Delica Help

E

ErrolSimpson

New Member
I have a Mitsubishi Delica 2002 3L Petrol 4W Drive 7 seater van. I use it to tow a caravan and carry heavy SCUBA Diving Cylinders and equipment. It is low mileage. Bought 2nd hand as direct import to UK from Japan with 60,000 and probably done another 20,000.
It has a tendency to overheat when going up hill towing so I go very slowly. However then the fan also turns very slowly.
Does anybody have any suggestions for preventing the overheating. I am having the cooling system flushed and possibly having a switch installed in the cabin on a relay to manually turn on the air conditioning fan without the air conditioning being on to try to help cooling down the coolant.
Any other suggestions for diagnosing or remedying the problem would be appreciated.
Also trying to get manufacturers certificate of compliance to show that vehicle meets U.K. low emission standard to be able to continue to keep in London. Any help greatly appreciated.
Errol Simpson
Email: errolsimpson2003@yahoo.co.uk
 
There's a good chance your fan clutch is bad... you can try rebuilding/refilling it, or get a replacement. IDT you will get a manufacturer's certificate of compliance... Was the Delica was ever sold there? If not, it was never certified; and they aren't going to go through that process just for you. Here in the US there are third party companies that can test/modify/certify a vehicle to meet emission standards; maybe that's an option?
 
I have looked at the fan while the vehicle is idling and the fan seems to be running O.K. I did not watch it while the vehicle was accelerated to see if the fan speeded up. The fan is not electric but on the engine shaft so should rotate ant the same REVS as the engine shaft. I have no idea where to look for the fan clutch unless it is within the fan housing on the shaft under the fan blades??
Thanks for your reply.
The vehicle had one owner before being imported to the U.K.
Errol Simpson.
 
The clutch is behind the fan blades and it is controlled by silicone oil/valves based on the air temp... the fan does not spin at engine RPM (3000-4000rpm is way too fast for those plastic blades). When the radiator/engine gets hot the clutch should lock up and the fan should get loud(er) as it speeds up (it's not actually "locked up," it's just slipping a lot less).
 
The L400 is a fine towing vehicle and in stock form shouldn't overheat unless you're really abusing it. It has a reputation for cracking the head when it overheats, so you really want to get to the bottom of it rather than masking the problem. The usual culprits are:

-Cracked expansion/reservoir tank (Very common, though this results in low coolant levels first, overheating after)
-Failed radiator cap not holding pressure
-Sludged up/corroded radiator (is your coolant fresh and clean, or does it look dirty? Has it always had antifreeze?)
-Failed fan clutch (as above. Google image search "fan clutch" to see what one looks like).

I wouldn't faff about with duct tape solutions, I'd throw a new fan clutch, radiator, radiator cap, and expansion tank/reservoir at it, and see where it stands.
 
I thank everybody for their responses to my requests above. I changed the thermostat, replaced the coolant, and flushed the radiator. So far the overheating detected by the rising temperature gauge has stopped. I have bought a new hydraulic fan clutch and radiator and water pump and I am waiting for new radiator hoses. I have about 7,000 KM before I need to replace the timing belt and I will have the parts above installed when I have the Timing Belt replaced.

In the meantime, I have a new request for help????

I have replaced the flexible brake hoses, all 4 brake calipers and brake pads for new ones, and the brake master cylinder.
My brakes work fine and stop the van O.K.
However, my brake pedal feels very soft, and the pedal travel is long, almost to the floor before the brakes really take. Pushed really hard and fast with a long travel, the brakes can bring the van to a quick stop.

But I don't believe that the brakes were like that when I bought the vehicle??? Maybe this is the way that the brakes and brake pedal are supposed to be on this vehicle?? But I don't believe that this is the case. I have had a number of people look at it and try different things but they have not been able to fix the soft long travel of the brake pedal. If I pump the brakes I can get the pedal to a point where it feels harder and has less travel and takes sooner but this does not last even during the application of the brakes after pumping them??

I have heard that there is an auxiliary brake booster pump?? I have no idea where it is located and the dealer who sources spares for me has tried many times to source one and states that they are simply not available anywhere??

Does anybody have any ideas?? Help?? Solutions?? Suggestions for me??

Thanks,

Errol Simpson.
 
If your booster was bad the pedal would be hard to depress. It just sounds like air in the lines to me...

New Brake Lines

Anyone have experience either finding new brake lines or purchasing a kit to bend new ones?
delicaforum.com delicaforum.com
 
The brakes have been bled 3 times when Flexible lines were replaced, Master cylinder replaced and 4 new Calipers and pads replaced.

Unless there is a leak I don't think that it is air and I'm not losing brake fluid???

This is the puzzle??

Should the pedal be firm and apply the brakes as soon as pushed or is it supposed to be soft and mushy and have a long travel before braking takes effect??

My memory when I first acquired the van was that the brakes were firm and fierce and had to be applied delicately in order not to begin a screaming rapid stop. Now that only happens with great pressure and at the end of the brake pedal travel??

Any Help, Ideas if it isn't the booster???

Errol Simpson

P.S. Anybody got an idea about where I can get a booster???
 
sk66 said:
If your booster was bad the pedal would be hard to depress. It just sounds like air in the lines to me...

New Brake Lines

Anyone have experience either finding new brake lines or purchasing a kit to bend new ones?
delicaforum.com delicaforum.com
Click to expand...
I had no problem getting new flexible lines from a parts dealer in the U.K. in Coventry.

Errol Simpson.
 
The long travel before the brakes apply suggests a stuck piston. The pistons in new calipers sometimes stick to the rubber seal; when the piston moves the seal distorts, and so the piston appears to be moving normally. But when the pedal is released the seal pulls the piston back too far, resulting in a long brake pedal on next brake application.

Check how loose your brake pads are. There should be minimal clearance between pad and disc, less than half a millimetre. If one or more pads can rattle then that's your problem

To fix it on the vehicle: remove the brake pad on the piston side, apply the brakes to push the piston out about 10mm, then push the pistons back in and reinstall the pad. That'll free up the piston from the seal. Repeat on each caliper: if one was sticky, the others might be too.

There's no need to re-bleed after this procedure. You're probably sick of bleeding the brakes by now... Speaking of bleeding brakes, I'm presuming you've tried a power/vacuum bleeder as well as traditional pump-the-brake-pedal bleeding? The symptoms you describe do also match air in the lines.
 
Growlerbearnz said:
The long travel before the brakes apply suggests a stuck piston.
Click to expand...
I had considered that... and it fits except for this part.
ErrolSimpson said:
If I pump the brakes I can get the pedal to a point where it feels harder and has less travel and takes sooner but this does not last even during the application of the brakes after pumping them??
Click to expand...
IDT a sticky piston fades, but I do think air will cause it to fade after pumping up?
ErrolSimpson said:
I had no problem getting new flexible lines from a parts dealer in the U.K. in Coventry.
Click to expand...
That post has the sequence/locations for bleeding the lines posted to it.
 
Not up on Delicia brakes but sounds like an issue that is common rovers which is the pins that the calipers ride on (under the little rubber gators) get gummed up and really keep the travel down. ON the rover at least it is an easy fix which is take the brake down and clean all the parts and clean and re-lube those pins. If you are near a parts house get the lube that is made for it, in a pinch good red bearing grease works ok but the speced lube works better. my two cents anyway.
 
Thank you to everybody for the suggestions. I will take them to the shop and Mechanic who exchanged the brake calipers and pads for me and see what he will do about these suggestions.

Errol Simpson.
 
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