Need help with Engine Mitsubishi L300 4x4

Submitted: Friday, Jan 14, 2022 at 23:43
ThreadID: 143096 Views:5464 Replies:13 FollowUps:13
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Hello everybody!
I just bought a Mirsubishi L300 express 2L 4x4 1984 and the oil light didnt come put nd blew the engine. I dont know if they will be able to rebuild the engine so I was wondering if you know which other engines could be put in there. We called everywhere and there is no Mitsubishi engine in Aussie available atm! So a bit of infor regarding this will be great! Thank you so much in advance!
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Reply By: OzzieCruiser - Saturday, Jan 15, 2022 at 01:09

Saturday, Jan 15, 2022 at 01:09
A 2.6 will go in but you will need to upgrade the cooling system.
AnswerID: 639098

Reply By: Erad - Saturday, Jan 15, 2022 at 07:58

Saturday, Jan 15, 2022 at 07:58
The Astron 2.6 L engine was fitted to Triton and Magna models. The Triton would be the one to get if possible because the Magna engine was mounted East-West, and certainly the water pump location would be awkward to work around. The drive for the water pump was from a pulley at what would be the rear of the rocker cover. I am not sure, but probably the sump and oil pickup may have to be transferred over as well. I would expect that the Triton engine should fit straight in.

If all else fails, the 2.0 L engine was used in the Mitsubishi SIgma but the chances of one of them being available are rather remote by now.

When you say that the engine blew, what has gone wrong? Has a conrod gone though the side of the block, has it seized or is it just a bearing failure? If it is just a bearing failure, a stripdown to check for damage to teh cylinder bores is warranted, and you should be able to get the crankshaft ground and new undersized bearings supplied to fit. It would be more messing around, but probably a lot less money.
AnswerID: 639099

Follow Up By: qldcamper - Saturday, Jan 15, 2022 at 09:11

Saturday, Jan 15, 2022 at 09:11
Sigma also ran a 2.6 as well as the Mazda 2600 tray top utes.
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FollowupID: 918020

Follow Up By: Nerea I - Saturday, Jan 15, 2022 at 09:37

Saturday, Jan 15, 2022 at 09:37
Hello thank you so so much for your reply! Yes the bearings has being the issue and this week they were going to check what it needs to be done for it,if it needed a crankshaft! But I didnt see them really enthusiastic of doing the job so thats why I wanna ask because if there is a chance I wanna give it a try and maybe take it somewhere else!
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FollowupID: 918022

Reply By: Batt's - Saturday, Jan 15, 2022 at 09:10

Saturday, Jan 15, 2022 at 09:10
Depends on the budget the 2.6Ltr was a popular swap back in the day I new a fellow who put a Toyota 2.4Ltr turbo diesel in one much better on fuel.
AnswerID: 639100

Follow Up By: Nerea I - Saturday, Jan 15, 2022 at 09:39

Saturday, Jan 15, 2022 at 09:39
Do you know if a lot of things around needed to be changed?
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FollowupID: 918024

Follow Up By: Batt's - Saturday, Jan 15, 2022 at 21:48

Saturday, Jan 15, 2022 at 21:48
I don't know someone who has done an engine swap on here would have an idea what's involved. Maybe Mitsubishi have a suitable turbo diesel.
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FollowupID: 918031

Reply By: qldcamper - Saturday, Jan 15, 2022 at 10:31

Saturday, Jan 15, 2022 at 10:31
Is it really worth it?
Patch the engine up maybe but go to a lot of trouble and expense if you have to pay to have it done and you will still have a 38 year old vehicle that really wasnt a quality build when they were new.
You will be faced with this exact problem every time you need a part.
AnswerID: 639101

Follow Up By: Batt's - Saturday, Jan 15, 2022 at 22:09

Saturday, Jan 15, 2022 at 22:09
In the late 80's a mate ofmine had the 1.8Ltr 1983 model it got 13 - 14mpg my 4.2Ltr FJ40 got 16 - 17mpg don't know how a small 4 cylinder could possible use that much on road but it did. Also as most know not that good off road and 4wd disengaged when you select reverse he didn't keep it long but they were pretty fancy inside would have made a good off road camper with limitations though even after a few mods and a better motor.
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FollowupID: 918032

Reply By: RMD - Saturday, Jan 15, 2022 at 11:47

Saturday, Jan 15, 2022 at 11:47
Nerea
When the oil light doesn't come on in some early Mitsubishi engines it usually is the piddley little chain they use to drive the oil pump has thrown in the towel. If driven when it happens it causes damage inside. Did I mention the piddley little chain? Often the chain falling off damaged the cam chain and then the valves were hit by the pistons until it stopped rotating. Not sure what damage has occurred on yours.
If changing the engine, a rear wheel drive vehicle as donor is the best bet. Make sure you remove the sump and check the oil pump drive integrity before using any engine. The 2.6 has chain driven balance shafts, maybe the 2L does too, can't remember. Just make sure they are in good condition and their guides are also reasonable and the chain tensioners actually work. If some of these checks are not done you may be soon in the same situation, again.
Re magna engines, Not sure how you can design an engine without a water pump and add a washing machine pump later as an add on. Makes you wonder.
AnswerID: 639102

Follow Up By: Member - nickb boab - Monday, Jan 17, 2022 at 11:00

Monday, Jan 17, 2022 at 11:00
RMD correct ..all the Sigma 2 L and 2.6 in all have the balance shafts and chains.. we used to do many rebuilds on these engines back in the day and as you mentioned as a must all chains and guides would be replaced ,who would forget the Sigma chain rattles lol.
Cheers Nick b

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FollowupID: 918048

Reply By: noggins - Saturday, Jan 15, 2022 at 12:10

Saturday, Jan 15, 2022 at 12:10
The Mitsubishi 2Ton Forklifts used the Astron 2,6 motor >
It might be worth looking at the Forklift Agency/repairers in your state
AnswerID: 639103

Reply By: Member - McLaren3030 - Sunday, Jan 16, 2022 at 08:08

Sunday, Jan 16, 2022 at 08:08
Hi Nerea I,

I had a 2 Ltr. L300 4x4. They were basically a Pajero chassis and power train with an L300 body on them. I had to replace the engine in mine when the oil pump failed and the engine seized. It is not an easy job. I went for a like for like replacement with another 2.0 Ltr. Engine. Mitsubishi did not fit the 2.6 Ltr. Engine in the L300 due to the lack of cooling available with the “cab over” design. I would not advise going for the larger engine, or a turbo for this reason.

They were a surprisingly capable vehicle. It went everywhere that my mates at the time went in their Nissan Patrols. The only thing they did not like was deep water, they tended to want to float. I replaced the original 14” wheels with 15” wheels for better ground clearance. The mudguards had to be cut and modified to fit, and of course the gearing changed, did not get into top gear very often after that, also the speedo was out as I did not change the gear on the cable.

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AnswerID: 639106

Reply By: Briste - Sunday, Jan 16, 2022 at 11:42

Sunday, Jan 16, 2022 at 11:42
Speaking of an L300, this just out today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y55ErJDsAZc
AnswerID: 639110

Follow Up By: qldcamper - Sunday, Jan 16, 2022 at 12:47

Sunday, Jan 16, 2022 at 12:47
Looks like a happy camper, and to his credit restored it well, just hard to get spares for.
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FollowupID: 918035

Reply By: Member - nickb boab - Sunday, Jan 16, 2022 at 21:37

Sunday, Jan 16, 2022 at 21:37
Be careful what you buy ..there a different in the bellhousing bolts at the bottom .. wide or narrow block . The more powerful 2.6 motors are out of import cars ie scorpions etc .. unlike local sigma .
Differences in automatic / manual in some cases .
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Follow Up By: qldcamper - Monday, Jan 17, 2022 at 08:38

Monday, Jan 17, 2022 at 08:38
Interesting.
I could easily be wrong as there were a lot of misconceptions in the Aussie motor industry back then but I do know the first sigma models were released with an 1850 and 2000 options. I learned to drive in the 2 litre version, later with the as claimed by Mitsubishi, an Australian engineered 2600.
Father owned a 2.6 wagon as well.
Never got to drive an 1850 but the 2 larger versions were crap, the heavy ballance shafts made revving a very slow process.
Not sure what engine they were running in the Australian release of the gallant but it was a lot more fun to drive, made the sigma feel like a slug. NZ had both versions of the gallant, one being a sigma with gallant badges.
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FollowupID: 918043

Follow Up By: Member - nickb boab - Monday, Jan 17, 2022 at 10:49

Monday, Jan 17, 2022 at 10:49
Qld the balance shafts were meant to stop vibration but were easily removed modification but I couldn't really say that there was a noticeable difference either way . the biggest problem was when people didn't tighten up the nut properly on the balance shaft in the oil pump and it would unscrew and come out through the front of the timing cover. The imported 2.6 had a far better cylinder head with bigger valves and ports making it a lot better motor when modifying it . Like the engines that David"Dinnta" Officer would build ..The gallants were a 1600 engine and like most small engines would rev better .The later gallants had the sirius belt drive motor .
Cheers Nick b

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Follow Up By: qldcamper - Monday, Jan 17, 2022 at 11:24

Monday, Jan 17, 2022 at 11:24
Another thing all the earlier ones suffered from was one of the chain guide bolts stepped down from an 8mm shaft to an M6 (i think, could have been 10 to 8) thread and would snap off, we were lucky ours didnt damage the timing cover but most did. Dont think they changed that till the magna engine.
Glad those days are long gone.

Remember the starter motor issues?
All of the 2000s suffered from it, we did everything to overcome it, 11 plate batteries and 2B&S cables direct to the starter.
Bosch released a bulliten that the starters were designed to mistubishis requested specs but were too small for the 2000, the specs given to Bosch were for the 1850.
I built a slightly more powerful but longer starter for ours but required the modification of an engine mount to fit it in, it worked a bit better but not viable for customers cars. Wasnt till the first generation of reduction denso and mitsubishis own M2T series starters started showing up on lo milage jap imports the problem was solved and then Bosch come out with their own planetry reduced starter for the magnas which come standard with its own faults.

Again, glad those days are behind us.
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FollowupID: 918049

Follow Up By: Member - McLaren3030 - Tuesday, Jan 18, 2022 at 09:17

Tuesday, Jan 18, 2022 at 09:17
The 2.6 Motor was also used in the Pajero, in fact it was the standard motor in the Pajero for a number of years.

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Reply By: Member - DOZER - Thursday, Jan 20, 2022 at 16:25

Thursday, Jan 20, 2022 at 16:25
There is a 2 litre on ebay at the moment, or facebook market place, seen it yesterday. The 2.6 was a upgrade many used, there are niggly differences between bellhousing bolt patterns etc.
AnswerID: 639172

Follow Up By: Nerea I - Thursday, Jan 20, 2022 at 16:30

Thursday, Jan 20, 2022 at 16:30
Can u send me the link please?? i couldnt find anything!! Thank u!!
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FollowupID: 918151

Reply By: Member - DOZER - Thursday, Jan 20, 2022 at 16:45

Thursday, Jan 20, 2022 at 16:45
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/255044744114?hash=item3b61d9f3b2:g:vzAAAOSwiEhg5Xdz&frcectupt=true

2.6 from a magna.
AnswerID: 639174

Reply By: Eric Experience - Thursday, Feb 03, 2022 at 17:50

Thursday, Feb 03, 2022 at 17:50
Nerea.
This thread is a bit old but I have an engine you can have plus a few other similar engines. The engines are in Melbourne, Eric.
AnswerID: 639337

Follow Up By: Chantelle V - Monday, Mar 07, 2022 at 22:22

Monday, Mar 07, 2022 at 22:22
Hi, do you have any 4x4 gearboxes for an '89 L300?
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FollowupID: 918828

Reply By: Chantelle V - Monday, Mar 07, 2022 at 22:21

Monday, Mar 07, 2022 at 22:21
We bought an '89 L300, we fully reconditioned motor, but the gearbox is stuffed and I'm on a mission to replace it (Maybe). Cost a lot to get done though so it wouldn't be cheap but it should fit and we have the receipts for everything that was done. I'll keep an out here even though it's an older thread just incase. (Victoria)
AnswerID: 639760

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