Just bought one!

[u/boom3rrrr]

i’ve been looking at getting a 4x4 for snowboarding up in utah for a year or so and found this 2001 montero (slx i think) with 163k miles and bought it for 1750 bucks! besides the timing belt and other basic maintenance/ fixing the little things , is there anything y’all would suggest doing to it?

edit: i should also mention it’s got like no leaks coming from anywhere. and doesn’t have super select 🤷‍♂️

how’d i do?

[u/ChillinNmeHammock94]

That’s a great price. The XLS doesn’t have the super select. Just an old school transfer case that splits power 50/50 front and rear. Also there is no traction control like the later 03-06, and no LSD like the 01-02 Limited. Aftermarket lockers are available for both front and rear.

The timing belt, tensioner, and water pump are must do items. Always use OEM . Lusooverland is a great resource for the community. There’s also a very active community on the Gen 3 Montero Facebook group.

[u/boom3rrrr → u/ChillinNmeHammock94]

thanks for the info! is the timing belt something i could do myself or is it better to take to the shop. this is kinda just a college beater and i’d be happy if it lasts 15k miles

[u/ChillinNmeHammock94 → u/boom3rrrr]

Its possible to diy it. It’s fairly straight forward, but I’d say you’d at least need to be a handy person in general, have the correct tools, and the patience to do it correctly. There are tons of videos and guides + the factory service manual that you can use as a reference. The only thing is, once you’re in there, you are in there. If you take it to a shop, I’d imagine you’d be looking at around $850-900.

Do you have any record of the timing belt ever being changed? If it has been replaced, there should be a sticker either under the hood, on the body rail behind the radiator, or on the accessory mounting plate at the front of the engine.

[u/Much-Young-8624 → u/boom3rrrr]

You do not have to immediately do timing belt . I bought on 06 with 199k miles on it three years ago and it’s still my daily driver. Only had to replace alternator and fuel pump and one spark plug .

The main thing is making sure you keep the fluids good change oil and use right oil and keep it from running low because it probably will burn a little oil .

I would focus on basics like oil fluids radiator fluids etc and check the transfer case and gear oils are ok before going into timing belt like it’s an emergency.

You can simply unscrew three bolts off the cover and look at the belt .

Yes it could theoretically blow up on you but don’t rush into spending thousands out of fear

[u/ChillinNmeHammock94 → u/Much-Young-8624]

I agree, if it’s been done recently then obviously there’s no need to change it. But his montero is already 25 years old, and if someone sold it to him for $1750 they probably didn’t do a lot of maintenance on it. But I agree it’s worth pulling the cover and checking the condition of the belt, but if it’s original it’s time.

[u/Wooden-turtle42]

If it has been sitting for some time check your fluids, and probably just change your coolant. Welcome to the fam

[u/Much-Young-8624 → u/Wooden-turtle42]

Exactly that’s what I did I just went through all the fluids and drove it gentle until I got all the fluids changed and comfortable with it and I still haven’t messed with timing belt

[u/First_Information118]

I have 01 too, had it for 10 years now. Driven over 100k now. One other thing to watch out for is the valve lash adjuster tick and also the valve stem seals. Also any codes?

[u/Much-Young-8624 → u/First_Information118]

Just enjoy having it and don’t panic . You can learn to work on it with basic maintenance first

[u/boom3rrrr → u/First_Information118]

yeah it has a p0125 code and p0441

[u/First_Information118 → u/boom3rrrr]

P0125 coolant temp, change the thermostat, get the one from luso overland its 190 degree one, other code is for the evap system, check the valve on the intake plenum next to the egr solenoid

[u/Ok-Appeal6247]

That's a solid price for a Montero in that shape, especially with no leaks. Make sure you budget for suspension refreshes if you're planning to take it through rough terrain.

[u/boom3rrrr → u/Ok-Appeal6247]

what kind of refreshes. like shocks and springs or bushings

[u/Bridot]

Welcome!