Hello folks! Im new here, and new to the mini truck stuff. I recently aquired one from my father in law. Heres my questions... 1991 Mitsubishi Minicab TD U42T 1...After going through my new toy, and making sure everything it has, works, (lights, fuel pump, etc) i have gotten to the point where I can drive it. I have driven it far enough to get it to running temp, however, it seems to want to just die when i push in the clutch before i come to a stop. It fires right up so long as i hit the throttle and feather it a bit. Once it starts, it will stay running just fine. But, its surging at idle. Im pretty sure the fuel cap is good. Tried it with, and without the cap on. Checked the ventilation for the fuel symptoms. Seems to be in order. I have ran enough "good gas" through it, so bad fuel I think can be ruled out. Also, after it dies, it will start back up, as i stated, then it goes into surge at idle, but I have found that if i just sit there and let it surge, it will eventually flatten out and idle pretty much normal. If anyone has ran into this problem, and you havena solution or a tip, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks much!
The carb could be gunked up, or, there's a billion little vacuum hoses... suggest you have a real close look at those first.
Thanks Ronin. Ill check that out tonight. Im going to take it to the local muffler shop pretty soon. Its in dire need of exhaust. Im sure the cat conv is clogged up some too. Surely i can call Mikuni and get a card kit. Now that i got it up and running, the trouble shooting begins. Finding its tics and working out the bugs. It was neglected something fierce. Had a lot of fuel in the oil when i got it. But it had sat for a year, unstarted. Changed the oil and filter. I thinks its still bleeding a tiny bit of fuel in the crank case. But not much to speak of. Thanks again for the direction.
Suz19 was like that too... fuel system was OK but the original old man owner evidently never found 4th gear in 35k KM of driving, and apparently had decided to fill the cooling system with seawater at some point... oi. Full stainless muffler and pipe from HST (made in Japan) for the U42 less than a C-note over here, come on over and grab one. Might try adding some Seafoam to your gas, it is often successful in getting things cleaned up enough to make significant improvements... gas in the oil sometimes means a sticky float needle... worth a try anyhow before pulling it to bits.
Ronin, Yes, to the Seafoam. Im not really wanting to tear it down if i can keep from it. As for the exhaust, i read a old post on here where the person said they got a WALKER 18331 muffler off of Amazon for pretty cheap. Changed from 1 1/4 pipe to 1 1/2 pipe. Said it made no difference in performance. Also said it was so quiet, he had to install a tach so he would know when to shift. Since mine will be primarily used for hunting and the like, i may go that route. The quieter the better. I also have a electrical issue thats plaguing me. But that can wait.
Added about 8 oz of Seafoam to the tank. Drove it. Hard to tell yet if it helped. Needs to sit a bit in the carb and let it do its thing. Changed the plugs too. Talked to a tech friend of mine, he said my surge problem could be related to it possibly running a bit rich. That would explain why it runs good cold, but dies when it warms up to running temp. The more i drive it, the more it appears to be getting better. Any ideas on what i might be able to add to the fuel besides Seafoam? Gumout maybe?
Patience Grasshopper... let it ride and see for a few days. Check the vacuum lines in the meantime, and drive it like you stole it. If you can get an eyeball on the choke plate when it's warm that'll answer that question.
Checked the vacuum lines as best incould last night. Everything appears to be in order. Gonna take a toothbrush and some mild cleaner to the outside of the carb tonight. Just to see that everything is in working order. Its a bit gummed up with years of road dirt and grease. Il definitely check the choke plate. Tracked down a fixed a electric issue as well. That was a relief. Atleast something worked in my favor. Hahaha! Its a work in progress. Thanks for your input. I love this site. Almost any problems i have come across, someone else has had the same or similar issues with and theres almost always a remedy. And, yes, patience. After i get the carb thing straightened out, its going up for new exhaust, then i think ill take a break from the tinkering and just drive it a bit and see what happens.
After some trial and error. And much checking for vacuum lines and the like, i found the choke plate was sticking closed. Thanks much everyone for the help. The more I tinker with this little thing, the easier it seems to get.
YES! Much. Replaced a couple cracked vacuum lines. Messed with the carb adjustments. And it seems to be doing fine. Broke a belt yesterday. Had to get a replacement. Also, hot my new cap and rotor in the mail yesterday afternoon. That will get installed today. Ill try to post a couple pictures of my floor pan fix. It was definitely a trick of fabrication. Driveshaft fix happens next week when my welder friend gets back in town. The little beast is coming back to life little by little. The wife calls herself a "Minitruck Widow". HAHAHAHA!!! Have a great day, Ronin.
A lot of people Kind of neglect things and let things go until it gets bad enough and then they just sell it. The buyer usually can get a very reasonable price and then gets to have all the "fun". Might seem overwhelming at first but taken one step at a time, becomes manageable and enjoyable, at least to us mechanical types. Fred
Very true, Fred. I have always enjoyed tinkering and trouble shooting. Its slowly coming together. Im trying to conquer one issue at a time, and others keep popping up. HAHA!! This poor little rig i have the pleasure of having now, suffered severe neglect over the last 15 or so years of its previous owner. Much of it is simply fixing what has broke. Fresh air vents, the vacuum line nipple i fixed on the air cleaner, spark plugs, oil change, lights not working, simple things that could have been done effortlessly. But weren't. But there was a ton of little things like that. Im down to big stuff now i think. Remove and clean gas tank, cap and rotor, front drive shaft, wheels and tires, and rebuild the carb. In time, all that will be achieved. I fixed the floor pan on the drivers side. It had rusted through from not being cleaned out regularly. Youd be amazed what one can do with a piece of 1/16 aircraft aluminum and almost 4 hours. Haha! But im happy to say, things are coming along pretty good so far. Have a good night, Fred. Joe
Guess thats how we are, tinkerers and such. I've been turning wrenches for myself and doing fleet work since the mid 50s and never seem to get tired of fixing and creating. I am now 77 and have now retired but still do my own maintenance & repairs. When you mentioned Aircraft Aluminum, you struck a very dear chord with me as I have been a Pilot for close to 40 years and have owned 8 different planes over the years (3 of which I built). Where Ronin and I are the day is just starting as he is in Japan and I live in the Philippines. Fred
Fred, Im only 45. Just a kid by your and my fathers standard. Haha! I guess I getit from him. He was a fabricator for many many years before he retired. He too is in his middle 70s, and still refuses to let anyone maintain his vehicles. HAHA!! I like the challenge of making something from nothing. When i showed him the piece i made for my damaged floor pan, you would have thought he made it himself. And in a way, he did. Everything I know, he taught me or i learned from watching him. Ill try to post a couple pictures. Have a great day, Fred. Joe
I grew up in the high jungles of the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. A long time ago, I got five years on you Joe. Fiddy last December. My dad died when I was seven so it was my Mom and I there, and nobody really to call if things went South... hey boy learn fast. At age fourteen I was spending my school vacations hauling in various crashed rides, patching them up and selling my cobbled hybrid results to the natives... survived to tell the tale so... Always have been very much a "take it apart and see" kind of guy; when I was a kid I played with my toys with a screwdriver... finding out what was inside was much more interesting than picking lint out o' the wheels, or whatever. Grabbing some pics of a washed out bridge, c.1980... Back yard, former Packer backer very much relocated: In the Jungle, a man's word was his Bond... so it is here too in Japan, one of the big reasons I stayed. Raise a glass to smooth idle, on topic post.
Happy belated Birthday, Ronin. I was pretty much the same. Take it apart and see what makes it go. HA!! The wife has brought it to my attention, that whenever I take on one of my "projects", it becomes an obsession. I won't put it down until im completely satisfied that everything is up to par and working as it should. I got plans in the works to build a separate garage so all my pet projects have a place to be that doesn't involve her parking in the driveway and not in the garage. Haha!! My little Mitsu, i have to say, is one of the funnest projects thus far. Reason is, parts are not readily available. I am forced to invent and innovate. Making and modifying. It keeps the mind loose and limber. Always thinking. Im still trying to figure out how to post pictures on here. I have put up a few. Mostly I run into "file too large" errors. Ill figure it out eventually. Its 5:45am here and im headed into work. Have a good one, Ronin.
Make a Photobucket account and upload to there, then copy/paste the 'Img' link in yer post. In addition to all the mechanical stuff around here I am also completely rebuilding the house, and ohyeah got the binoculars trained on the very near horizon for the arrival of the Stork. Thar's a funny project for ya... Have a Good One too.
