351 replies to this topic

[Professor Quest]

We'll assume you can pull the engine and tear it down.  ;D WATCH FOR "DTs" along the way.  DISASSEMBLY TIPS.

[JustPaus_88TSi]

[Professor Quest]

OK.....you got the "little gift to the oil makers" apart. Take a 5mm GOOD allen wrench and remove the oil plug on the RH side near timing cover and the one on the rear of the block. This one came out without having to heat the block AROUND the plug. Don't be foolish and strip the plug. Take some carb cleaner and clean the plug out to get MAXIMUM DEPTH for your allen wrench. If you have'nt already done so........remove the water drain on RH side of block, 14mm.

[JustPaus_88TSi]

Violating it! ;D

[Professor Quest]

"Metric pipe plug"?  Well, what ever it is..........that 1/8 NPT TAP sure has perfect pitch alignment with both the tap and the 1/8 NPT plug.  Start the tap by hand until it gets tight. Then turn it in 8 FULL 360 degree turns. Give or take. Blow out the hole and screw in a oil sending unit with a wrench till it is tight. You should have about the same amount of exposed thread. Remove sender. CAUTION:  DO NOT BLOW IN THE HOLE IF YOU ARE DOING THIS WITH THE ENGINE IN THE CAR!  ;)

[JustPaus_88TSi]

[Professor Quest]

You can see the pile of debris is not very much. All you did was make the threads DEEPER. Remember.........pipe plugs are TAPPERD, so the deeper you go, the WIDER the hole becomes. You can do this in the car as well. Just use a SHOP VACUUM to suck out the hole. You can crank the motor over as well until oil comes out to CYA. A small magnet might come in handy, as well. This is a VDO sender. It operates a gauge and a light, hence the two connections.

[JustPaus_88TSi]

[Professor Quest]

Note the passage in the block next to the sender. This is where oil from the pump ENTERS the block. You can see how hard it would be for debris to travel that far to enter your oil system. Not going to happen. Note the LOWER LEFT HOLE is connected to the OTHER pick-up point in the block. The oil pump ITSELF blocks this hole. See page 9-25 in the manual. That set-up was the EARLY WAY oil was supplied to a DIFFERANT oil pump. Mitsu did not CHANGE the manuals. We'll go into more details about this as we go. The top RIGHT hole feeds the TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER that is mounted inside the oil pump. More on that as well. If you can't get oil pressure because the pump has "lost-it's-prime", pouring oil threw the opening will enter the oil pump restoring it's prime.

[JustPaus_88TSi]

[Professor Quest]

Remove the freeze plugs buy striking the freeze plug at the very edge with a medium chisel. This will rotate the plug. Then use Channel- locks to grasp the plug and pull it out of the block. Don't panic if it slips away from you. You can "FISH" it back into position. This particular block was well cared for. Note how rust-free the cooling jackets are.

[JustPaus_88TSi]

[Professor Quest]

This is the reason you always replace the freeze plugs. As you can see, some of them are pretty rust-free. And yet another is well on it's way to failing.

[JustPaus_88TSi]

[Professor Quest]

"Choose your weapon". I'm going to use the POWERD SCRAPER followed by the wire wheel. I will use the razor on the head surface followed by the wire wheel. Don't forget the oil seal adapter surface. Next stop......can of degreaser, carb cleaner and turn on the power washer. This is a "rough" clean-up  to do some "mods" to the block. With a smaller wire wheel (not pitured) run it threw the freeze plug holes to remove MOST of the sealant. To be cont. WATCH FOR MODS!

[JustPaus_88TSi]

[Professor Quest]

Well, we call them "FREEZE PLUGS" but they rarely pop out when a motors freezes. This one ALMOST popped out when it froze. You can tell by the rust on the cooling chambers that this engine was poorly maintaned. The head had signs that all PORTS had water in them. White, Ali. oxidation. The holes are in the block to remove SAND from when the block was cast.

[JustPaus_88TSi]

[Professor Quest]

Drill a 1/8" hole in the small freeze plugs. Install a number #8 sheet metal screw. Then wack the side of the freeze plug to dislodge it. then use the d-y-k-e-s to pull it out.  SORRY!..............I spilled some PLUTONIUM. TAKE IT EASY WITH THE DRILL!!! DON'T DRILL THREW THE CYLINDERS!!! :

[JustPaus_88TSi]