Hello from the Bay Area :) [east bay]

What's up guys? Happy new year :)

Just sayin hello, and trying to go through the new member process without messing up and lookin like a total newb.

I Recently came up on a 92 mighty max, 2.4l 5 speed.. with only 87k (89k now since ive made it a dd) for 1800 bucks. The thing was granny owned and used very lightly.
Overall i figure i lucked out cause that means less work to do to get it all mechanically sound and how id like it as my dd.

my guess is the original owner (i purchased it from a small lot where the guy told me he bought it at an auction) used it as a light work truck and kept it garaged most of its life.

It does look like it was in a small accident, but really nothing major (ill post photos as soon as i can. Everything is being done through my phones web browser.. i really want to get a cheap laptop just for these kind of things. Forums, ordering parts, etc..)
So it's perfectly fine to drive, but i plan on assessing the cosmetic stuff last, or at least after everything under the hood and body have been checked to be functioning properly.

Anyways, before i start going on and on about whats been done to her, and what i plan on taking care of next, ill apologize if my posts are long. I tend to type alot, but thats just because i hate forgetting to leave out details and having multiple posts/questions going around. Ill do my best to keep my posts consolidated.

Also, an apology in advance if i post or over look a post pertaining to my inquiry. I try my best to find something covering whatever it may be that I'm working on, but if i can't after an hour or so of searching, i might subject myself to asking for directions to the best post/thread.


I've had a few cars before this truck ( '94 850 turbo, '92 sentra, & '92 accord) and they all have their stories as far as why they're no longer around.
But i mention them just to put out there that I know probably what the avg guy knows about working on cars. Not enough to get me a job as a mechanic, but enough to save some money and become familiar with my own truck so i can at least have some kind of clue of whats going on, or why an odd sound or smell might be occuring.

When i have time ill make a post about her and what's been done so far.. i really ought to take more pics.

But what's next is to change the timing belt, balancer belt, waterpump, thermostat, thermostat housing, and check on all the components under the timing cover ( i plan on getting a timing belt kit and replace all the different pulleys and seals while im down there.)

Not trying to make this a parts post, but for components like timing, should i use only oem parts? Or can i get away with aftermarket parts? Im not trying to be cheap, i just want some people's opinions.

Ive been told stuff like an alternator or starter arent too important to be strictly orignal manufacter when shopping for new parts.. but ive gotten mixed responses about engine components. Some say that some aftermarket kits are total garbage, and some exceed oem standards. I could use some help figuring out which may be the better choice.
Links are always nice.

If you made it to the end of my post, thank you .
And thanks for any feedback
:)


-Sean

Also read the thread for new comers about what to check and change. Timing is definitely getting changed next, along with everything else mentioned above^^, but ill be sure to go through that list amd check everything. Tbh, ive been looking for something like that for the longest time: what to check and change after buying a new second hand truck.

Welcome to the forum, Sean, and congratulations on a really good find. We're all eager to see pictures.

Beingszazz the odometer reads 89,000, the timing belt has likely been replaced in recent times. A good inspection (which you'll be doing, anyway) will let yuou know if that's a necessary task or not. Your enthusiasm is admireable. And wanting to do things right is always a good sign of a thoughtful mechanic.

I have found that parts from Advance Auto are alright...they don't stock a whole lot of parts for these trucks, but what I've used from them seem to be alright. I relied primarily on RockAuto.com for hard-to-find stuff. I also had some good experience with NAPA though found them to be pricey.

Good luck with the truck, and again: welcome to the forum.

Right on. So far I've seen alot of rockauto.com recommendations. I just want to avoid specific part manufacturers, if there are any to really avoid.
Ill try to post a link to the short video i found on youtube of this guy taking a moment to speak about mitsu timing, all while looking at a mitsu motor (awesome cause he points out what is what, and what happens/what to expect when components are installed incorrectly). He covered more B-belt info to be exact.

But at the end he mentioned, and stressed, to use oem parts on a job like this.. He said he'd been workin on them (mitsubishis) for a number of years and that the number one money maker was people coming in with mitsus that were serviced outta gas station garages with these cheap kits that would wear and go out alot quicker than oem parts.
I think he mentioned a name like dayco, or something. Again, ill try and find a way to link the vid.

With the amount of stuff i plan on changing under the timing cover, i imagine the cost of genuine mitsubishi parts/kits would be crazy. So im doing my homework before buying just any aftermarket part/kit. With that said, people's personal experiences and testimonies in regards to said parts are always nice and assuring to hear.

Thanks again for welcoming me :)
Ill be workin on obtaining a laptop so i can interact better on this site and post pics. (Im sure i can do just fine off my phone, but i feel like an old man at times and a pc would be alot easier lol, plus alot faster to type)

And thank you for the part dealer names, ill be sure to look around and see whats out there before spending this cheddah.

Wasn't sure how quick a response I'd get; really nice to know members are active :) when i first came across a link to this site, i was sent to a thread from like 2011, haha. But it did contain really good info which prompted me to join the community.

After a few hours of browsing this mornin im really glad i chose this forum/site. there's alot of stuff covered on what ive thought about tinkering with, and the advice and info on how-to is reassuring.

The guy/dealer i bought it off said he changed the timing. And I'm sure its been serviced during it's ealier years, but growing up ive always been told about the whole 'water pump every 40k' and 'timing every 60k' kind of stuff- Timing stressed more simply because changing it costs a few bucks, vs. It breaking and costing me an engine :p

So whenever i get a second hand car (not that I'm acquiring new cars frequently) i just say fuggit, and replace stuff like that to avoid anything major down the road. I don't mind spending the extra cash and time, especially if its to greatly reduce the chance of something like that happening.

With that said, i did take the upper timing cover off, to check where this recent squealing has been coming from, and did notice the timing belt has a bunch of tiny cracks. (Definitely gonna get the ball rolling on a laptop so i can post pics for reference and clarification) So I'm definitely gonna change it.

Ive always had a 'since im down there' way of doin things, if that makes sense. so with this task, and others alike, i just assume the parts/components need replacing and/or thorough cleaning. (In this case: waterpump, b-belt, both tensioners, seals, etc.. whatever i can research and find most necessary to change with out getting into, like, bearings and serious internals)

The Squealing:
Long story short, after the ol giant screwdriver-to-the-ear trick didn't help, i thought it was the accessory belt itself--applied belt dressing. No luck.
Thought it was the alt. pulley--adjusted tension(what a frikkin after market nightmare! with the tension bolt not even coming close to lining up with the tension bracket :p) still no luck.
Then thought it was the timing belt pulley due to slight contact with coolant from a recent new radiatiator/hoses install. (The upper hose clamp was just slightly loose enough to let out a small bit of coolant) Which prompted me to take the cover off and have a listen.

As of right now [after reading a few related posts] I'm sure it's the water pump (bearings.)
The fan that's connected to that (water pump)pulley has some 'play' to it. I still need to refer to my manuals (got a chilton and a haynes for like 10 bucks each, used on amazon. Pages are complete and clean :D -been using the chilton so far just cause it came first in the mail) and see how the fan is set up, because ive read others mention a 'fan clutch' in similar "squealing" situations.

(This was the first response to your reply/welcome post. Not sure why it isn't showing on this thread, but i hope you see it)

Snorlaxish

Your post went into moderation. The system saw something it didn't like.
If you just copy and paste or can type real fast it thinks you are a bot so it will hold the post.

We have members that sleep in the back alley here, so they jump right on stuff when they see it. We hold the record for the fastest response answers for any forum. LOL

Welcome to the forum :)

I Lived in east bay also, not anymore though.

Right on, im slowly pickin up on how things operate on the site.
Thanks again

Nice! Haha I'm lucky i stumbled upon this forum then lol

Thanks :)

Nice, what part? I'm back and forth from alameda and oakland, but i work in the city and parts of contra costa.


Also, if i want to start a thread/post including info, updates, pics, progress, etc. about my truck, should i just start one in the "2nd Gen" section?