I replaced the original drain plug with a Dimple brand magnetic drain plug. Plug is very well made and extremely strong. I was able to hold a 15" Crescent wrench! MAGNETIC DRAIN PLUGS

The magnet is so strong it was a little difficult to get it to thread into the pan as the tip kept pulling the plug sideways to the pan.

On startup, the new rings will seat, so I expect some amount of minor metallic debris to be generated and want to capture it best I can.

 

Gave the engine an ENIMA (Engine Needs Injection of its Mains an Auxiliaries)

I removed the brake booster nipple from the manifold and installed it into the oil filter extension in lieu of the pressure sensor. The PVC pre-lube was filled with 5 quarts of 5W30 oil, pressurized to 50 psi, and then slowly injected into the engine. With the valve covers off, I was able to confirm oil flow to all of the rockers. One rocker had poor flow, so I had to take the rocker shaft off and clean the small hole.

Because the oil pump is concentric with the crankshaft, the oil pump cannot be rotated to prime the engine so forced prelube is necessary.

Edit 5/31/16 7:45 PM EST
I added pictures of the ENIMA so you can see the upper and lower fittings. This let me charge the system prior to admitting oil to the engine. The plug at the top allows filling with oil. The upper PVC bushing is 3/4" NPT as are the fittings. The lower PVC bushing is 1/2". Should have made the center 3" tube portion another 4-6" longer as it did not quite hold all 5 qts (math error somewhere). All fittings were cleaned and scrubbed prior to assembly with the filter as the last item of defense.

While prelubing I did rotate the engine via a bolt on the crank bolt. I wanted to confirm the oil galley plugs did not leak and had proper rocker flow. After I confirmed good oil flow thru the rockers and no leaks, I stopped and installed the valve covers as the pee'ing oil was making quite a mess. The oil squirted 8'+ left and right of the engine on the garage insulation and the car on the other side of the Montero.

 

Prior to giving the engine an ENIMA, I Installed the engine oil dipstick.

The tube was corroded, so I soda blasted it, wire wheeled it, then VHT painted with cast aluminum gray. I masked off the o-ring grove prior to painting.

The tube mates with the aluminum upper oil pan and seals via an o-ring part number MD075834. The handle uses two o-rings part number MD317089.

The lower o-ring was rolled into position on the tube. The handle o-rings were installed with the ring closest to the end first, and the furthest ring rolled over the first. Lubed the lower o-ring, positioned it to the oil pan, then finger tight connected the nut to the cylinder head.

 

Once the ENIMA confirmed oil flow to the rockers, I installed the valve covers. After the covers were installed, the final charge of prelube oil was released.

I used the Fel-Pro gaskets that came in the kit. The valve covers were soda blasted, wire wheeled, and VHT painted in black.

I used a pair of pliers to tighten the groove the gasket fits in. The pliers bend the inner rib closer to the outer rib to hold the gasket snug.

The Fel-Pro spark plug tube seals were installed prior to final positioning of the covers.

The valve covers go "metal to metal" with the heads once the bolts are fully torqued and the gasket compresses. Put all bolts in prior to tightening.

 

With the ENIMA prooving no leak from the oil galley plugs, the timing covers, accessory drive, and cam sensor were next installed. I had left the timing covers off as visual access to the galley plug at the front is obscured.

The timing covers had been fitted with new square cord stock gaskets and fit nicely (see post 108).

The accessory drive was soda blasted, wire wheeled, and scrubbed with cleaner. There is a gasket on the back side that was replaced with the square o-ring cord stock. The accessory drive engages with the seals on the timing covers.

The cam sensor on the 3.5L bolts to the front of the drivers cylinder head and mates with the timing cover.

I also fitted a Fram FV350 PCV valve.

 

With the valve covers in place, I proceeded with the spark plugs and wires.

I used Denso Iridium tipped plugs and NGK wires. The plugs I got from NAPA and the wires from Rock Auto. I checked the plug gap and they were all at 0.040".

I put anti-seize on the plug threads, used a rubber hose to insert the plugs into the spark plug tube and engage the head, and the rubber hose to thread the plugs in finger tight. The rubber hose holds the plugs and helps prevent cross threading. The plugs were then torqued to spec.

The NGK wires are quite nice. Crisp snap engagement of the boot to the plug and the boot top seals to the valve cover. Each wire is factory labeled with the cylinder number.

 

With the spark plugs and wires in position, I proceeded with the upper air intake manifold and plenum.

I completely disassembled the intake and plenum. Soaked it in the parts washer and used a brush to clean out all of the oily carbon residue in the ports and passages. Afterwards I soda blasted the remainder. Finally, I painted the exterior only (ports and flanges are as blasted finish) with VHT high temperature cast aluminum.

The bolts are of various lengths and the manual does not provide a torque sequence. I measured the bolts and labeled the diagram to aide others in this job. Note that one of the tapped holes is not used and there is not a corresponding hole in the intake. Lastly, I used my judgement and determined the bolt pattern I would use to torque the bolts. The gasket has a tab or ear which goes to the front.

The lower gasket was part of the Fel-Pro head gasket kit while the plenum gasket I got from Mitsubishi and is MD331883. The EGR valve gasket is from the Fel-Pro kit.

Proceeded then to populate the external surfaces of the plenum with the various hoses, sensors, EGR valve, throttle body, coil packs, etc.

Looking more like an engine.....

 

I installed the passenger exhaust manifold and heat shield next.

My original manifold was found to be cracked, so I ordered an aftermarket Made In China manifold off Ebay. Details of this can be found here https://mitsubishiforum.com/forum/mi...nifolds-49596/

I decided to use OEM Mitsubishi metal exhaust gasket MR281721 rather than the Fel-Pro gaskets that came with the head gasket kit. The information in this linked thread speculates that the Fel-Pro gaskets could be a contributor to manifold cracking 4th Cracked Exhaust Manifold | Monterosportonline.net Forum For what it is worth, my cracked passenger manifold was found to have been using a Fel-Pro gasket from the prior failed head gasket repair.

I used anti-seize on the exhaust manifold studs. The manual does not provide a torque sequence diagram, so I used my judgement and used the sequence noted. I torqued the nuts in four (4) passes to help ensure that I did not bend the flange. Lastly I installed the heat shield.

Edit 6/27/16 - Do yourself a favor and install the driver's side exhaust manifold while the engine is out. There is a torque converter bolt access cover under the driver's exhaust manifold which I had decided to use. The torque converter bolt access really is worse as it is more difficult to install a wrench. Further, installing the driver's side exhaust manifold after the fact requires the engine mount to frame bolts be removed, engine jacked up, removal of the oil dipstick, bending the transmission dipstick tube towards the fender, and removal of the EGR pipe from the manifold all just to get the manifold on. Then tightening of the manifold nuts is difficult due to poor access, some of which I reached thru the wheel well.

 

Bit of a lull as other yard and household chores have consumed the past few weekends..

The drivers catalytic converter had a broken off bolt from removal. I soaked it repeatedly with PB Blaster and then welding a nut to it to back it off with a wrench. This did nothing but shear off the weld. Tried this 3 times.

I then drilled it for an EZ-Out (also known as an Always Fails Me) which sure enough snapped off in the hole. Thankfully, the bolt was thru drilled and not blind so I could pound out the broken EZ-Out with a punch. I then progressively drilled the bolt with larger drills, pounded a screw driver into the remnant, and out it came.

I decided to install all new Denso Oxygen sensors since the converters were out and access would never be better. The prior hack garage was chasing an engine code (can't remember number) which they never solved and had speculated it might be an oxygen sensor.

The labels are UL (upstream left), DL (downstream left), UR (upstream right), DR (downstream right). Used the copper anti-seize that came with the sensors and torqued them to spec.

 

Next I unbolted the engine from the stand and suspended it in air with the engine hoist.

There is a metal plate that bolts to the back of the engine that is held with one bolt and it registers with the two dowels in the block at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions. I had labeled the plate's orientation at time of disassembly. I had removed the dowels so as to bolt the engine to the stand. These dowels engage the transmission bell housing to ensure concentricity.

The crankshaft bolt pattern has an index hole that is used to align the crankshaft adapter, flex plate, and adapter plate. I labeled the engine side of the flex plate bolt holes for the converter bolts to aid assembly and indicate the torque sequence I will use. The adapter plate is a stamped piece of metal and the perimeter edge is slightly raised up. The raised edge or lip goes towards the transmission.

There are two access holes for the converter bolts. I had used the bottom one at disassembly. The side access hole is under the drivers side exhaust manifold which I have left off and will install after the engine is in place and the torque converter bolts installed.

I made a anti-rotation tool so that I could torque the bolts to the crankshaft. I sized the holes in the bar stock to the diameters indicated. This gave a nice fit to the stop bolt in the block as well as the bolt thru the flex plate. The bolt at the flex plate was one of the torque converter bolts and I used a nut from the exhaust manifold.

I torqued the crank bolts in a criss-cross pattern and put a check mark next to each bolt as they were torqued.

Edit 6/27/16 - Do yourself a favor and install the driver's side exhaust manifold while the engine is out. The torque converter bolt access really is worse as it is more difficult to install a wrench. Further, installing the driver's side exhaust manifold after the fact requires the engine mount to frame bolts be removed, engine jacked up, removal of the oil dipstick, bending the transmission dipstick tube towards the fender, and removal of the EGR pipe from the manifold all just to get the manifold on. Then tightening of the manifold nuts is difficult due to poor access, some of which I reached thru the wheel well.