I'm not sure where you're seeing all the smoking Monteros and Montero Sports. In 14 years I've seen two (my mom saw a REALLY bad Sport last fall). All of them were obviously abused for a long time. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> Around the Denver area we don't see many 2000+ model Monteros, but there are quite a few very late '80s and early-mid '90s. To date, I've never seen one blowing oil smoke. The techs at the dealership say the same thing. It's a rarity to get a Montero or Montero Sport in that's smoking. Once every few years kind of thing and 99% of the time it's valve stem seals on a 200K+ engine. The other 1% is abused and never maintained vehicles.

Cars are not SUVs. Expensive SUVs - expensive vehicles in general - usually have a better maintenance record and are treated better than 'disposable', cheap grocery-getter sedans.

Below is my big '97 Sport with the 6G72 and 530K+ miles on the original engine. This is my DD and it's been 'wheeled hard since I bought it new. Besides wheeling in CO it makes 2-4 trips a year to Moab - 2 or 3 trips usually are in the dead of summer when the temps are pushing 100-105 loaded with gear and passengers. Normally it weighs in at 5500 but on vacation weighs in at 6500-6900 lbs. It gets driven over two 11,000 foot mountain passes, and we do 70-75 Mph out and back. Not easy with a vehicle that weighs that much with an engine that small. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I've always run a K&N FIPK (GT3000) open element air filter - which a lot of people don't like 'cause they claim it lets in too much dirt.

All I do is the owners manual proscribed maintenance. The only thing I do differently, is I run Mobil 1 full synthetic 10-30/10-40 and I change it every 9,000-10,000 miles. An engine design with issues or poor production quality would never stand up to that kind of abuse.

It still didn't smoke under any condition two months ago even with a dead cylinder and I was putting in a quart of oil a month.



Edward

FWIW, 98-99 MS's with coil springs had an option for the air locker. I bought a rear axle out of one once. The pump was mounted to an underbody plate just ahead/above the rear axle. I planned to us it in a gen1swb, but I sold the car and the axle later, never installed.

Coil springs? The 97-99 Montero Sport was leaf sprung. Coils didn't come out until the redesigned 2000. The Mitsu locker was an option on 4WD LS, XLS and Limited 97-99 Montero Sports. The 98-99 Montero was coil sprung. Did you mean Montero?

Edward

senior moment - thought leaf, typed coil.

yeah im gonna bypass that one...oddly enough, another 99 (limited) MS just popped up with the factory locker and with less miles, although the price is higher (still a fair price).
Im gonna go look at it this weekend if its still there, doubt it will.
http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/ctd/3148316953.html

Looks like it's in a lot better shape.

Edward

Most of the V6 Montero's around here burn oil, valve stem seals. All of our local club Montero's have had their valve stem seals changed and no longer burn oil. Seems to happen after 160k and get really bad by about 180k, the unaffected truck would be Johnny's truck which has always run Full synthetic. When i put a new motor in my truck i switched to full synthetic because Johnny's truck was proof enough for me to make the switch.

yeah mine just started not too long ago (i have 140K), those valve guide seals are a real weak point on the DOHC and SOHC 3.5s...ive seen a ton of people saying the same thing about the leaky valve guide seals

the rear axle seal is also leaking as shown in the last photo.
John
The Almighty Lurker

That's what the techs have always told me. Around 180-200K. Mine made it to somewhere around 400K. Funny part is, it never smoked unless I tilted it on either side long enough for oil to accumulate in a valve cover. Replaced the seals and that was the last time it ever did that. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" />

The comments about synthetic are interesting. I haven't run anything in the last 30 years, including my bikes, on anything but full synthetic - Amsoil, Valvoline, Mobile 1. I keep telling people running full synthetic is worth it. It's nice to hear some other people are seeing similar results. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Edward