Unbelievable......

Don't know what to say, rxr, other than I feel for you. If the failure mode was the same as the other two then I'm as stumped as before. If different, then you need to find a different source for used trannys because they're sending you junk.

Maybe you can find a wrecked truck that has a known good engine/trans and build one good truck out of the combination. But I'd understand if you never want to look at it again.

Ron

 

Just another case of why some of us with the time, space and necessary tools will not take our rigs near an auto repair shop!

I fully believe that the dealer shop forgot to refill your tranny with fluid or did not suficiently tighten the tranny cooler oil lines properly and the fluid leaked out when passing through the cooler as you drove. Was the tranny fluid along the bottom of the engine, tranny, drive line or frame when you had the issue?

Can't think of another likely senareo for this to happen right after this repair.

Sorry this happened to you man! I would keep pushing the dealer for a settlement!

PS: Some of us run such old and high mileage Mitsubishi and other cars that the dealers won't touch them anyway....LOL. That would be me.

 

Here's a pic of all the cooling lines on that trans it is quite possible something has gotten kinked or crushed causing a restriction in one of these lines. look at all the bends at part #21

 

Another Tranny ( No:4) , is here and going to try.

1. Cooler lines were blocked - not sure if the dealer did this or the used parts mechanic.

2. tdf was correct, the usedparts mechanic did not tighten the cooler lines, the oil was leaking from that and tranny lost fluid, that was the reason for failure, other than cooler not working. Also the tranny oil did not look like it was spec mitsu oil.

3. Getting a new - after market cooler, by passing the original cooler, need to figure out where to mount it.

You should hear from me in a couple of days.
Mitsupartsman - thanks for the diagrams.

Cheers
Rxr.

 

Hi rxr:

Sounds like you're making progress again - hope it goes well.

I thought your mechanic said the cooler flow was OK. How did he now determine that the cooler is blocked? If it was, then we're back to my first post - something that the dealer did must have left you with a blocked line.

Were they able to get it unblocked? If not it might be worth it to get a used radiator and have yours cut open by a reputable shop to see if there is evidence that the initial dealer caused it. For example, when I did my timing belt, I used a rubber vacuum cap over the brass inlet pipe to keep the ATF in the radiator. In the past I've used a small rubber stopper. If the tip of something like that broke off and the dealer reassembled without knowing it would explain everything.

Ron

 

Reread your last post: "bypassing the original cooler"

No way, rxr, if the original cooling lines are still blocked you DEFINITELY need to replace the radiator. Aftermarket coolers are always auxiliary coolers and only needed on a Montero if you are towing a house trailer up Pike's Peak. They are not designed to carry the whole cooling task and I have no idea how you'd figure out the right size any way

Seriously, the factory setup cools the ATF with the engine coolant which is kept "cool" by the fan when the truck is stopped or in slow traffic. An air to fluid auxiliary cooler will let your 4th transmission cook just like the others.

If I misunderdtood what you're planning, then ignore this but you've got to get the factory set up working. After that, you can certainly try an aux cooler but will only be a waste of time and money as others have stressed. Your first tranny was quite happy without one for the first 70K miles.

Ron

 

coolers can be flushed. any mitsu dealer (or any dealer) should have the necessary equipment to do this.
also, you should already have 2 coolers on your car. One is an air to oil cooler, one is coolant to oil cooler located in the radiator.
dont bypass them. dont alter it. the fluid flows from the trans to the air-to-oil cooler first, then into the radiator. Why? because often, the fluid needs to be WARMED! If you drive in the cold, having trans fluid that never hits operating temp is almost worse than fluid thats too hot.
so, you get the best of both worlds. If its really hot, the air-to-oil cooler will remove the excess heat, then regulate the oil at about engine temp. If its too cold, the air-to-oil cooler basically does nothing, then warms as it hits the radiator.

anyway, i digress. I mention it because after the oil flows from the trans to the coolers, it goes IMMEDIATELY to transmission lubrication! Any restriction in either coolers will make the trans fail fast. all bearings and bushings get their lubrication from this! And that is the ONLY reason ive ever seen a mechanical repeat failure. Frankly, its the only reason ive ever seen a failure on a montero, period.. most seem to happen in the bitter, bitter cold when the fluid is viscous and barely flows, in essence causing a similar condition to a clogged cooler.

 

Manybrews and jrmdir, thanks for your updates.

I did not by-pass the oem cooler., the air to oil cooler was the one which was blocked, could not be flushed as my mechanic put it. I sat down with him and went over the diagrams from alldatadiy. So all that we did was really get a huge after market cooler(NAPA) and replaced the existing oil cooler which sits on the left - top on the radiator, about 1.5 longer wider than the OEM one. I have not made any temperature measurements, but I am going to do that next week, if you guys have any inputs on the temperature charts please share it.

The other cooler which sit below the radiator, that is still in the loop and in working condition. The truck drives good and shifts well, got a tranny with about 14k miles on it for less than a grand.

Couple of issues,
1. The shifter ( gear selector ) is a little stiff.
2. 4 Wheel drive, sometimes the Orange Flashing in the middle ( C/D Indicator)

I have put about 180 miles in the last week and running well, never over 60mph, never more than 20 miles straight , i am not comfortable unless I test out the temperature readings on what they need to be.

I will post some pictures soon., so guys can see what was done.

Cheers
Rxr.

 

I use Amsoil synthetic fluids in my 03' Montero LTD in all parts (engine, trans, transfer, and both diffs) The stuff is expensive, but man I swear by it. It runs as good, if not better, than it did when I bought it 2 years ago at 50k. It now has 102k miles. The only problem I have is that both exhaust manifolds are cracked :-(