Newbie

[Bluski]

OK. I had an early D50 but let that go after awhile. At one point I looked at a M-Max and really was taken in with that truck, but opted for another brand for some reason. But never forgot about that 4WD Max. Now, I am looking at a running 87 Max approaching 200,000. After lurking here a bit, I see some members "repair" ECU's. Are new ECU's available? Or, if they are, are they cost prohibitive? And,how about replacement distributors? Are rebuilds available? I haven't actually viewed the 87 yet because the owner is out of town. Hoping the condition of the truck doesn't scare me away. It's priced right in my budget line. If I close the deal, I will be back with more info and questions, and very much look forward to that!!

[royster]

Hi, Bluski, and welcome to the forum - good to have you.

ECU's are available new, but YIKES they are expensive. There is a place in Florida that rebuilds them for around $150.00. Some on the forum have even repaired them themselves. As for the distributor: I'm not sure about locating a rebuilt or new, but just wait a while and someone may have info on that.

Do be sure to post some pics - by now, you know we love pictures of these trucks!

[FMS88]

Welcome! The ECU on 80s carbureted trucks seldom go bad. More often it’s the carb or other faults that cause drivability issues, and not the ECU. It’s the 90+ trucks with EFI that are more likely to have the computer problems discussed on this forum. Also, if the 87 Max now has a Weber carb, the ECU no longer serves any purpose.
Good luck with the truck.

[Bluski]

Thanks for the info. These manufacturer specific forums are great.. I'm not what you'd call a motorhead, and have always depended on these auto and motorcycle forums. I'm going to view the Max tomorrow.

[geezer101]

Hi and welcome to mightyram. Mitsubishi trucks are like any other vehicle - they have their own peculiarities and quirks. As Roy has mentioned the feedback system on the carbs hardly ever fail, it's mostly vacuum control issues, a tired carb or an ignition fault that will grief you on the carburetted engines. You can replace the ICM in the distributors and most are readily available but complete distributor assemblies are also available (ebay is your best bet and be aware that identical distributors were used on other engine platforms so it will pay to do some cross referencing). When you get your hands on the truck, post pics and ask questions if you want to get advice and you're struggling with the search engine on the forum. A member will post a link to whatever it is you want to get info on. Good luck!

[Bluski]

Thanks Geezer and fellas. Having a "project vehicle" around would be so good for my head right now. Working with my fixed income budget might make it harder for me to commit to the purchase. I hope the vehicle leaves me no choice but to go for it! I will share the results, and hopefully the pics, when it happens.