Looking at a couple of LHD Mitz at a local auction (few questions)

[98 SNAKE EATER]

OK, I found a couple of 4WD fleet Mitz that I can possibly get on the cheap...

A bit of rust all around and a few dents, but I've been told that they're mechanically sound :rolleyes:

A few pix of an identical one that sold a few weeks back:

http://www.fuelslut.net/ihost/files/123/dizneyminiz2.jpg
http://www.fuelslut.net/ihost/files/123/dizneyminiz3.jpg
http://www.fuelslut.net/ihost/files/123/dizneyminiz4.jpg


Anyhoo, they're all LHD, but have the dreaded 25mph cluster and governor...

Is there a way I can bypass it?

Also, is there an easy way to check the production date by eyeballing it?

I don't have much info on them and limited access until next week (I can check them out, but can't drive them)





Rick

[Dan]

you can estimate within a year by checking the tags on the seatbelts near the bottom where they are mounted. it won't be any newer than 1995. from the outside mine looked the same from 95 back to the late 80's. in 89 there were some changes from points to hei. the governing system and fuel solenoids changed then too. pre 89 there were two fuel solenoids on the carburetor, one on the top front and one bottom right.

I have met no one who has defeated the limitations completely with the 90's and newer units. the ignitor is tied to 3 systems and will not work at all with any alterations. fuel cutoff, rpm limiter, speed sensor, and 30 degrees of timing all built in to the ignitor. PIA very clever little box built by mesobitchi. i have been experimenting with the MSD 6A ignitor for a few days and have one last problem. adjusting out the 30 degrees puts you outside of the adjustment lockdown bolt range. I shifted the plug wires one terminal and advanced into the right timing and cut away the end of the adjuster slot. the correct timing will leave just enough for the nut to hold the edge of the distributor until i fab a bracket. Of course i'm not doing all of this for the mere speed and increase in power but, for the added efficiency of a multi spark ignition. oh and also if you don't un hook the - lead to the coil it will blow the fuel solenoid relay and it will begin to work as a key on application, which was the next step anyways... ( found that out purely by accident, then unhooked the old - lead. It didn't like the new 400+ volt power source running backward through it)

oh yeah then theres the three speed issue... they have the capacity to be a 4-speed and i've seen two versions of the limitations. one is as simple as removing a plug from behind a shift rail and the other is requiring a pinion replacement. can't tell until you open it up though. again not for the speed but for the environment you know...it will be running much lower rpm's at 25mph in 4th gear. theres pictures in my gallery of the transmissions.
It's been a bit of a project but i am only in to these for about 220 bucks so far and that includes the price of the vehicle and the 200.00 ignition system.

If the price is right just do it..

Dan

[slimbad]

Rick, those pix are identical to the 94 that i bought (in Orlando also) same safety light and the same brush guard/cow pusher. the only difference is mine has the dumpbed. i took the brush guard off (to camo the truck) and before it goes back on i'm going to cut and taper the ends of it for more of a wrap around. i found when turning and backing up in tall brush that small trees hang in the gap on the ends. it is a solid bumper about 40lbs or so. i really like the high top - more headroom. i took the safety light off (three bolts thru the roof - plugged the holes) and used the hot wire of the light to power my stereo. i cut a piece of 5/8" plywood slightly larger than the interior dimensions of the hightop (the inner lip) and same contour. i had to angle/twist it in and then slide it forward, it fits snug and sits on the little ledge (where the headliner meets the cab on the edges). it looks to me that the truck in the picture doesn't have an antenna (mine didn't either - or radio) i took a regular car antenna and laid it horizontally behind the stereo - works great. the speakers are mounted facing down on the ends of the plywood. sounds real good and is out of the way. the ledge only extends about 9" back from the windshield and doesn't interfere with your headroom.

as for as your questions, Dan "The LHD King" is spot on for all of his info he provided. also if possible i would like to ref/borrow your pix of truck (with credit to you of course) as an example of "before" condition of my own. if so thanx and hope you can snag dem trucks........later, slim

[slimbad]

Dan, how's it going? first, keep up your great work on your project, my cuz and i are eagerly awaiting your successful results. now, got a couple of questions for you. on my cuz's truck, he's having engine dying probs similar to someone on a different thread (dying for no reason - sit for a bit crank and go again - no pattern to the behavior) we are going thru the troubleshooting advice you have posted in the other thread. no luck yet. in the process we disconnected the wire to the single front top solenoid and it didn't seem to make a difference (we still had our random shutoff prob - but it ran). that doesn't make any sense to us.

and as for transmissions, technically there are (unfortunately) three ways they screw up the four spd - the little blocking ring, the whole pinion shaft, and in our case we got both, go figure huh? was wondering if a 4/5 spd from an import 660 would bolt up to the 550. we're thinking that it would. i believe the only difference mechanically is the bore/stroke btwn the 550/660. to me it wouldn't make sense to design in any differences. one year all keis are 550 and the next 660 - why change anything else production/assembly wise? just wondering what you thought. take care, and get those trucks out yonder chasing those desert cacti............later, slim

[Dan]

I made some comparisons to the site below
http://www.m-klub.ru/_pages/mitsubishi/index.php?st=30&l=bWFya2V0PT1qYXBhbnx8Y29kZT09MTUw
and found many interchangeable parts for the 550/660's i think you're right its pretty much just a different stroke. everything externally is the same. i jsut sent a waterpump to a 660 owner. i'm guessing it worked...

The ignition solved all of the limitations. haven't really had time to get it out and open it up yet but it barks all of the gears and will rev out of control now. I've had it to the end of third and started fourth (this could get scary) but dont have room in the neighborhood to build up any speed. all of the neighbors have been watching it fly by with their heads cocked sideways... (what the hell is that???)


I need to find a cheap tach before i explode something... the next box will have a programmable rpm limiter to save me from myself

Thanks for the kind words, just wish i had more answers for everybody

[98 SNAKE EATER]

Thanx for all the info :)


Dan, are you saying that you've pretty much cracked all of the governing limitations?

Happen to have a writeup on this?


BTW, I took another look at the Mitz today and completely forgot about the seatbelt/year thing :frustration:


however, I did find out that one is a dump bed :cool:

Wasn't exactly looking for a dump, but I guess I could bid a bit more for it than the other :o

[Dan]

Its much easier to work on the motor of the dump bed...instead of through the access panel. A writeup?? i think its all here except for the instructions on the msd. its pretty simple except for me overlooking the negative lead that was still attached to the coil. (the only wires to the coil are from the ignnitor.) it ran to the fuel relay which needs to be jumped to a key-on source in its pigtail. find the wire that runs to the fuel pump and jump it to the blk/wht wire in the same pigtail. leave the relay unhooked. on the distributor there are two sensors. use the ones from the side of the cap and leave the ones from the cylinder position sensor alone (near the bottom. those might work with a 3-cylinder sine wave tach..). the rest is just power and ground wires. just unplug and remove the original ignitor. you can use the open connector for the distributor signal wires and a power source. abandon the rest.

maybe it wasn't that simple...was this about as clear as mud??

hope it helps.

tired and confused,
Dan

[Tuz222]

dan so all that was how to take off the governer because i got a 3 speed limited at 25 if this is the way to do it i will thanks

[Dan]

uhhhhmm..what governor?? :eek: i did all of that for efficiency limitations;). I'm sure there are many other ways to overcome the limitations on these. i've had a few different versions of transmission lockouts for 4th gear and two different ignition restriction methods on the mesobitchees of which i've only tackled one. but basicly everything above is what has worked for me so far. i haven't had much run time since i installed the new box and i'm a little concerned about the heat coming from it...don't know if thats normal or not??

[98 SNAKE EATER]

OK, so I picked one up today...

http://www.fuelslut.net/ihost/files/123/newminitruckwoohoo.JPG

It's not much (only 2wd), but it's a start :o

Most likely putz around with it for a few weeks, then sell it for a 4x4 :cool:

I'll post up more details tomorrow