Symptoms
Usually none before it fails. A belt that has jumped a tooth gives a loud, clattery 'tractor' noise at idle and on the move, black smoke, low power and sometimes oil consumption. A broken balance-shaft belt can knock the timing belt off a tooth and then hide in the bottom of the cover.
The fix, step by step
- Remove the top timing cover and look for bits of belt.
- Turn the engine until the camshaft and injection-pump sprocket marks line up, then check that the crank pulley notch points at the leftmost 'T' mark on the lower cover (pages 11B-14 and 11B-15 of Mitsubishi's '4D5 & 4G7 Engine Manual', as quoted on Delica.ca).
- Replace the timing belt and the balance-shaft belt together, with their tensioners, and the water pump while you're there.
- You'll need to hold the crank pulley to undo its bolt and a puller to remove it.
- Owners say the factory 100,000 km interval suits a new, dry engine, but 70,000–90,000 km is safer on an old engine with oily, worn pulleys.
Tools & part numbers
- Workshop manual
- crank pulley holding tool and puller
- torque wrench
- belt tension gauge or the manual's method
- balancer belt MD310484 (engines from May 1993) or MD363481 (earlier), per a Delica.ca member; confirm by frame number.
Where to buy the parts
Timing belt, tensioner and water pump by frame number (Delica Star Wagon catalogue)Megazip ↗
Hunting a used or discontinued part? Search eBay Motors for Mitsubishi Delica Star Wagon (L300 4WD) parts →
Rated for a competent home mechanic with a decent tool kit. Confirm torque figures, fluids and procedures against the factory service manual for your VIN, support the truck on stands rather than a jack, and work at your own risk (disclaimer). Some parts links are affiliate links, which pay us a small commission at no cost to you.