Pajero Owners Club of South Africa

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

Post a pic!

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.

where are these t-pieces located? Picture?

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

Some pics ...


What's left of the expired T-piece


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


Location of T's above and beside the gearbox looking sort of up and back from the right hand front wheel

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

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.

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

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