fresh motor mounts ! For some reason the Mitsubishi dealer wanted $70 a piece for these, and since I can't imagine there's much difference in quality, I went with the $12 option from advance auto.. As of tonight these are in place and the timing cover is on, I double checked that the pulley lines up at tdc as well as the cam gears, so that should verify that I installed the belt correctly, though it doesn't feel as tight as I would've thought.
now I need to reinstall the distributor, but my repair manual only explains how to do it if you've marked its position at TDC before removing it from the old head. How do I set it correctly if when I took it out I just unbolted it and tossed it on the shelf with reckless abandon like a philistine ? Unrelated: are flywheel bolts meant to be reused ? Once the distributor is in place I'm down to mostly bolting on simple stuff: valve covers, intake manifold, exhaust and flywheel. Despite my great efforts at dragging my feet on this project, the finish is at least in sight..
dannyp84 said:
So just as I was about to drill for the dipstick tube, my neighbor noticed that the new short block has a hole for the tube, just on the opposite side of the block. I had to create a small window in the motor mount bracket to make that hole work, but otherwise it doesn't look like it'll foul on anything on that side of the engine. Otherwise, the oil pan and pump are in place, water pump is installed, crank sprocket is on, I need to tighten the camshaft sprockets but the haynes manual says to stick a screwdriver into one of the sprocket holes to secure it while tightening.. As far as I can tell though, there's no where for the screwdriver to land that will keep it secure, so I need to find a different way to keep the cam from spinning. Once that's done, the engine can be timed and I can bolt on the remaining accessory stuff. Hopefully we get a warm day next week and I can power wash the engine bay (mostly the crossmember) and get rid of years of oil leak filth..
IIRC then they sent you the "minivan" version (e.g. FWD), which has the dipstick on the other side.
I want to say I used a ratchet strap or an old belt or something in order to hold the sprocket while tightening.
dannyp84 said:
fresh motor mounts ! For some reason the Mitsubishi dealer wanted $70 a piece for these, and since I can't imagine there's much difference in quality, I went with the $12 option from advance auto.. As of tonight these are in place and the timing cover is on, I double checked that the pulley lines up at tdc as well as the cam gears, so that should verify that I installed the belt correctly, though it doesn't feel as tight as I would've thought.
now I need to reinstall the distributor, but my repair manual only explains how to do it if you've marked its position at TDC before removing it from the old head. How do I set it correctly if when I took it out I just unbolted it and tossed it on the shelf with reckless abandon like a philistine ? Unrelated: are flywheel bolts meant to be reused ? Once the distributor is in place I'm down to mostly bolting on simple stuff: valve covers, intake manifold, exhaust and flywheel. Despite my great efforts at dragging my feet on this project, the finish is at least in sight..
I *think* I discussed the dizzy alignment in my build thread. I remember that I had to do a bunch of research into it as well, since it's been forever since I worked on a car with a distributor!
I don't believe the flywheel bolts are torque to yield/stretch bolts, and I'm quite certain I re-used mine (with some loctite).
In reply to irish44j (Forum Supporter) :
I found where someone mentioned that the post don't line up with the points on your build thread, but I don't think you explained how you set it, if so I missed it. Also after looking back at your thread I think I might have the timing belt tension spring upside down so I'll check that tomorrow ..
Yeah, wish I remembered. I always get confused about what I did on which engine, lol. Why I usually document things - for my own reference in case I have to do it again!
So I used this thread for reference:
http://4x4wire.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/1035268.html
I turned the crankshaft pulley to 5° before TDC, then set the distributor down into its place, with the rotor pointing toward the cylinder 1 point in the cap. For reference, I marked a line where that point was on the base of the distributor. For this photo I edited the line in white so it would show:
^ this is before I made any adjustment at the base of the distributor housing where the set screw is located, after turning it at the base I got the rotor pretty much centered on that line. I think this is right? When I go back out to the garage I'll double check that both valves are shut on cylinder 1, since it's a steel building there's no signal in there..
Quick update on this: The motor is back where it belongs and fires up no problem, with 20-30 psi of oil pressure at fast idle. However, I haven't let it warm up to temp yet because there is a pretty substantial oil leak out of the driver side of the engine block. Initially I thought it was leaking past the O ring of the dipstick tube, but when I shut off the motor and pull the tube it doesn't look like oil has touched it. I'm wondering if this block had an oil galley plug that my old block didn't have, or in a different location. either way, the leak appears to be somewhere near the motor mount, and I'll have to add some oil, then have someone briefly start the engine while I'm underneath trying to source the leak.
My friend and I ended up NPT plugging the unused oil feed, and the Montero is running and driving again. I did a break in run before changing the oil, and since then I've driven it probably 100 miles around town. I still need to wire up a proper oil pressure gauge with better accuracy than the factory gauge which failed last year. During the break in, I used a mechanical gauge that screws right in where the sending unit goes, but I can't continue running that gauge permanently. So far the oil is staying inside the motor, there's definitely more low end torque, and it hasn't blown to bits yet. I plan to put about 500 mi on it before changing the oil again just to be safe. Also, I think I got air into the hydraulic lifters because they're noisy. I'm told that rotating the engine upside down on the stand could've caused that, but for now I'm leaving them alone.
In reply to crankwalk (Forum Supporter) :
Much appreciated! This project felt like I bit off more than I was capable of most of the time, but some help from friends and a lot of research made it doable, though it didn't go quickly. That first start is quite a nervous experience.
The Montero knocked out a 700 mi round trip to the Poconos and back last weekend without issue, so I'm beginning to trust the new motor a little more. It appears that I have an axle seal leak at the right rear, but the brake drum doesn't want to come off, so that will need to be addressed. Beyond that, I need to solder a crack at the top of the radiator, and give the whole thing a good detailing. I forgot how capable this thing was in low range, even with pretty worn tires. I also forgot how noisy it is on the highway, due to the shape and angle of the windshield most likely. Hoping to drive it up to Michigan's upper peninsula in November, and see some of the country up there. It's good to have this thing out of the garage though, as any day now Defined Autoworks will be done building my 13b, and I'll start preparing to swap it into my FB.
In reply to dannyp84 :
glad it's running and driving well. as to the UP in November, well, just make sure you've got legit M&S-rated tires. North of the Mackinac Bridge, well really anywhere north of West Branch (exit 212 on I-75), you can run into snow any time after Halloween.
And if your plan has you passing through Metro Detroit area, we should totally plan a local gathering.
In reply to dannyp84 :
If you head up the West Coast of Michigan I may be closing down the cabin in Pentwater around that time. It would make for a great layover point. If you are going exploring skip the boring drive up the middle of the state, take the coast.
In reply to AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) :
My tires are all terrains, should I bring chains? I believe we're picking up a friend and Michigan native in Detroit who is flying home from Colorado that weekend. Are the silver lake sand dunes open that time of year?
Are you selling this now? Saw it posted for trade on the RX8 thread.
In reply to mr2s2000elise :
Sorry I missed this, I have been considering trading it, as I feel bad about how much it sits unused. I have a truck now, so a lot of the Montero's capabilities are redundant, and I'm finding that we don't go camping or off roading nearly as often as I had anticipated when I bought it. I'd consider letting it go to a good home, as it's a really charming and rugged little 4x4, but I know I'd be better served by a sedan or coupe that's good for long distance highway drives.
Even though the Montero is actively for sale now, I have still been driving and enjoying it here and there when I have time. Recently, I took it out to Mid Ohio to watch a friend race, and on the way home noticed my voltage gauge slowly dropping. I tried to get home before the I was completely out of juice, which resulted in this:
This was the heaviest and tallest vehicle I've towed so far with the Nissan, but it was no problem as long as I kept it under 75 mph. Last week I threw a new alternator in the Montero and voltage is back to normal, so I celebrated by driving it to work today. Partial cameo of my office-mate's '79 Bronco:
Sold the Montero this afternoon, it's headed to northern Ohio where hopefully the new owner gets a lot of use and enjoyment out of it. I was glad to see it go to someone who seemed like he would appreciate it.
