Project Pajero # 2

[NJV6]

Always one for a bargain.


This very tidy Pajero popped up for sale for a pricely sum of $1000 so I just had to have it. I did know however the reason for the price - It dunna go sir.





It is a 1992 2.5Tdi with 202000k on it. Its a 7 seater, an auto with 5.29 diffs, electric everything, springie bouncy seats, mags and so on and so forth.

When you change a cam belt make sure the balancer belt is changed as well! It snapped then started its trail of destruction, well actually it didn't do to much it turns out.

The vehicle would not run - and upon turning it over by hand I could tell no valves were touching cylinders but it did expose that the rocker shaft was not bolted down, the threads were all stripped and the shaft was all that was holding the mounts in place.



Also shown is part of the belt that broke. Thankfully the cam belt had not broken however it had picked up the broken balancer belt and caused the cam belt to get stretched and it was rooted. I suspect it had jumped but there are no marks in any valves or pistons, having a floating rocker chaft may have saved the engine.

So I think there are two seperate issues with this motor, 1 being the balancer belt was not replaced and the 2nd that the rocker cover mounts wereat some stage over tightened or not tightened enough & vibrated loose.

So off came the head and looking at me was a lovely crack.


Maybe it has got hot at some stage. So things to do - get a replacement head (picked up a suitable one for $200) and then put it back together with new belts and head set. Might get the injectors checked while the head is off then put it all together and finally take it for a test drive!

[GREGGO]

As Jimoin would say,

Bargin!!

[matwelli]

Looks very tidy, whats the plans for it ?

The 2.5TD is very miserly on the fuel and has a fair amount of tourque when on boost.

While you have the head off check to see if the injector pump has started leaking, its a bitch to get at when the engine is back together, intercooler fitted etc.
There are two seals that start leaking with the low sulfur fuel, cast me $15 bucks to replace. The seals are the one around the throttle shaft and the one on top of teh main body.

5.29 diffs ? I should check my wifes truck (91 2.5TD) and see if they are the same (will swap them with the ones in my 3.0 if they are)

[J Top]

Hi NJ
the rockers break or strip the retaining bolts when the cambelt snaps, standard 2.5 repair. They can also break the camshaft bearing caps.
I always retorque 2.5s if I have a head off and sometimes get quite abit of extra turn out of the bolts. When doing a retorque, cold engine on an aluminium head, I loosen each head bolt indvidually in the torque sequence and then torque it. This breaks the friction seal the bolts can
form and allows for a more accurate torque.
J Top

[NJV6]

Looks very tidy, whats the plans for it ?

The 2.5TD is very miserly on the fuel and has a fair amount of tourque when on boost.

While you have the head off check to see if the injector pump has started leaking, its a bitch to get at when the engine is back together, intercooler fitted etc.
There are two seals that start leaking with the low sulfur fuel, cast me $15 bucks to replace. The seals are the one around the throttle shaft and the one on top of teh main body.

5.29 diffs ? I should check my wifes truck (91 2.5TD) and see if they are the same (will swap them with the ones in my 3.0 if they are)

Hi Mat,

Yes it is tidy, nearly as tidy as my 1994 SWB (I am a self admitted tidy freak - Mine gets washed after every run and polished and vacuumed quite often... )
I have no plans for it, other than to get it going, will probably flick it on, its worth more once it is running!!

It was very Tempting to put a V8 or something into it, if the bottom end was poked then that may have been considered. I am also trying to fund mods to my one and doing up the bathroom in the house.....!!!

Thanks for the heads up on the seals, I will check them tomorrow. The front of the motor seems quite oily so sometihgn somewhere has been leaking away.

Yea the diffs are 5.285, you'll find your will be the same. As for the comment about the 2.5 having a good amount of torque on booth - well I guess i'll find out when I can test drive it! Auto's and turbos do seem to go well together fropm past experience thou.

O and your diff is on its way by the way!

[NJV6]

Hi NJ
the rockers break or strip the retaining bolts when the cambelt snaps, standard 2.5 repair. They can also break the camshaft bearing caps.
I always retorque 2.5s if I have a head off and sometimes get quite abit of extra turn out of the bolts. When doing a retorque, cold engine on an aluminium head, I loosen each head bolt indvidually in the torque sequence and then torque it. This breaks the friction seal the bolts can
form and allows for a more accurate torque.
J Top

HI J Top, thanks for your comments. There were no marks in the valves or pistons from any contact so I assumed there wasn't any and bearing in mind the cambelt never snapped, the balancer one did, maybe there was no contact? As far as I can tell the rocker shafft and camshaft is straight - do they tend to bend?

And finally - retorqueing the head - torque it down then fully warm it up, let cool then retorque? My Haynes manual says 115 to 130nm (I think) what do you go to?

NJ

[NJV6]

O and can I reuse my head bolts?

[J Top]

can't remember the torque sorry.
Yes you can reuse the head bolts as they are not angular torque, ie the last 1 or 2 movements are not in degrees but still in lbs ft. Angular torque bolts are stretched a measured allowable amount but they can't come back to be stretched again
J Top

[hudson44]

I thought all head gaskets these days are monotorque and don't require re tensioning, unless its a steel gasket or you're using a spacer. Is it different for diesels?

[NJV6]

How do I do this re torqueing? Do I do it after it has been run or not? I have got a replacement head and hopefully after christmas will get some time to put it back together.

NJ

[Overkill]

Yip, you do the first torque to what ever the given amount and then run it to operating temp, let cool and re-torque then. That's what the instructions on an old Holden Gemini I did many moons ago said. Ask Jtop how the latest gaskets are done, hopefully still the same!

[J Top]

You always retorque alloy heads cold and iron heads hot.
Whether the gasket is mono torque or not, on an engine with a head gasket problem, like a 4D56 or 2LT, it is an extra bit of insurance.
Just note how much further each bolt turns which equals increased compression of the gasket.
J Top

[hudson44]

Just note how much further each bolt turns which equals increased compression of the gasket.
J Top

To properly re-torque a head you should drop the coolant/water and completely back off all head bolts then follow the same torque sequence as the first time.

[NJV6]

OK, I have got a replacement head for a very reasobalbe price with all the parts I need.

However (there is always a however) upon pulling the valves the inlets had alot of soot buildup on the inside - I guess not seating properly and letting some combustion past?

When cleaned all up it was quite obvious they were letting a bit of light through so will get them sorted tomorrow.

The small combustion chambers all have wee cracks in them - both the original head and replacement are the same in this respect.

Is this normal?
Is it detrimental?
Can they be replaced and is it worth it if so?

Cheers, NJ

[NJV6]

OK well I'll answer my own questions as I have found out the answers!

The cracks sounds like they are semi normal. The inserts can be replaced and the whole job was going to be about $200.

I have got the vehicle running again.... What a learning curve having never had an engine apart before. I got the head cleaned and matched valve grind for $60 so was well chuffed.

After a couple of reasonable days working on it - it is basically all abck together. It would not run for the life of me and blowing out the inlet - 2 timing marks on the front pully - I had it 180 degrees out.

Then it still wouldn't go amd discovered 2 of the injectors were crook from me putting them together. After sorting them out it runs - once it is running it seems to be ok, but does smoke a lot!

(NOTE: - Don't pull injectors to bits - leave them to an expert.......!!!)

There is quite a click from under the bonnet when the key is turned on and this cintinues to click in and out and a relay near the battery gets very hot. i haven't quite worked out what it is for but suspect glow plugs. There doesn't appear to be a glow light on the dash. Due to the heat of the thing I haven't given it a proper run yet. Out with the test light tomorrow.

Costs

Vehicle $1000
Head $250
Valve Grind $60
Gasket set $160
Oil & Filter $60
Sealer $20
Anitfreeze $14
Top radiator hose $26?
Cam & balancer belt $105

Total $1695

Might need $300 for recon injectors yet - we'll see how they are when it's run proper.

NJ

[matwelli]

Re the clicking - both of our diesels did/do this, you will hear a click after a few seconds of turning the key to on, wait untill you hear this before cranking. sometimes you get some extra clicks, no sure why, on the old truck (Gen 1) it did this while driving, within the first 30 seconds of starting (you could tell at night because the dash lights would dim momentarily evry time it clicked) I suspect ther is a feedback crcuit from the glow plugs, that they are under temp and need a bit more juice ?

[84mksd33t]

the clicking you are hearing is the glow plug relay switching (to heat the plugs) and then off once they have reached starting temperature.

as for the on/off/on/off - possible the ground for the relay needs redoing in order to carry enough current?

with diesels above 180,000ks i would recommend glowing two or 3 times in order to get a smooth start. my 2.5td has 195,000 on it, and on cold to mild mornings, it requires 2 or 3 glows before it will start smooth.

[NJV6]

Next update.

After running it in the shed up to temperature (with all the doors open - Diesel SMOKE!) I had antifreeze dripping on the floor.

So off came a few things and a return pipe behind the thermostat housing was the culprit and a $7 O ring. Blowed if I could get one of our million different o rings from work to be correct so off to Mr Mitsubishi.

Sounds very diesely - maybe piston slap? 202, 000km..... Maybe more.....Jap import..... Then took it for a drive. Seemed to run ok but man - driving an auto 2.5 TDi after driving a DOHC V6 Manual SWB.... This thing was gutless!!

Got back into the garage and went to drop the oil..... Last change was only 2000km ago but thought it wise to do and discovered some muppet has over tightened the bung and it just goes round and round but dunna come out!!!

Today retorqued the head and now I have a ticking which wasn't there yesterday before I pulled the rocker shaft to redo head bolts - better check tappets tomorrow. Also tomorrow to weld something to the bung so I can pull and turn... I can live in hope that it is the bolt that is stripped and the sump doesn't need retapped......

NJ