L300/Pajero overheating - preventative measures

Does your Mitsubishi L300 make a strange noise? Need wheel alignment specs?
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jessef
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L300/Pajero overheating - preventative measures

Post by jessef »

Comes up every month or two and it's unfortunate. :-(

Just a reminder again to make sure your cooling system and timing belt/pulley's are all doing their jobs properly.

Good preventative cooling system check by a good mechanic can go a very long ways. Better to invest a few hundred than later a few thousand.

Winter is coming and although the outside temps get cooler, it has no bearing on engine overheating and malfunctioning cooling systems.

Remember: The stock coolant gauge is only in indicator and not a precise warning of when to stop and pull over or when the engine is overheating.
treeplanter wrote:the engine block is cracked and i've got a blown head gasket.
Dewy wrote:I have experienced some spilling and heating challenges and later my head gasket went
Ursula wrote:The head was replaced
TallGuy wrote:they noticed after some test miles that it was cracked.
matt curran wrote:it had head gasket issues
TallGuy wrote: L300 (auto) over the Coq to Kelowna, the head blew (cracked)
TallGuy wrote:The word is these heads are sensitive.
jrman wrote:Temps are the killer for Head Gasket.
NT Delica wrote: it appears that the damage here goes beyond a blown head gasket
Dewy wrote:an overheated engine that blew the head gasket
martybc wrote:blew the head gasket
Why does it happen -

Poor coolant circulation - cause = clogged radiator / seized waterpump bearing / malfunctioning thermostat
Pushing engine too hard up hills - cause = overheating
Improper timing - cause = timing belt skipped
Broken timing components - cause = timing belt skipped / seized pulley-tensioner

Blown head gasket's, replaced head gaskets and discussions:

http://www.delica.ca/forum/looking-for-parts-11054.html
http://www.delica.ca/forum/pajero-for-sale-10390.html
http://www.delica.ca/forum/head-gasket-7236.html
http://www.delica.ca/forum/l300-help-please-11163.html
delica.ca/forum/just-installed-the-new-head-gasket-11082.html
delica.ca/forum/1989-l300-5-600-sold-11075.html
delica.ca/forum/delica-l300-for-sale-106000km-price-drop-and-new-pics-sold-10570.html
delica.ca/forum/underpriced-10602.html
delica.ca/forum/need-to-pull-head-l300-9960.html
delica.ca/forum/1991-mistsubishi-delica-exceed-for-sale-2000-00-obo-9135.html
delica.ca/forum/91-super-exceed-for-parts-and-such-8745.html
delica.ca/forum/overheating-question-5575.html
delica.ca/forum/more-troubles-8658.html
delica.ca/forum/victoria-to-montreal-and-almost-back-again-8249.html
delica.ca/forum/1993-delica-super-exceed-p35w-128-000-km-8018.html
delica.ca/forum/new-head-or-rebuilt-used-head-7309.html
delica.ca/forum/head-gasket-7236.html
delica.ca/forum/bang-its-dead-6125.html
delica.ca/forum/in-need-of-head-gasket-in-california-3562.html
delica.ca/forum/pyro-gauge-why-do-we-need-one-5819.html
delica.ca/forum/am-i-pushing-my-deli-too-hard-6643.html
delica.ca/forum/timing-belt-slipped-what-damage-has-been-done-9501.html
delica.ca/forum/new-head-or-rebuilt-used-head-7309.html
delica.ca/forum/engine-temp-with-passengers-6991.html
delica.ca/forum/overheating-3151.html
delica.ca/forum/overheating-preventative-solutions-3437.html
delica.ca/forum/how-hot-is-hot-3282.html
By the time the stock gauge hits the red or close to it, the possibility of cooking the turbo/head can be high. There have been close to a dozen cracked 2.5 heads in the past year since the summer due to a combination of the driver driving it too hard up hills 'lugging' (low rpm/high throttle) and not proper functioning cooling systems.

There is a post/thread like this every month where either someone isn't sure about the temp gauge or it's already caused damage to the engine.

Bottom line.

Make sure your cooling system is good and don't take someone's word for it unless it is a trustworthy source.

If you want to monitor the heat of your engine, a pyrometer is a good addition to the stock coolant gauge.
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thedjjack
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Vehicle: 1989 L300 HITOP!!
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Re: L300/Pajero overheating - preventative measures

Post by thedjjack »

X2

Also let the engine get up to operating temperature before working the motor hard. This is true for all motors but more true for high compression diesels with cast iron blocks and aluminum heads that expand at different rates.
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