Starting a Delica at -42?

[jbturgeon]

Hello folks, i am new to this forum, not because i have a delica but because i plan on buying a LHD Delica as i live in Quebec (you know the suckers that put a RHD banned!!) But here, is a couple of questions concerning very cold starting:

As i would like to have this car for long trips in the mountains in the winter time, i would like to know the best modification that can be done to the engine to make it starts under any condition. Here in Quebec, we get almost 3 months of -20 and under in the winter. I have owned a volks mkIII 1.9 td for years and as long as her engine was well tuned with synthetic oil, all the vacuum hose new and all the stuff that make the engine fine tuned (injectors, Ip clean as a diamond and very well timed), she will start under -45 after sitting for 3 days in the storm while i'll be playing in the mountains. After trying the LHD Delica that William sale's in Edmonton, i totaly felt in love with the vehicule but i noticed some major differences that could make me back-up on the project:

1- The VW bosh Ip got a cold start lever that advance the timing and put the revs at 1200 rpms (not the same thing as pressing the gas pedal in cold days!), is it possible to put that kind of device on the Mitsubishi Ip? I know the advance timing device is on pretty much all of those pumps but there is no cable to activate it (it's the case of many VW bosch made for california).

2- All of what was rubber made on the Delica was dry and craked (cv joints, vaccuum hoses, rad hoses..). It is not a problem for me as long as it get change and that the parts are available.

3- There was no block heater netheir a thermostat because the vehicule is from taiwan and they don't need it over there. Don't really care because it's cheap to put it back on the car. (But still)

4- What major malfunction occurs in the cold for you guys that drives in the canadian north. Like the Vw's in europe, their door locking system is lubricate with a grease that freeze at -10 compare to models that came from Mexico that were using lubricants that goes to -52 for north american models.

5- What about the head gasket? On Volks, it needs to be done at 200 000km and the job is no big deal. But from what i've seen from the Delica engine bay, it looks to be a thougher job on the Delica.

It is the kind of question that needs to be solve before i do the big jump in the Delica world.

Thank you very much and tell me your experiences, i'll start from there.

JiBé

[RichD]

Hello folks, i am new to this forum, not because i have a delica but because i plan on buying a LHD Delica as i live in Quebec (you know the suckers that put a RHD banned!!) But here, is a couple of questions concerning very cold starting

Bienvenue a Delica.ca!

I think you will find that the members in the prairies have a lot of experience with extreme winter starting.

2- All of what was rubber made on the Delica was dry and craked (cv joints, vaccuum hoses, rad hoses..). It is not a problem for me as long as it get change and that the parts are available.

I don't think that every Delica you look at will be in this condition. That kind of wear should be reflected in the sale price.

3- There was no block heater netheir a thermostat because the vehicule is from taiwan and they don't need it over there. Don't really care because it's cheap to put it back on the car. (But still)

4- What major malfunction occurs in the cold for you guys that drives in the canadian north. Like the Vw's in europe, their door locking system is lubricate with a grease that freeze at -10 compare to models that came from Mexico that were using lubricants that goes to -52 for north american models.

I met one member in Calgary who had installed a diesel-fired water heater in his van which would warm up the coolant system. Block heaters are for amateurs lol.

I'm sure a lot of measures can be made to fortify the vehicle for winter, just like any other car. Don't forget rust protection.

Personally I bought the Delica because I felt it was ideally suited for both summer and winter weather and I wanted to explore BC in the winter.

5- What about the head gasket? On Volks, it needs to be done at 200 000km and the job is no big deal. But from what i've seen from the Delica engine bay, it looks to be a thougher job on the Delica

Its more open than you think. There is a cross-member in the middle of the cab that comes out and all of a sudden the whole engine is exposed. This thread is revealing: http://www.delica.ca/forum/here-s-how-t ... -6707.html

[jbturgeon]

Thanks RichD, that was a very complete reply! Nice and clear. I really like the fact that you can remove the cross member to have a better access to the engine. That's a nice tips. Thanks also for replying in sections following my questions, it makes it more clear! For the modifications, i have no douth it is possible now. And this glow plug relay install to warm up the coolant exist in all new TDI engine and make them run smoother. A couple questions i haven't been able to find answers on the forum stays a mystery for me:

1- Is there a specific gauge to do the Ip timing, similar to the one Volks uses? Or is it the same? So it can be done by a diesel specialist (it's the only thing i don't wanna do on a diesel)

2- The Delica i've seen had a by-pass for the glowplug cycle; good or not? I am asking that because i am one of those who believe that the engine is always better when in stock adjustments. And there's seems to be a cluster problem as the fuel gauge wasn't working and the signal light as well. The speedo was struggling on acceleration and the speed didn't looks accurate. Is this a common problem?

3- As i know the Taiwan van's are in worst shape than the Japanese models, Is there also a difference in assembling quality or is it the same rought cars?

Thanks for the reply again and i would feel really safe owning a Delica as this forum looks totaly complete about what stuff can be done with these cars.

Jibé

[RichD]

Well I'm no expert or mechanic, and I will leave your technical questions to the more experienced forum members. What I am is a good researcher and obsessive forum reader.


Sounds like the van you saw is well-used. Might want to keep shopping.

If there is one thing I've learned about Delicas from our experience, there is a lot to learn! I have only had one for a couple of months and already I could do a way better job shopping for one and getting the most for my money. That comes from hanging out with the local Delica crowd, seeing lots of Delicas, and first hand experience in and under my own truck.

For a first time buyer I think your best bet is to establish a relationship with a reputable importer who is going to sell you something with a guaranty. Mine was originally sold with a 12 month "insurance policy" (underwritten by a third party) type of guaranty that warranted against major defects. I think that only dealers can get this kind of policy. Reading the fine print on the contract, I noted that there were options for the buyer to get a more comprehensive guaranty as well (for more $$ I assume). I mention this only because I think its a great idea.

I know that there is at least one importer bringing in LHD Delicas, and one was recently listed on the forum.

You are also going to want to find a good diesel mechanic who is willing to go on this adventure with you. You will find the technical documentation for the Deli's is abundant.

[Blackberry]

1- Is there a specific gauge to do the Ip timing, similar to the one Volks uses? Or is it the same? So it can be done by a diesel specialist (it's the only thing i don't wanna do on a diesel)

I bought and used one of these to DIY the timing after replacing the t-belts. Tight access & tedious "measure thrice, cut-once" kinda job but it worked fine (though the one I received wasn't metric, so I had to convert to imperial units from the L300 manual's metric specs):
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/VW-Diese ... veQ5fTools

2- The Delica i've seen had a by-pass for the glowplug cycle; good or not? I am asking that because i am one of those who believe that the engine is always better when in stock adjustments. And there's seems to be a cluster problem as the fuel gauge wasn't working and the signal light as well. The speedo was struggling on acceleration and the speed didn't looks accurate. Is this a common problem?

The L300s' and 10s if not 100s of thousands of other Japanese made vehicles between approx. '89-'94 suffer from faulty capacitors manufactured by Rubycon in their ECUs that, if never replaced, have a high likelyhood of eventually failing (leaking) and taking out (via corrosion) various functions of the ECU...including proper control of the glow-system. So perhaps that was the reason for this by-pass. I'm in agreement that I'd prefer a proper functioning stock setup. I've never had a manual glow switch but read that it's easy to over-use it and burn out the glow plugs prematurely.