Mitsubishi L3E Overheating and now need Spares and Filter Kit

[TuscanPhil]

Hi all, my 1.5T excavator is playing me up slightly so I've taken the opportunity to do a bit of a small service. It's second (3rd, 4th, 5th or more) hand to me, so no real way of knowing when it was last serviced. Where is the best place to get engine spares and a filter kit from? Spares wise, it would be thermostat, water pump, fan belt. Filters, I need air, oil and 2 fuel ones. If it makes any difference, I'm gloucester based so could pop to a local place, otherwise, post it is!

My main issue I'm having fun with is overheating, almost immediately, ie within about 5-10 mins of use. I've taken the old thermostat out and stuck it in a pan of water - it opens fine. The water pump (off the engine) is free to turn but has a slight squeak - probably just the rubber o-ring seal I'd guess, no noticeable play in the bearings, and the radiator is clean of all muck and debris (blown out with an airline and flushed out till clear).

Is there any special way to fill up the coolant so as to not get an air lock anywhere as I think this could be my problem. I guess I can use any (car) antifreeze in it when I fill it back up?

Thanks for any help!

[Muz]

Welcome Phil .. if the rad is clear something aint letting the water circulate ? .. have you drained the system and inspected what came out ? ..

If youve drained the system .. they do air lock usually because of the heater matrix .. we just used to run them slow for a while till the level dropped then top up

[TuscanPhil]

Thanks Muz, and Hi also - I've been lurking for a few months and reading for longer than that!

The coolant and all with it was changed last year when I had to take the rad off due to poor cooling, replaced and then used the digger to dig out my drive way (so a good few hours and spread over a couple of days) and had no issues with it overheating, in fact it ran better than it has ever done before! It then sat over the winter unused, and when I started it about 2 weeks ago, almost immediately (5 to 10 to 15 mins) it overheated (which was a surprise to me!). I've refilled the coolant and tried it a few more times and each time it still overheated so into the garage it went and I started stripping it down. Checked the thermostat - works ok, opens and closes with hot/cold water, water pump seems free and easy to turn, no up down/left right play in the bearing (by hand), so it's going back together today and I'll see what happens (home made water pump gasket I'm sorry to say!). Mine's an open cab, so no heater (and hence heater matrix), only the rad.

Any tips on where to get engine spares please? I've found Evans & Reid for non-engine spares and replacement buckets/pins/new toys but am struggling to find a Mitsubishi engine spare place.

[Muz]

Thanks Muz, and Hi also - I've been lurking for a few months and reading for longer than that!

The coolant and all with it was changed last year when I had to take the rad off due to poor cooling, replaced and then used the digger to dig out my drive way (so a good few hours and spread over a couple of days) and had no issues with it overheating, in fact it ran better than it has ever done before! It then sat over the winter unused, and when I started it about 2 weeks ago, almost immediately (5 to 10 to 15 mins) it overheated (which was a surprise to me!). I've refilled the coolant and tried it a few more times and each time it still overheated so into the garage it went and I started stripping it down. Checked the thermostat - works ok, opens and closes with hot/cold water, water pump seems free and easy to turn, no up down/left right play in the bearing (by hand), so it's going back together today and I'll see what happens (home made water pump gasket I'm sorry to say!). Mine's an open cab, so no heater (and hence heater matrix), only the rad.

Any tips on where to get engine spares please? I've found Evans & Reid for non-engine spares and replacement buckets/pins/new toys but am struggling to find a Mitsubishi engine spare place.

might be worth pulling the pump off to inspect the impeller also, try running it with the thermostat out. Also ..the cap should be holding a few psi of pressure to stop the water boiling, if it won’t hold pressure, water boils too easily.

[TuscanPhil]

might be worth pulling the pump off to inspect the impeller also.

Yup, the pump was off for me to check it. Refitted and run up this morning, left to mid-rev idle for a good 10-15 mins and whilst the hyd pump is running, it wasn't driving any rams so not working the engine hard. Engine stayed cool (in the green) so looks like it might just have been an air lock somewhere. Next issue to solve is a small bypass tube with 2 O rings that joins the pump to the thermostat housing - it's letting some water past so I have a small leak! Fix one thing, cause another! It's all coming apart again to see if I can clean things up a bit more and get the old bits to play ball.

Where can I get Mitsubishi L3E Engine spares from, any ideas? Fan/alternator belt needed and the bypass pipe and O rings. I can measure the pulleys and get a generic replacement, but I'm going to need to find an engine parts supplier soon.

[Muz]

Yup, the pump was off for me to check it. Refitted and run up this morning, left to mid-rev idle for a good 10-15 mins and whilst the hyd pump is running, it wasn't driving any rams so not working the engine hard. Engine stayed cool (in the green) so looks like it might just have been an air lock somewhere. Next issue to solve is a small bypass tube with 2 O rings that joins the pump to the thermostat housing - it's letting some water past so I have a small leak! Fix one thing, cause another! It's all coming apart again to see if I can clean things up a bit more and get the old bits to play ball.

Where can I get Mitsubishi L3E Engine spares from, any ideas? Fan/alternator belt needed and the bypass pipe and O rings. I can measure the pulleys and get a generic replacement, but I'm going to need to find an engine parts supplier soon.

Yeah .. if theres no heater matrix for a cab they just used a pipe with some 'O' rings if I recall to short circuit what would have been the feed and return to the cab heater. This is now a legacy product for Volvo pathetic eh ? so you need to go to Diamond Diesels https://www.diamonddiesels.co.uk/ ... good guys ... and they will have all you need .. Dont forget my tip about the rad cap .. it must hold pressure to work correctly. Also .. my point about running with no thermostat is that although you've tested it, if the impellor is weak circulation will be poor and it will be slow to open, so removing it takes it out of the equation .. *edit* sorry just realised its a Hanix machine

[Fleety]

For Hanix spares I use Riley plant spares at Hyde, I'm pretty sure that darren (the chap in charge) Is an ex hanix man. 0161 367 9060

[Muz]

For Hanix spares I use Riley plant spares at Hyde, I'm pretty sure that darren (the chap in charge) Is an ex hanix man. 0161 367 9060

Yeah mate but the engine is Mitsubishi do they support the engines too ?

[Fleety]

Yes

[digger-man-dumper]

Yes

It might be worth running the engine with the thermostat out to be 100% sure that is not the problem,, Is it over heating or is it blowing the water out as the 2 are very different faults,, If is blowing water out the head gasket may have of gone or the head is cracked. A compression test will show is compression is leaking into the water jacket ( coolant system )You said in a earlier post you had replaced the radiator if it had been over heating there may have been damage caused then, As a quick test fill the radiator to the top,, run the engine with the rad cap off for a bit,, Can you see it blowing bubbles out of the cap.

[digger-man-dumper]

It might be worth running the engine with the thermostat out to be 100% sure that is not the problem,, Is it over heating or is it blowing the water out as the 2 are very different faults,, If is blowing water out the head gasket may have of gone or the head is cracked. A compression test will show is compression is leaking into the water jacket ( coolant system )You said in a earlier post you had replaced the radiator if it had been over heating there may have been damage caused then, As a quick test fill the radiator to the top,, run the engine with the rad cap off for a bit,, Can you see it blowing bubbles out of the cap.

Just a couple more things you might just want to check, I'm not familiar with the radiator, Radiator cowling or fan blades in this digger but,, Is there a cowling around the fan to help draw the air through the radiator & is it posible to put the fan on 180 degrees reversed / most fan blades have a shape with a leading edge on the fin to pull more air as the fan spins .

[Muz]

Just a couple more things you might just want to check, I'm not familiar with the radiator, Radiator cowling or fan blades in this digger but,, Is there a cowling around the fan to help draw the air through the radiator & is it posible to put the fan on 180 degrees reversed / most fan blades have a shape with a leading edge on the fin to pull more air as the fan spins .

Its one of those engines that works with fairly rudimentary plumbing IMHO

[TuscanPhil]

Thanks for the dealer/engine spares recommendations. Put it all back together yesterday/today and ran it a bit longer, doesn't seem to be overheating but I've not yet used it in anger, so time will tell, I still have a leak from the pump/thermostat bypass hose, despite changing the O rings, so I'm hoping it might settle down after a few heat cycles or a bit of vibration, if all else fails, it's off again (a hard to get to bit that takes an age for such a simple task!) and I'll try a bigger/fatter O ring cut down and superglued to a slightly smaller size.

Got an oil filter from Halfords (Mann equivalent) and changed the oil, just need to sort fuel and air filters now (oh and top up/check/clean the hyd filter etc.

[Muz]

Thanks for the dealer/engine spares recommendations. Put it all back together yesterday/today and ran it a bit longer, doesn't seem to be overheating but I've not yet used it in anger, so time will tell, I still have a leak from the pump/thermostat bypass hose, despite changing the O rings, so I'm hoping it might settle down after a few heat cycles or a bit of vibration, if all else fails, it's off again (a hard to get to bit that takes an age for such a simple task!) and I'll try a bigger/fatter O ring cut down and superglued to a slightly smaller size.

Got an oil filter from Halfords (Mann equivalent) and changed the oil, just need to sort fuel and air filters now (oh and top up/check/clean the hyd filter etc.

Just wondering if someone has chucked in some radweld or something at some point and its blocked some of the core ?

[TuscanPhil]

I don't think so, the core (and cooling) was fine when I used it to dig out my driveway last Autumn, 4-5 hours of work each day for about 4-5 days, so a good amount of work. It then sat unused for a few months until the other week when I needed to scrape off some more of my driveway, where it overheated within 10-15 mins (could have been less). Since taking it apart (a few times! ) it seems to be fine (cooling wise), so I'm 'convinced' it was either a stuck thermostat (works fine in a pot of hot water), an air lock, or just plain voodoo! Until I take it apart (again!) to sort the leaking O ring (if it doesn't 'self seal', I'll just keep a good eye on the water temp when in use and water levels when cold.