Last month I picked up this 1990 Montero w apx 80,000 miles. This is my first off-road capable vehicle, although we have pushed our Subaru Outback about as far as you can on some of the trails around Denver, I noticed reading through old posts there where quite a few members from the Denver/Front Range area so I thought I'd say Howdy.

Since this photo was taken I've picked up a couple of Yakima Rails and Gutter mounts off Craigslist and my wife got me a pair of Hella 500F lights. I'd like to find a couple of bouncy seats if anybody in CO has some or knows of a yard with a Gen 1 lying around.

I'd like to slowly move towards a more capable off roader, probably wheels/tires and maybe the EMU suspension kit, nothing to radical since this still has to be my daily driver.

Nice looking Gen I. Looking forward to seeing upgrade questions and opinion requests from you as you look to modify your rig. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Welcome to "the wire" <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />
Looks like a cream puff, wow only 80k. Wonder if it's ever had the timing belt changed?
Add us some details to your signature .
AT?
LSD?
no bouncies, I see.
I think you'll see there is not alot of aftermarket stuff available cause you don't need it. Most modifications I've done are getting more beefy Gen 2 parts from salvage yards and installing to Gen 1.
my recomendations:
bouncies,
31" tires on 7" or 8" wheels
Gen 2 or OME 910 rear springs
Slight T bar crank.
Rear LSD if not equiped or a Gen 2 SR airlocker

your ready for being a D.D. and very offroad/snow capable.

"1st"! and most important thing to buy for the new Montero owner---- the updated / improved Harmonic Balancer Bolt(main pulley bolt).

Welcome in. Good group here...smart, too.

Don't ignore the above advise. Do it. It's real easy when the old bolt is intact. It's major heartburn if you wait and it breaks.

Not hip too the lingo yet, what are LSD and AT? Is there a preferred place to the get the main pulley bolt? I downloaded the Service Manual, I figure I can get it replaced with that but do you have any specific things to do or watch out for when I go to change it out?

LSD: Limited Slip Differential. Provides better traction by making both tires spin.
AT: Automatic Transmission. Similarly MT will mean Manual Transmission.
Dealer item for the main pulley bolt. There are some online dealers. I don't remember them off the top of my head but I'm sure others will chime in. Probably not much difference in price for it assuming you'll also pay the shipping fees so it may be better for your local economy to buy from a local dealer than an online one.
Timing Belt: If date of last replacement is unknown it should def be inspected and if any signs of wear are found then replaced. Biggest thing to help when I did my 90 was my brother-in-law who had done it before. You'll def need an extra pair of hands to help remove the crank pulley bolt unless you do the starter trick. My brother in law had seen things break doing it that way so we did it by removing the starter & holding the flywheel in place with a big screw driver as we loosened the bolt.

There are timing marks on the pulley and block that you can use to re-align everything.

It will also be a good time to flush the cooling system, replace the water pump & the o-ring behind it, tensioner pulley, idler pulleys, and other belts since you'll have access to everything.

If the engine has leaking valve stem seals (dark smoke during cold start up or when revving after an extended idle) then it may be a good time to replace them as well because you'll just have to redo the timing belt removal & replacement process again when you eventually do them. That said, there's a couple of ways to do it w/out removing the heads (LP air or rope tricks).

HTH.

Got it, thanks. So Manual Trans and not sure on the LSD, but I suspect not if it was an upgrade of any sort. This appears to the be the base model, my wife calls the interior the AM Package as in AM radio. Distinct lack of cup holders. Funny note my 10 YO son has never used window cranks before and loved them the way we old guys loved power windows the first time we saw them. Up and down, he also noted the windows in the back go all the way down and I can't shut off his control to them the way you can in a "modern" car. Ha

I read over a few of the threads about the crank bolt and I sent an email to Kormu to see about getting a new one and I also put a call into the local dealer to see what they would charge to replace or retorque it.

3 ways to check for an LSD.
1) Look for LSD sticker in the driver area.
2) Look for LSD plate/sticker on the rear differential.
3) Chock the front tires & raise the rear up and support it w/ jack stands. Release the E-Brake and turn one of the rear tires. If the opposite tire turns in the same direction there's an LSD in there. If it turns in the opposite direction it's an open dif.

As for models, the LS usually has an LSD, Front headlight washers and power windows.
The other models don't typically but prior owners may have added one via the dealer or installed one themselves.

If you're gonna do the bolt, also do the timing belt and other parts up front. Will be a couple of hundred in parts & a little extra labor (maybe an hour extra?). <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

For cup holders, I went to walmart and bought a 2 cup holder + CD holder thingamagig that fits perfectly between the back of the center console and the rear seat. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

For cupholders, I highly recommend these:

http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Folding-Drink-Holder/product/8966/56766

I have one bolted to the right side of the front console, and another one bolted to the back of the center console. They're small enough that you could probably attach them to the door panels as well. Since the mounting surfaces weren't completely flat, I used some small white nylon spacers between the back of the cup holders and the mounting surfaces. You'll need spacers if you mount one behind the center console, in order for the console lid to open fully.

Excellent, now I know what to get my wife for her birthday.

On a more serious note, wheel size question. I'm shopping around for some 15x8 rims with the 3.25" backspacing and 6x5.5 bolt pattern and I saw somewhere the hub hole size was mentioned. Is the hub somewhat standard? For instance, would something like this fit over the Montero hub?

Rock Crawler 52