Just purchased a 99 sport and the previous owner claims that the oil leak is from a plate on the upper passenger side of the motor with a o ring behind it that needs to be replaced??? does this sound right it drips right on the exhaust of coarse. I don t reall yknow alot about these but i really liked the looks and they are about half the price of a forerunner also, are they pretty durable and reliable?? any info would be cool thanks

 

Yes - this is a common problem and pretty easy to fix. Do a search here for postings about "rear cam seals" and you will find the info you need.

The "plate" the PO mentioned is (are) actually aluminum hole cover/plugs that are bolted to the rear of each cylinder head facing the firewall. The passenger side seems to start leaking first but you should fix both. The O rings are very inexpensive and any Mitsu dealer has them.

Ron

 

I take my SUV to Meineke for all my inspections and it passes every time.Unfortunatly I had this smell,like burning oil and noticed a oil leak.I took it to Meineke and it cost me $900 to have it fixed.They replaced my gaskets,valve covers also some old wires and said no more leaks.To make a long story short I`ve taken it back 4 times going on 5 this Saturday because when I park I can smell oil burning and still have oil drips on my garage floor.The last time I was there the guy cleaned my under carriage thinking it was oil left over from the leak.He told me to wait a few weeks and see if it`s leaking.Well a few days later I could still smell the oli and when I got home I put a sheet onder the engine and yep it`s still leaking!I printed out your reply so I can take it this saturday.Luckily I have a warranty and they have been great but I`m sick of running back and forth to have it looked at. Dave from Kansas City,Mo