. This engine has gone thru at least 3 timing belt changes and it seems they somehow lost some of the original bolts and substituted whatever they could find. Also encountered broken tabs on some of the connectors, notably the fuel injection connectors. At this point, I think it would have been better for me to have bought a Monty that had not been touched by a mechanic so then I would at least have all of the original hardware.
Getting to the upper two bell housing bolts was a trying experience that tested my patience (of which I have little). It was necessary for me to remove the plenum, the intake and the coolant crossover tube in order to both access the upper bell housing bolts and to have enough leverage to break them loose. The V12 in my BMW 850i was easier than this. I am also flabbergasted by the sheer number of nuts and bolts necessary to hold all the accessories, wiring, hoses, lines, etc to the engine. I've never seen something so complicated in all my life - surely Mitsubishi could have designed the exterior of the engine better than this. Having to remove the plenum to get to the driver's side spark plugs is sheer madness.:yikes:
Well, I wanted a project vehicle and I got my wish, so I really shouldn't complain at all. I actually enjoy working on vehicles when I have time. This is not my primary vehicle and I've got a decent place to work on it. It keeps me from doing stupid stuff like watching the Bachelor on TV…
My biggest fear at the moment is determining root cause of the coolant in the #3 combustion chamber. When I removed the spark plug and peered in the combustion chamber it was actually flooded with coolant. I suctioned out an ounce of coolant. That just ain't right folks. Maybe it is just the head gasket and not a crack in the cylinder head, or worse in the block. Funny thing was, when I got the vehicle, it ran great, if you ignored the thick white vapor cloud from the exhaust.
No pictures at the moment because there is not a lot to see at this point. I should be able to update this thread Thursday evening. Come along for the ride, it will be fun.
Since then I have just decided to pull the complete engine to determine the root cause of the coolant in the combustion chamber issue. At this point the engine is ready to be lifted out of the vehicle, I am just waiting for a 2nd set of hands to help me guide it out of the engine bay. This should occur in the next couple of days. It is my hope that I can document the engine teardown in this thread, which will be unlike most of the build threads here - as they are mostly focused on building up the Montero - making it more off road worthy. Mine on the other hand will be focused primarily on engine teardown and build up - making it reliable before embarking on outfitting it for off road use.
A few points I would like to elaborate on involving the task of getting the engine ready for extraction…
This is the nastiest engine and undercarriage I have encountered in quite some time. Even though the vehicle had a stack of documentation by an independent mechanic, they took no effort in cleaning anything and over time the engine, suspension, front differential and transmission has been covered in a nice thick goo of grease and grime. :Wow1: Geez, I hate working on a nasty *** vehicle like this. One of the 1st things I'm going to do when I have the engine out is fire up the pressure washer and give the suspension and engine bay a thorough cleaning.
Next, I don't care how good a mechanic is, they don't have a vested interest in "your" car other than performing the least amount of what is required to return the car to service. While getting the engine ready for removal, I found various nuts and bolts that were not the original OEM parts. This engine has gone thru at least 3 timing belt changes and it seems they somehow lost some of the original bolts and substituted whatever they could find. Also encountered broken tabs on some of the connectors, notably the fuel injection connectors. At this point, I think it would have been better for me to have bought a Monty that had not been touched by a mechanic so then I would at least have all of the original hardware.
Getting to the upper two bell housing bolts was a trying experience that tested my patience (of which I have little). It was necessary for me to remove the plenum, the intake and the coolant crossover tube in order to both access the upper bell housing bolts and to have enough leverage to break them loose. The V12 in my BMW 850i was easier than this. I am also flabbergasted by the sheer number of nuts and bolts necessary to hold all the accessories, wiring, hoses, lines, etc to the engine. I've never seen something so complicated in all my life - surely Mitsubishi could have designed the exterior of the engine better than this. Having to remove the plenum to get to the driver's side spark plugs is sheer madness.:yikes:
Well, I wanted a project vehicle and I got my wish, so I really shouldn't complain at all. I actually enjoy working on vehicles when I have time. This is not my primary vehicle and I've got a decent place to work on it. It keeps me from doing stupid stuff like watching the Bachelor on TV…
My biggest fear at the moment is determining root cause of the coolant in the #3 combustion chamber. When I removed the spark plug and peered in the combustion chamber it was actually flooded with coolant. I suctioned out an ounce of coolant. That just ain't right folks. Maybe it is just the head gasket and not a crack in the cylinder head, or worse in the block. Funny thing was, when I got the vehicle, it ran great, if you ignored the thick white vapor cloud from the exhaust.
No pictures at the moment because there is not a lot to see at this point. I should be able to update this thread Thursday evening. Come along for the ride, it will be fun.
