1998 Mitsubishi Montero Engine Swap Proceedures

1. The transmission need not be removed and I would leave it on vehicle. Use a floor jack to support it while taking the engine out or installing.

2. Easier to get engine out from top. The radiator has to be removed but not the A/C condenser.

3. Lowering the front axle slightly would enable easier removal and installation of engine.

4. Sport uses 3.0 L engines with a lower engine capacity so power soulld not be better than Montero.

I have the new engine mounted in the car but cannot seem to get the engine to mount flush with the transmission. It is just far enough apart that I have yet been able to get a bolt threaded to bring the case and block together. There is still about a half an inch of space.

I am not sure if the input shaft just needs to be rotated ( I have tried this a lot when trying to get the gap to close) or what the next step is. The car is in neutral and I was rotating the crank back and forth while trying to get the transmission and engine to come together. Any suggestions would be great!

Other then that, everything has gone smooth so far... Well I did have to swap out the oil pan and pick up and the new engine does not have a pump that supports the current oil cooler on the car...



Thanks!

Ensure the torque coonverter is seated fully, if not you are going to damage the transmission if you force them together.

Usually it should slot in easily. Ensure the pins for centralisig the transmission are not clashing, the new engine could had the pin while your transmission has the other, meaning you have one too many.

Do you mean the dowel pins that help align the transmission to the engine block? Too many of those would definitely cause an issue. What is the best way to go about getting the input shaft to seat properly in the converter?

The engine that I put in is not the exact year engine that came out of the car so I am a bit scared that for some reason it won't work? The new engine came out of a 2002 Montero. The new engine came from a Montero, not the Montero Sport. Everything else that I have seen so far ( excluding the oil pan and oil cooler fittings) are exactly the same.

Thank You.

You need to turn the torque convertetget it to seat correctly before putting the enig in. If the torque converter had been dislodged, you would have a problem with the engine in place. While turning and pushing the torque converter, you need to lift it slightly to get it to seat correctly.

Engine wise it should not be a problem if the engine is of the same type though different in years.

So your saying I need to keep turning the crank while using a lift to raise the engine (or transmission?) to seat to the input shaft at which point it will slide together with no gap?

Do I have to have a hoist or can I use a floor jack? This is very frustrating for me that I can't get this to seat properly but I do appreciate your help thus far.

Note if the torque converter is pushing against the drive plate. If yes, you would have to remove the engine again.

It is not possible to get the torque converter to seat correctly if it is lined up to the engine. Turning the crank is not going to work.

Turn the torque converter and ensure it goes in fully, it would be very close to the bell housing. Note the depth of the torque conveter in trans housing and measure the distance of drive plate protrusion from engine base where the trans matches. The torque converter should be seated deeper than the drive plate protrusion.

If the torque converter is seated correctly, when the bell housing and engine gaps is closed, it should be able to turn freely.

The trans should go in easily without any turning of the crank as the torque converter and other matching pins would slide in.

A floor jack would be sufficient. Use it to lift the transmission to get the engine and trans aligned while using the lift to get the engine in. Some gentle twisting and manouvering of the engine would be required to get them to slot in.

Here is as close as I have been able to get things to line up. This is still too far apart to get a bolt to thread.

I don't quite understand what you mean by being able to turn the trq. converter or if it is touching the driveplate/flywheel cause... they are bolted to each other.

As it sits in these photos, it turns freely even if the car is in park.

You have the process all wrong and this is going to damage the transmission if you fiorce it in.

Torque converter has to be separated from the drive plate and installed on the transmission first. Ensure the torque converter is correctly and fully seated.

Well, that is good know! Hopefully I haven't done any damage... Once I set the torque converter on the input shaft, then I ease the engine in and bolt the drive plate to the converter correct?

Strange that you can pull it out all connected but it has to be put in differently.

Its making sense now! Thanks.

You did it wrong when pulling it out. You should have removed the bolts holding the torque converter and pushed it away before taking the engine out. That way the torque converter would stay seated correctly.

Once the torque converter is on the input shaft, turn it and ease it in as far as possible and ensure it is seated correctly.

After engine is in and is flush with transmission, ensure the torque converter turns freely before installing and tightening transmission to engine mounting bolts first.

Tighten torque converter bolts after above steps.

Well I got a change to work on it today with a hoist... And... It looks like I got it to work! Now it is just a matter of putting it all back together and figuring out all the belts. Ill keep you posted if I need assistance with anything else.

Thank you!

Update - It seems to be running ok but sometimes the car's lights will dim and and the car will act like it is going to die to the point where all the cluster lights flicker. Today I cleaned off the positive battery post and it stopped however I recalled that there were 2 things that didn't have a home when I finished the swap. I honestly have no idea where these 2 things belong or what they do. I believe one was taken off the intake manifold somewhere, I have yet to find a plug for it and the other plug is over on the drivers side by the battery and is connected to the wiring harness.

Thanks.

First component is a capacitor, it should be bolted to ground, somewhere on top of the thermostat housing.

As to the 2nd wire, the picture is too concentrated in one area so I am not able to understand what it is for. Some wires are not used as there are for different markets so if you do not have any issues with components etc, then it should be nothing to worry about. Let me know the wire color and I will see if I can come up with anything.

Picture where I am holding the plug is a single red wire with a white stripe and is located next to the battery on the drivers side and goes into the main harness.

The capacitor - I cannot seem to find a plug for it anywhere on the harness by the intake manifold so I didn't plug it in but I do remember unplugging both of these things. The capacitor is a solid blue wire single prong. It is a strange plug style too with a needle like pin right in the center of the inside of the plug.

There should be a connector somewhere near the top rear of engine wireharness that branches out to the TPS and other sensors.

As to the wire, sorry I can't seem to find any reference to it.

I will try to get a vehicle to check and see if I have it. It might take some time as I don't have such vehicles in my shop at the moment.

I appreciate your help! Thanks.

Have a 1998 Montero and was looking to do an engine swap to the 4M40 2.8L Turbo Diesel that came in oversea markets. Any input would be great. Also, the information you all traded in this post was great!

What would you like to know?

Are the engine mounts the same for the 3.5L V6 as they are for either the 4D56 2.5 TD or 4M40 2.8L TD? Seems the 4D56 may be easier to get. Also, what about the wiring harness? Do you know of any shops that are very good at this?

Engine mounts are different and so are subframes.
I don't think there are any specialist on such works and it would depend on where you are located. Check oyt the local parts stores for any recvommendations. they would be the best person to recommend any place.

Hi Blaze
I am going to what you've been through. I am replacing the engine on my 1998 minstubishi montero Sport. I put close to 240,000 miles on it. I got a japanese engine with roughly 50,000 miles on it.
I would really apreccieate some guidance. I could not find anything on the internet about engine swapping.
Here is where I am right now:
1. I detached everything from the engine (electrical wires, tubes etc)
2. Took down the starter, detached the AC pump and the steering wheel pump. (left the AC pump and the steering wheel pump connected to the frame)
3. Took the colant radiator down.
4. The engine is still on its supports. I need to detached the engine from transmission, how do I access all the bolts the are connecting the engine to transmission? A previous answer to your post, suggested lowering the front axle. How far did you lowered it?
Thanks a lor.

You would need to get under vehicle and remove the cover on transmission just after the engine. Once cover is removed, you need to remove the bolts holding the flex plate and torque converter.
After removal of the bolts, push the torque converter as far back as possible.
Remove the bolts holding the engnine and transmission and use a floor jack to support the transmission. you might need to jack up the transmission as you hoist the engine up. Once engine is off the mounts, ( I presume you have removed the bolts) you can separate the engine from trans and pull it slightly forward for lifting it out.
.

I did all this, and now I am stuck at the two top bolts that hold the engine to the transmision. I am thinking to release the engine from its supports. That would probably give me a few inches so I can access the two top bolts. Other than that, everything seems to be going smooth so far.

Hang the engine with the host. Remove the engine mounts and lower the hoist to gain the space. If you have a flexible coupling socket, you might be able to get to the bolts. Space is tight but manageable.

Reinstall and tighten the 2 bolts at both side of engione block and transmission first. This would allow the upper bolts to be easily removed after loosenning. Failure to do so would result in engine and trans trying to break free of each other and this would hamper the bolt removal.

Thank you KHLow2008. I did just that. I was abble to get the two top bolts after I lowered the engine. Today I finally got the engine out. It came out with the converter from the tranny. Any good suggestion how to put the engine back on? Ofcourse it is going to be the reverse process :).
Again, advice very much appreciated.

You have to reinstall the torque converter onto the thransmission and ensure it is seated as far back as possible. You need to rotate the torque converter and at the same time lift it to allow it to slip into position. Failure to do so would damage the transmission.

When engine is seated back, ensure it slots in fully and becomes flush with transmission. Do not try to force it in as improper seating of torque converter would cause that. After tightening the engine to transmission bolts and making sure the engine and transmission is flush, turn the torque converter manually. It should turn freely and there should be a gap in between torque converter and flexplate.

You might need to lower or raise the transmission while trying to slot the engine in.

Make sure to detach the flexplate from the torque converter when you re install everything. Flexplate bolted to the engine, torque converter seated as deep as it will go into the transmission. I would add some fluid to the torque converter myself while it is off unless you didn't spill any during removal.

You CANNOT leave the torque converter on the engine while trying to re install it. There is no way you can get the converter to slide into the tranny while the converter is still attached to the engine during re installation of the engine.

Good luck.

How do I acces the bolts on the torque converter, after I put the engine on?

I mentioned getting to the bolts from bottom of engine, after removal of the service cover plate.

I got them back on by going through the hole where the starter bolts up. Had to get a long wrench and then rotated the crank to get some pressure on em.

Thanks. I will try that.

Blaze

Thank you for all your tips. They heIped. I finaly got the engine going. It sarted very easy after a few cranks. Passed the DEQ (after I tried to pass it 7 times, trying all kind of tricks) and it runs smooth like a champ. Took me couple of weeks, working few hrs a day, and two full days in two weekends.
I am not a mechanic. I am more a computer "geek" (fixing computers, building websites both design and content). Did some mechanical work with father when I was younger. I am kind of fix-it all kind of a guy.
This project was hard but the fun came at the end when I heard the new engine running.

Some of the tips I've learned from this, not necessary in the order they happened. Hope it will help somebody out there. I could not find any clear instructions how to swap an engine on a mitsubishi montero sport. Here you go

- you need extra tools. I found Hrbourfreight very usefull and cheap for this project.

- you need an good hoist (a 2000 lb one is good). Found out from the delivery guy that delivered the new engine, that the engine alone is about 400 lb.
- disconnect the battery and disconect all the electrical wires. Leave the main electrical line on the car.
- Leave the steering wheel pump, AC pump, alternator and starter on venicle, dismount only from the engine.

- take the radiator out.
- take the front weels off and the protective plastic cover from both sides (between the weels and the body of the vehicle). You will need full access to both sides of the engine.
- remove the exhaust first, remove the metal bar from under the car, the one that supports the transmission (it has 4 bolts pus another bolt that supports the tranny) for easier access
- take the access door that is over the oil pan (at first I thought there are two oil pans :) ) and access the the torque converter connection bolts. Remove all the bolts from the flexplate.

- find and unscrue all the bolts that connect the engine with the tranny (there are two upper bolts that are very difficult to acces, on the top: lower the engine a little, after you disconnect it from the two supports. It helps to disconnect the transmission from the main metal bar that supports the transmission)

- use the intake manifold system from the old engine, on the new engine. After you open it clean it with B2 spray cleaner. Replace all the gaskets when possible.
- When taking the old engine out, it is good ideea to lift the transmission up with a jack.
- If you happened to take out the old engine with the torque connvertor on, do not worry, there are plenty of youtube videos on how to put it back.

- once you take the intake manifold down, change the sparkplugs and cables.
- use the old exhaust manifolds from the old engine. Change the gaskets too.
- put all the fluids in. I changed the motor oil the next day. It was rusty collor. Probably the new engine sat for a while.

- when you fill it up with coolant, make sure you prime it. There is a bolt for that near the oil intake (the thing you put the motor oil through)
- I added some SPIII mitsubishi tranny fluid. About a quart and something. Than the next day, I changed it all, after I ran to the DEQ and back
- changed the gas filter too.