One look at the grimy condition of my engine led to a shameful cussing from my mechanically inclined brother.

SOMETIMES LIFE comes up and hits hard. The ol' one-two, you know? Brian Carless' 1994 Mitsubishi Galant, aka 'Mitsy' - his pride and joy - recently puked a rivulet of coolant on his veranda. Full of concern and worry, Carless' tender loving care saved his faithful steed from the scrap metal monger and put a few dollars back in his pocket (after all, he didn't need to take out a bank loan to buy a new car). The methods he used to handle this unexpected expense and inconvenience are indicative of the Jamaican spirit. This is bucks down shade tree mechanic stuff, and he pulled it off - to date Mitsy is running and back on the road. Here's his story.

Saturday, November 1

Today, while driving around, shopping in the Portmore Area - a routine glance at the temp gauge didn't look right ... the resulting double take confirmed my worst fears; the engine was running too warm. And then the needle started to go north. So I wheeled and went back home. The gauge peaked before I got there. Parked on the veranda, I popped the hood with the engine on and noticed that water was leaking on the tile, plus there was a trashy sound to the engine. I surmised that the leak came from the water pump and the trashy sound was the pump shaft bearings.

Sunday, November 2

I ain't no mechanic, but my brother is, and after bawlin' on his shoulder he came over and gave his prognosis. He said that Mitsy was leaking oil from the crank and cam shaft seals and the tappet covers gasket. The oil leaks were known from before (it was evident as soon as the bonnet was lifted). He didn't have to tell me that the pump was dying a slow death. However, the water leak was not that bad, and because of the reliability of the brand ... 'she neva yet lef me a road'... I felt that I could still nurse her around. Forewarned is forearmed, so the next day, I topped off the vital fluids, chucked a few gallon bottles of water in the trunk, glued my eyes to that needle and went to work so I could grow the money tree and buy a water pump, tune up parts, various seals and gaskets.

Wednesday, November 5

Murphy's Law states that if something can go wrong, it will ... I bet Murphy didn't have a car, or that law would probably take up a paragraph. While coming out of my gate, I stopped to enter the road; my foot slipped on to the gas and by the time I release it, she was screamin' at 8000 rpm. Redline is 6500. Oooo. Crap. When she settled down, she was sounding a bit musical; like a bell, you know? More tears on the brother's shoulder and he again came around, patience wearing thin. He took a listen, shut it off and went under the car. Came back and said that the bolts that held flexplate to crankshaft were loose. One change of clothes (after the cold sweat bath I had given them) and a couple of twists of his trusty ratchet later and I was on the road again.

Experience taught me that Mitsy would use a gallon of water between work and home. Before each trip I would fill up the radiator, over flow and then the bottle (engine off). By bee-lining my destinations and leaving at certain times in the day (avoiding traffic) I was able to control the old girl's temps, and ferry family as well.

Saturday, November 15

Finally, the tree bore fruit. I went parts hunting. The Sunday before was a revelation - Daytona had a supplement in The Gleaner, and a call to them revealed that they had the pump for a little less than four grand! My 4G63 again would eventually feel coolant coursing through its veins! Still, prudent calls were made to Mitchell's, Sheldon's and Anderson's, to confirm that I was indeed getting the best deal. I jumped into Mitsy (after giving her an H20 fix), and headed to Daytona.

Again, Murphy's Law struck ...

Daytona, after saying that they had the part, seemed to have a 'run' on the pumps. They were out. But the service parts there were still cheap, so I bought that there. On to Mitchell's, and the law reached out its long arm again. It could not be ascertained whether the pump in stock could fit my engine. Single cam 16 valver non EFI 4G63's don't grow on trees, it seems.

But a ray of hope shone. A call to Sheldon's glowed with possibilities, and it was just a stone's throw away. They had it, and for a little less than six grand. Christmas! Note: these are non-genuine parts. The real gungo goes for $11,000 plus. But Sheldon did not have the gasket for the pump. I would have to buy Velomite (gasket material). Mitchell's did not have any, so I went to Bearings and Seals, got it and went home. The nest day, my worries would be over. Or so I felt.

The offending water pump. - Photos by Brian Carless

Engine mount, I'll have to toss four of them

Next Week: Teardown

mario.james@gleanerjm.com, erif_209@yahoo.com