Delica Canada | Mitsubishi Van Club

I have been a bad Deli owner.
I knew my timing belt was due, then overdue. Then I pushed my luck even some more.
A week ago I finally ordered the parts. While doing the TB I was going to remove the head and check that - I didn't buy a head. Would do that if i found my was toast. Oddly enough, all the parts just happened to arrive yesterday. While driving in a monstrous Nova Scotia rain storm this morning....poof...the engine just stops. So I coast to the side of the road and proceed to get wet and check things out.
I tried to turn her over a few times and it cranked but no fire...not even a hit of trying to fire.
First thoughts were water in the fuel (although the light did not come on) I checked the drain of the fuel filer and purged it. Lots of fuel coming out and no water that I could see.
So i tried a few more times. Pumped the fuel filter, drain, purge, pump, drain, purge, try to start, etc. Prob. tried about 6 times, letting it crank about 10-15 secs each time.
Then I cracked the fitting on one of the injectors and tried to see if fuel was coming out when I cranked the girl over. Nothing.
At this point the CAA tow truck in coming - CAA was a present from the wife; I loved her an exceptional amount at that time.
Im not a very familiar guy with diesels (I alway have to remember I before e) but I figured if no fuel was spurting out of the injectors there might bigger issues.
I took the two easy bolts out of the timing belt cover and saw the loveliness in the pics. Oh shit I said.
Now that myself and the interior of the Deli smelled like diesel, I figured I would cry and wait for the tow.
She is home in the garage, I am here with a strong Baileys and coffee.

Things I have learned:
- dont push my luck
- when its raining like mad, when the passenger seat is lifted there is lots of room to sit on the floor and work inside out of the rain
- dont push my luck
- make sure the vent on the fuel filter is closed tight...diesel sprays outa that like mad when pumping.
- dont push my luck.

Questions:
- is this an interference engine? Would the pistons hit the valves once the TB broke?
- What the hell kind of mess am I into now?
- Do I just buy a new engine?

Advice:
Pls dispense advice and comments as necessary!

It is an interference engine.
Since you were already planning on doing the head gasket anyways..you'll be able to check and see if there was any damage done.

Did the engine just go from 3000rpm right to 0 with strange sounds or shudders? Or did it just smoothly drop down to 0?

I was accelerating up from a traffic light, maybe about 50 km/hr.
Had the radio on, but I think i heard a dull pop sound...but not really sure.
The rpm went right to 0...no sputtering or shudders....a nice gentle coast to the curb.

Well...it seems things are looking just as they should

Ah man.. that really sucks.

I was hoping you got off lucky.

How bad are the pistons? I would suspect that the pistons have cracked, and will need to be replaced.

LMcD wrote: Im not a very familiar guy with diesels (I alway have to remember I before e)

Or just remember DIE-sel yours seems to have the DIE part :)

Pull the head to check the pistons are not damaged...

You are going to need to check the head or replace.... combustion chamber damage, bent valves (for sure), damaged guides, broken rockers etc....

Diesels are always interference motors due to the 20:1+ compression need to ignite the fuel..

Hopefully you got lucky on the inside... Broken lifters are good hopefully they failed before piston damage....

The rockers are deliberate weak spots, intended to break first- you'll have to strip the head and check for bent valves, but you might get away with just replacing the rockers.

Fingers crossed for you!