Scubadude
Gen 3 Heater T-Pieces
Hi all,

Right on time my car's T-pieces started failing a little under 200k km. Scary thing is I got home on Sunday night with a boiling engine and normal reading heat gauge! Suggest all Gen 3 drivers take the advise to replace the T's as a preventative measure.

Phoned Mitsu Boksburg but no stock. Only Durbs has stock, could take a while and costs a whisker under R 100 a piece.

After speaking to Levi at M-Tek I decided to rather have some brass T-pieces made up and fit proper hose clamps. Only problem is knowing how fragile these items are I dont want to take them out to measure it up (still has to use the car until I fit the replacement T-pieces). Anyone with a replaced T-piece (Goldmember?) who would care to measure it up for me?

Thanks!

Francois
Re: Gen 3 Heater T-Pieces
Post a pic! :D
Gerhard Fourie
If you want to shoot somebody, make sure you aim at his head, not your own foot.
Me
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Scubadude
Re: Gen 3 Heater T-Pieces
Just spent un uncomfortable hour under my car ... as I untied the string I used to tie up the pipes so as to minimise the leakage the one T-piece burst under the pressure of the still-warm coolant. These T-pieces really are an achilles heel ... the are extremely brittle and badly crackedfrom years of thermal cycles. This is a ticking time bomb for any Gen 3 Pajero. I can only underline the earlier advise to replace them preventatively ... especially if you're planning a trip into the wild ...

One thing is certain ... I wont be driving to work in my Paj on Monay ... At least now I can measure up the bits and pieces to have new T's made up. I'll post pics and measurements when I have a chance.
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Re: Gen 3 Heater T-Pieces
Scubadude
Re: Gen 3 Heater T-Pieces
Hi 4ePik,

Crawl in under the car under just behind the right front wheel. I reckon the heater hoses (heater matrix as I see some others call it) is about under the driver's knees ... You'll find two T's there. I'm not sure but I think the third is on the firewall somewhere.

F

EDIT: Spent a few minutes on the internet ... the OEM part number is MB879871 / MR958633. For a pic see http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/44136 ... inium.html
Scubadude
Re: Gen 3 Heater T-Pieces
Some pics ...

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What's left of the expired T-piece

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My professional patch job from a piece of curtain rail tube and round bar

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Location of T's above and beside the gearbox looking sort of up and back from the right hand front wheel
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Re: Gen 3 Heater T-Pieces
Fransois what are the diameters we are looking at? In the plumbing trade there is a copper reducing t piece that might just be better than the original. At a glance a 3/4" - 1/2" reducing t might just do the job and the best part is that it would not corrode again
Henk Bannink

Some people are wise, some people are otherwise
Re: Gen 3 Heater T-Pieces
I think heater hoses have a "funny" size - 17mm ID, if I am not mistaken.

I would have a T-piece made up out of scrap pieces of copper pipe, which you should be able to find at a scrap yards.
Gerhard Fourie
If you want to shoot somebody, make sure you aim at his head, not your own foot.
Me
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Scubadude
Re: Gen 3 Heater T-Pieces
4ePajero wrote:I think heater hoses have a "funny" size - 17mm ID, if I am not mistaken.

I would have a T-piece made up out of scrap pieces of copper pipe, which you should be able to find at a scrap yards.
The larger hose is 17mm ID, the smaller one 12mm ID I think (dont have it with me). Going on better than scrap copper - betting our tool room to machine it from solid brass :D
jotto
Re: Gen 3 Heater T-Pieces
Good idea. I have seen some posts by some member with great skills in cad drawing. You draw it and I will make some for you guys in my shop, then I will have spares as well. Let me know if there are any interested parties.

Cheers

Johann
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