Delica Canada | Mitsubishi Van Club

Ok, I have a question, and yes I expect a bias here, but i thought I'd ask. I really like the idea of running biodiesel, with an eye towards running WVO or SVO at some point. I have been told that the toyota diesels are well suited to this because they are very durable, to the point that they will run on just about anything, including kerosene, which is part of the reason landcruisers are so popular in Africa and South America. How do the Mitsubishi diesels compare? From reading the posts
I noticed that alot of you at the very least are running biodiesel, and alot of you are running vo conversions. Has anyone had a motor apart to check out the wear and tear? Just thought I'd ask.


Simon

The mitsubishi diesel is every bit as good as the toyota one, and when it comes to the 2.5L toyota diesel the Mitsubishi is even better. (the Toyota one is famous for cracked heads)

Judging by the number of people who run Delis on bio or wvo I'd say you have nothing to worry about.
I'm currently running my Delica on 50/50 bio mix I get from Autogas.

I'm also running my 1992 5T Mack Midliner (Renault 6cyl diesel) on the same mix. In the last year+ I've run about 10000L of that mix and counting through the truck with no problems this far. I've done no modifications, changes of any kind.
My fuel filters do not get clogged, fuel lines show no signs of deterioration and there is no leakage or seepage of any kind at the injector pump or fuel pump.

Before Delica, I've owned a 1995 Gold TD. I run it on the 40% mix then.
I've owned that car for a year, again no issues of any kind. I've sold it to get the Delica.

So there you have it.
3 very different vehicles, different manufacturers, about same age, run on just about the same mix of biofuel.

I'm hearing of many problems with biodiesel and wvo people have, and my theory(for now) is that vehicles which develop those problems either run on a poorly prepared fuel, or are neglected, or perhaps WERE neglected before the conversion. Or lastly they could be very old-such as those 30+ years old Mercedes 240 and 300 diesels which are so popular for conversions.

As for Toyota being the best for conversion...They are known for making good diesels, but wether they're the best in my opinion is questionable.
Toyota/Hino DO make excellent diesel engines, no doubt about it.
But so does Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Renault, VW, Mercedes, Peugeot, Steyr/Puch, and the list goes on. Some people swear by American made diesels, Ford, Cummins, Detroit(Mercedes now) etc but I know little about them, so cannot comment.
I think at the end of the day, it falls on personal preference and availability.
Go with what you know.

Templar wrote:Ok, I have a question, and yes I expect a bias here, but i thought I'd ask.

You're asking, on a Mitsubishi Delica forum, which diesel engine would be a good engine?

Okay, you're right, there is a bit of a bias, but that aside, I selected the Delica for its diesel engine over the Toyota. I really wanted a Land Cruiser, but was swayed by what I read about the reliability of the Delica.

Just my nickel's worth (cause we're gettin' rid of the penny!).

Well I did say I expected a bias, but from what I've seen this is a knowledgable group who are happy to share, for which I am grateful. Jester, I must admit to being surprised that you can do a 50/50 mix in your Mack, I've been told by several good heavy duty mechanics that in commercial truck engines that B20, or a 20% mix is the most recommended. I did know that the Toyota 2.4L diesel has head issues, and I've been told swapping to a 3L head takes care of that. But so far I haven't found out that much about specific issues with the Mitsu. My Uncle in Trinidad has a Mitsu, a nice new one and he loves it, so I am comfortable with them, it's just a question of getting all the info I can before I take the leap.

On another note I must point out that this is probably the most helpful group of people I've encountered, aside from the Uk Pajero club.

Simon