Most 1987-2000 L300 Delicas have a cable-shift 5-speed gearbox. It was originally a 4-speed until Mitsubishi slapped a 5th gear on the back as a temporary fix, and like most temporary fixes it stayed that way for a couple of decades. The gearbox has a few weak spots, and was continually revised and upgraded over its lifetime to try and fix these. Many of these improvements can be fitted to older gearboxes.
Much of the info in this FAQ is ganked from these threads:
Your first stop should be to download a copy of the Mitsubishi 5-speed Transmission workshop manual. You want book 22A- V5M21. As you'll see, there are quite a few variations and changes to the internals over the years- I strongly recommend disassembling and inspecting your gearbox before ordering any new parts. Genuine Mitsubishi parts aren't expensive if you go through Amayama.com.
Much of the info in this FAQ is ganked from these threads:
Clutch Issues
hi y’all. Got a new noise, rattling until clutch is depressed. Also started to get a whiff of that scorched clutch smell. Happened really fast, no warning leading up to it unless I just didn’t notice. I know these have a weak 5th gear, hope I didn’t really mess this up. I have the gas g63b with...
delicaforum.com
5 speed rebuild
I finally got a little time to start fixing my new Delica. I bought it with a bad transmission, it would only move in 4th gear, which made it a bit of a challenge driving it into the garage. I was pleased that the transmission came out fairly quickly and I only needed 12 and 14mm wrenches and...
delicaforum.com
Looking for guidance fixing V5M21 5 speed
It's looking like rebuild time for my 5sp, V5M21, 1996. It wants new synchros for 1 and 2. No other problems are obvious right now, other then oil residue from the engine/trans interface. 1) Per GBNZ, I should replace the input shaft bearing; and check/replace as needed/locktite the fifth...
delicaforum.com
Your first stop should be to download a copy of the Mitsubishi 5-speed Transmission workshop manual. You want book 22A- V5M21. As you'll see, there are quite a few variations and changes to the internals over the years- I strongly recommend disassembling and inspecting your gearbox before ordering any new parts. Genuine Mitsubishi parts aren't expensive if you go through Amayama.com.