Delica Canada | Mitsubishi Van Club

had the deli for over a week now and a few questions are arising.

-There is only one dip stick under the "hood" i assume this is engine oil. any way of checking tranny oil?

-i want to mount my stereo amp behind the driver seat on the vertical face, the back of the engine compartment. looking behind it i cant see anything other than an air box, anyone had experience mounting amps here and how did it go?

-how are people cleaning the engine compartment? went 4x4ing last weekend and it got really dirty under there, cant really take a pressure washer to it unless i want the entire interior to get washed also...

-has anyone gotten rubber floor mats? looking at the driver side it looks like i will need a special cut to fit around the steering column.

-how do you know if your IP is leaking? i hear alot about it but i dont know how to detect a leak.


thanks!

Hi and welcome,

Front floor mat: Try the Michelin brand at Canadian tire (the rear one) they often come on sale for $10 each. They fit pretty good and just need a bit of trimming for the steering column.

Only 1 dipstick???

IP: take a good light and while engine running look around the upper seal of the IP, all around and from both driver and passenger's side. Also, get under your truck with your light and try getting a view again. You can also use handpaper and touch around your IP, if it comes back soaked you know what you've got on your hands.

Engine bay. Start from underneath with hood closed. Then you can use plastic bags to seal around your opened hood while you spray. Or just put a tarp on your seats and hope for the best. I'm not the best at cleaning so someone smarter than will come up with a better way!

Enjoy your new ride!

If you have an automatic transmission you have two dipsticks. The prominent one is the transmission dipstick. The one hiding underneath is the engine dipstick.

If you have a manual transmission you only have one dipstick. You check the transmission oil level by feeling through the oil fill hole in the side, as usual. And rarely need to worry about it.

If you haven't gotten them already, copies of the Russek service manual and the JPNZ English owner's manual are money well spent.

...laura

chrisbouchard wrote:
-how are people cleaning the engine compartment? went 4x4ing last weekend and it got really dirty under there, cant really take a pressure washer to it unless i want the entire interior to get washed also...

!

Chris,

take a heavy gauge clear plastic ( a mattress bag is what I use- go to the Brick loading dock and ask for one) Open up your engine cover and lay it across tight over the opening then close it up ( this will prevent soaking the insullation pad attached to the cover when you spray from underneath upwards) Once yove done that, go back up inside and open the hood. Now tuck the plastic under the opening so it bankets the engine. Poke a hole in the middle of the plastic to insert your pressure washer nozel or hose and spray down. I like to flsh the engine up as soon as possible to dry it off afterwards. Another idea is to spend a cold barley samich or 3 one day and take Dieletric grease and coat all of your electrical connections. It works well . it also works well as a seal revitalizer. massage it into your door seals, window seals. Its a trick the old hot rodders and classic car guys do and it won't break down the rubber.

Cheers

Probably a stupid question for Canadians, but is it allowed to wash your engine at home?
Where I came from it is strictly prohibited to wash your car and specially the engine in your backyard, because of all the environment issues. Oil in the groundwater is not funny :) You have to go to "wash stations", where the water gets filtered.

Silicone spray works good on plastic parts to keep dirt from sticking to them.

Probably a stupid question for Canadians, but is it allowed to wash your engine at home?
Where I came from it is strictly prohibited to wash your car and specially the engine in your backyard, because of all the environment issues. Oil in the groundwater is not funny :) You have to go to "wash stations", where the water gets filtered.

In Calgary I know it is not allowed, however I believe it is up to the individual municipality.

dfnder wrote:Not sure if anyone has done this before... a friend had a mototrcycle that always looked so clean compared to mine. I asked him how he kept his engine so clean with all the rain etc we get and he told me after cleaning his bike he would spray the metal parts with wd-40 and this is what would keep his clean looking. I didn't have my bike too much longer so I never actually did it. Not sure if this would be appropriate for a diesel so I would hold off until someone pipes up that it is ok/feasible. Just putting it out there.

Don't do it, in time WD-40 will break down rubber components in the engine bay. I use the stuff, and believe its fine on newer vehicles with synthetic plastic parts and hoses. Dielectric grease is a better idea. After cleaning the ways suggested, hitting the engine with the hood up with a degreaser followed by a hosing down will make it looks nice. Cold barley sandwiches needed or not.

Stereo mounting in that location should be fine (I don't have a Delica to go out and check on), just ensure your mounting holes clear the hardware under that area; glow plug relays, etc.

And Delica shops should have a selection of mats sized right in stock; earlier this year I bought a nice set from CCAuto for cheap, cheap; had Glen had many to choose from.

One more thing about IP leaks; is there a small puddle on the ground under your passenger seat in your parking space (easy test, diesel doesn't evaporate readily)? One of our vans would leave a dime sized splot over night before she was introduced to WVO.

Cheers,
Kev

Edit, Your thread header brings to mind a certain chain store that changed its name recently;

You’ve got questions. We’ve got blank stares......

Hello chrisbouchard,
I have a standard but some have said that it has two dipsticks; One in the engine bay and...
Hmmm... yeah, injector pump. I cleaned up all around mine and then tucked some coloured toilet paper around and went for a short drive. The coloured toilet paper produces more contrast between the wet bits and the dry bits but in my case, it wasn't nessecary. My pump was pretty obviously hemorrhaging. I now have a spare pump that needs a rebuild, in case that would be helpful.
Cleaning the engine bay. I hardly even cross a deep puddle these days so I'm no expert. On those few occasions when I thought it would be worth the trouble, I would just put an occillating yard sprinkler out on the street and park over it for a while, occasionally moving the car a few inches. Doesn't do a great job and I generally have to open the bay and have a manual scrub too. Also, this technique can result in getting the insulation wet and smelly. The mattress cover idea is brilliant.
Floor mats? I have kids. I found a floor mat that had a main area about the right size for the front foot wells and then another section that is meant to extend up the firewall. (OK well in a Deli we're sitting on the fire wall so I mean the wall that is in front of your toes... you know?) I trimmed off the extension part to fit the door opening and then put the mats in sideways with the trimmed bit sticking out towards the door so that if I spill something, there's a pretty good chance that a lot of it will drain side saddle into the step well instead of the carpet. I have since put my plan through extensive testing and for the most part, it seems to work. I'm actually rather pleased with this. So much so I've attached a picture. About cleaning your engine on the street; An excellent question. I don't know the answer to that but I certainly appreciate that the question occurred to you. Kudos!