So I'm just wrapping everything up after a timing belt/water pump/head gasket change... I'm literally putting on the last part (the oil filler cap bracket).

see video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYb0GAPl2YM

But for some reason, the three holes aren't lining up. But all of the other brackets are lining up just fine. The bracket that connects the the cooling line to the lower intake plenum, the one under the power steering pump that connects to the engine block.

All the belts look like they are lining up... the large accessory bracket is solid and might as well be part of the engine block...

any ideas before I take everything off the front of the engine (again)? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Well, because I wouldn't be able to sleep well thinking about it, and because it's still 65 degrees outside at 2:30 in the morning, I pulled the front off and got down to what I think is the problem.

My new water pump (GMB branded) is not EXACTLY the same as my old one. The bolt hole that goes through the water pump to hold the accessory mount onto the engine block must be a little too thick. This is causing the accessory mount not to sit flush with all the other mounting spots. So when it's torqued down, the accessory mount becomes contorted, and the oil filler bracket doesn't fit.

There is just this tiny nub (like 1mm or less) on the face of the water pump.. I'm going to see if I can file it down..... but, I will do that after some hours of sleep.

furthermore, when I look at a picture of a water pump from this mitsu dealer

https://www.partswebsite.com/mitsubiship...p;image=F709027

It appears to be the whole big component, with the tower that the thermostat housing mounts to. I only ended up buying the pump itself (the part that bolts on to the front...

Did you take the housing off and replace the O-ring that sits in the back of the housing?

O-Ring? I did take off the housing from the engine block (the bit with the tower for the thermostat), as well as separating the water pump from the housing itself. My WP kit came with an o-ring, but I did not see any place to use it. There was one smaller o-ring on the smaller tube that ran through between the heads, that connects to the back side of the housing.

The WP kit came with 2 gaskets, one that went in between the WP housing and the engine block, and one that went between WP and the WP housing...

I did not separate the thermostat housing from the WP housing

That one.

I think your right about your accessory bracket not being fully seated. If it had something to do with the pipe/housing assy, that other bracket on the right that connects the Thermostat housing to the upper intake would not have lined up either.

it might be the WP gaskets.... but if I put the accessory bracket on, with only the bolt that goes through the WP (with all other timing covers and belt removed), I can see that it is getting hung up on that post.

I filed it down a little and seem to have it in more of acceptable range now...

seriously, this oil filler cap bracket was THE LAST thing I was doing after head gasket job.... guess it pays to have the EXACT parts.

I did have to file down the top part of the WP, because it wouldn't fit under the thermostat housing.... should have been my first indication to take it back when that wasn't an exact fit...

Yea, its always a good idea to hold the old part next to the new one before putting it on if you can. The one you got might be for one of the front wheel drive variants of the Mitsu 3.5/3.8...in which case the acc. bracket is probably quite a bit different.